LINKED LEARNING ACCOUNTABILITY PROJECT IN OAKLAND SCHOOLS

Client
Urban Strategies Council
Faculty
Davenport, Geoff
Team
Prem Calvin Prashad, Jennifer Rignack, Shiqing Cui, Yaqi Huang, Sijia Cheng

The Urban Strategies Council (USC) is an anti-poverty organization based in Oakland, California that works to transform low-income neighborhoods into vibrant, healthy communities. In response to disparate educational outcomes among students, California developed the Linked Learning program for high schools-a college and career readiness framework for schools. USC is collaborating with Oakland Unified School District to examine how Linked Learning affects student achievement and influences equitable educational outcomes. USC enlisted a Capstone team to create a database of district and school budget allocations, establish a framework for public accountability, and analyze Measure N spending patterns-a tax in the Oakland districts in which proceeds are directed to improving the quality of education. The Capstone team's findings indicated that nearly 50 percent of Measure N funds do not correlate with student performance. The team's research culminated in a set of recommendations that included improving the budget process to enhance performance tracking and adopting the Linked Learning program to address gaps in Measure N's effectiveness.

Capstone Year
2016-2017