1. Significantly improve student achievement
2. Prepare educators and other professionals to effectively serve inner-city environments
3. Provide solutions to community problems through an active research agenda by bridging the gap between academic theory and practice

Why San Diego State University?
Early on, Price Charities identified quality education as one of the key ingredients in creating a livable community. They challenged SDSU to become an active partner in the revitalization of City Heights. With its core mission of teaching, research and community service, SDSU was uniquely suited to address this challenge. The university supplies more than half of the teachers in the San Diego Unified School District. Forty-two percent of SDSU students identify themselves as members of underrepresented ethnic groups. SDSU has an active research agenda; SDSU faculty received nearly $110 million in grants and contracts for research and administering programs during fiscal year 2006-2007, the most of any California State University campus. SDSU faculty members have received a total of more than $1 billion in external funding since 2000. Further, SDSU operates numerous community and social programs, such as the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program that serves more than 30,000 low-income individuals in San Diego County.

The education component of Price Charities' agenda quickly evolved into the City Heights K-16 Educational Collaborative. Backed by Price Charities' gift, in-kind commitments and grants, the program began in the fall of 1998. Among its goals has been a focus on closing the student achievement gap in City Heights.

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Participating Schools

Rosa Parks Elementary
Opened in September 1997, Rosa Parks Elementary has exceeded its enrollment capacity since the outset. Built to accommodate 900 students, the school registered an initial enrollment of more than 1,200, which increased in 2000 to more than 1,500. With an enrollment cap and additional facilities now in place, Rosa Parks had an enrollment of 1,468 students for the 2002-2003 school year. Roughly 70 percent of these students have limited English proficiency.

» View the Rosa Parks Elementary School website


Monroe Clark Middle School
Opened in September 1997, Monroe Clark was the first school to be built by San Diego City Schools exclusively for sixth, seventh and eighth graders. It also quickly exceeded enrollment capacity. In 1998, Standardized Testing and Reporting (STAR) results, which measure reading, math, language and spelling proficiency, Monroe Clark students scored roughly 20 points below the district averages in all areas. Monroe Clark had an enrollment of 1,640 students for the 2002-2003 school year. Nearly 50 percent of these students are classified as English language learners.

» View the Monroe Clark Middle School website


Hoover High School
Unlike Rosa Parks and Monroe Clark schools, Hoover High is one of the oldest in the city, opening in 1929. In 2000, standardized test scores indicated that the gap between Hoover's average and that of the district in reading, math, science and social science was even greater than that at the Pilot's primary schools - nearly 25 percentage points below average. Hoover High School had an enrollment of 2,211 students for the 2002-2003 school year. More than 45 percent of Hoover students are English learners.

» View the Hoover High School website

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The Engaged University
In fall 1998, SDSU assumed administrative and operational responsibility for the three City Heights Collaborative schools. SDSU has applied the resources and expertise of its eight academic colleges and supporting divisions to the diverse academic and nonacademic factors that affect learning for City Heights students. Examples of this commitment include:



Students
SDSU students devote a significant number of hours of course work, fieldwork and research to Collaborative-related projects annually. Each semester, more than 100 SDSU students serve as tutors at Rosa Parks, Monroe Clark and Hoover. Scores of others are involved as student teachers working on their credentials, and dozens more participate in teaching as part of graduate and undergraduate classes and research.






Collaborative Faculty and Staff
More than 100 faculty have participated in more than 65 different Collaborative programs and have contributed to curriculum and program design, implementation, teaching and direct support.

Academic Departments and Colleges
More than 40 academic departments, ranging from Anthropology to Women's Studies, from the College of Business Administration to the School of Social Work, have contributed mentoring activities, parent and family outreach, after-school recreational programs, and many other services in City Heights. In addition, SDSU's College of Education plays a key role in supporting teacher professional development in City Heights Educational Collaborative schools.

College Avenue Compact
Initiated in the fall of 2007, College Avenue Compact provides guaranteed admission to SDSU for Collaborative students. From elementary to high school, the program provides extensive outreach activities for students and parents to learn more about college-going. Students visit the SDSU campus, receive an individualized student plan, meet with advisors, and are prepared in classes aligned with the undergraduate requirements for SDSU, paving the way for a smooth transition into the university.

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Rosa Parks Elementary School is an inner city school in the city of San Diego with approximately 1500 students, kindergarten through fifth grade. More than half of the students have limited English language skills and nearly 99% qualify for free breakfast and lunch at school because their family income is below poverty level.

Inadequate space at Rosa Parks Elementary necessitated the creation of an annex to house classrooms for the approximately 250 kindergarten students enrolled. The 13 classes consist of mainstream English and bilingual classes, and one special education class. Students are bused about one half mile from the main campus to the annex every day.

The forum for kindergarten parent/teacher partnerships are classroom dinners. Seven times during the school year each kindergarten child's family is invited to have dinner with the teacher and the Success for Life staff. After dinner, children participate in activities that introduce, teach and reinforce social and academic learning skills while the parents, teacher and staff meet in the classroom. Translators are provided when necessary.

Each dinner focuses on a topic chosen to help educate and empower parents on how to better support their child's learning. Topics include: team building, literacy, math, behavior and anger management, health and fitness as well as a few topics yet to be determined. Parents are also provided with a classroom progress report as well as information about educational goals for the next month and how to help their children at home. Books, educational aides, and other helpful items are often distributed at the meetings.

During the year, the Success for Life staff stays in contact with participating families to offer support and to encourage dinner attendance.

Success for life initiated the first dinners in October 2004. It is too early to assess results. The program goal is to provide parent/teacher support such that these students will be able to achieve academic success equal to or better than the top performing students in suburban San Diego schools.

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Collaborative Accomplishments
In 1998/1999 the state of California adopted the Academic Performance Index (API) as its annual accountability measure. THe API is a numeric index ranging from 200 to 1000, with 800 as the target for every school. API is based on student performance on standardized tests given annually.

• Attendance at all three schools averaged more than 95 percent during the 1999-2000 school year.
  
• More than 129 teachers were awarded a SDSU Masters in Education andover 350 student teachers completed an on-site teacher credential program between 1998 and 2001.
  
• Collaborative schools have averaged 90% teacher retention in Collaborative schools, compared to 75% in similar schools.
  
• Parent volunteers logged approximately 30,000 hours through adult education classes, community service and school governance meetings.
  
• In addition to Price Charities' support, more than $5.5 million has been secured by the Collaborative's grant development team to support activities such as the seventh-grade early college outreach program, extended day programs, health services, and summer academic camps.
  
• More than 25 journal publications, 10 books chapters, and 17 conference presentations were generated from the City Heights Educational Collaborative experience in the first three years.
  

Through the City Heights K-16 Educational Collaborative, SDSU, Price Charities, the teachers union and other partners are helping a local community find solutions to its most pressing problems. It is also the partners' hope and intent that the Collaborative will serve as a model for other ethnically diverse and challenged neighborhoods.

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