March Update

Four Years at Oakland High School!

This spring will mark 4 years that we have been mentoring at Oakland High School. Not only is OHS one of the largest  schools in Oakland, it is also one of the most diverse with a student body that is 38% Hispanic, 30% Asian, 23% Black, 2% Caucasian as well as one of the largest. This year we are mentoring in Math, English and Senior Seminar classrooms and are part of OHS’s strong wrap-around community partner support system led by the EBAYC organization.

While most of our mentors start at the classroom level and work down to individual students that need attention, we have also worked up from individual students to support a broader group within a classroom.

Doing the math:  Graduation success starts in 9th grade

Algebra 1, taught in 9th grade, is foundational to graduation success.  A 2017 study of Chicago public school students found:

-Less than half of the students who failed Algebra I in ninth grade recovered the course credit by their fourth year of high school

-Almost two-thirds of students who recovered Algebra I credit graduated within 4 years.

The goal of Oakland Serves is to increase high school graduation. This 2023-24 school year, we have prioritized Algebra 1 as a key subject to support. We have been welcomed in math classes at Oakland High School, Castlemont High School and Madison Park Academy helping in Algebra 1, in other levels of math, in credit recovery classes, and in newcomer classrooms. Next year with your financial and volunteer support, we are expanding our presence in math classes to keep more students on the path to graduation.