Verdugo Hills Intensive Partnership

Number of students directly affected: more than 400
Partners: Verdugo Hills High School; University of California, Los Angeles; Nestle, USA; Glendale Community College; Los Angeles Community College; California State University, Northridge; and California State University, Los Angeles.
Director: Carol Gorton, Assistant Principal, Verdugo Hills High School, Tujunga, CA

Teachers at Verdugo Hills High School are working with faculty from the University of California, Los Angeles, to help all students learn algebra. In the classroom, lectures and drills have been replaced by small group work focusing on solving real problems. Students are learning that algebra is a skill everyone can learn and use.

Field trips to Woodbury University and to the headquarters of Nestle, USA enable students to see the connection between academic achievement in high school and options open to them after graduation.

Tutorial assistance for Verdugo students, 60 percent of whom come from 20 different neighborhoods in East and Central Los Angeles, is provided on campus by students from Glendale Community College and California State University, Northridge, and at off-campus sites by students from Los Angeles Community College and California State University, Los Angeles.

During field trips to Nestle, USA students were able to meet employees who talked about how they use math in their work. By getting acquainted with real people whose careers include math, the youngsters were able to see for themselves the direct connection between their classroom work and future career opportunities.