Youth homelessness remains a prominent national challenge for state officials and policymakers, although most pronounced in California, largely due to the ongoing housing crisis. Long Beach Unified and Monterey County in particular have significant numbers of students experiencing homelessness. Recognizing that homelessness is a condition that is intersectional with the educational experiences and outcomes of youth, this brief highlights state and school officials’ perspectives to examine relevant challenges, policies, and practices related to the youth homelessness crisis. In addition to identifying pertinent challenges, participants provided insights into established and emerging practices and approaches that have been effective in meeting the needs of homeless youth. The brief concludes with recommendations for state officials, local officials, and school staff to inform better supports of youth impacted by homelessness. Learn more on the CTS website.

This report offers a focused analysis of ‘bright spots’: public schools and community-based organizations well known for their long-standing reputations of offering quality educational services in Los Angeles. In a city where Black people constitute less than 10% of the overall population, Black students constitute 22-68% of the population served by these schools and organizations. The schools and organizations highlighted in this report are located in high-poverty communities where over 80% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch, and the despite the challenges of racial and economic inequality, each school and organization has remarkable histories of fostering student achievement, demonstrated by test scores and graduation rates for Black students that exceed statewide averages and are substantially greater than what would be expected. Despite the pronounced structural disadvantages affecting Black students—many of which have been exacerbated by pandemic-impacted educational conditions—these schools and organizations have established a history of illuminating paths toward academic success for the Black students that they serve. As such, their strategies are also illuminative for practitioners and scholars concerned with charting a course toward broader equity within educational systems. This report follows Beyond the Schoolhouse: Overcoming Challenges and Expanding Opportunity for Black Youth in LA County which documented academic, social and environmental patterns of Black students across Los Angeles County and Beyond the Schoolhouse: Digging Deeper | COVID-19 & Reopening Schools for Black Students in Los Angeles that additionally documented promising practices, both in-school and out-of-school, for fostering academic success for Black students. Learn more on the CTS website.