RAPSA is pleased to share that the UCLA Center for Transformation of Schools (CTS) has signed on as a pre-conference presenter for the 2024 RAPSA Forum!
Center the for Transformation of Schools (CTS) was founded in 2017, and some of their goals are “to be a thought partner for stakeholders and school systems that can help design and implement equitable strategies to support student learning, particularly for schools serving students in poverty and students of color.”
CTS uses a specific approach to accomplish their vision of being “a catalyst for learning communities to boldly nurture and protect the dignity, well-being, and full potential of all students.”
The CTS method utilizes a unique three pronged approach which consists of Humanizing Research, Validating Practices and Transforming Policies.
The Humanizing Research process aims to answer the following questions:
1. How do we help schools to become more responsive and better able to meet the academic, social, emotional, cultural and health needs of students, especially in our most marginalized communities?
2. How do we unlock the lessons learned from promising education models in historically under-resourced communities?
3. How do we make research useful in order to address inequities inside and outside of school settings?
Validating Practices is focused on the growing network of schools and professionals as well as the partnerships CTS has made with community-based organizations, county and statewide agencies - all with the goal of fostering healthy, positive and successful learning environments that implement wellness into education experience for students.
Transforming Policies focuses on creating reports that are “action-oriented, bolstered by practical recommendations for lawmakers and stakeholders to begin the process of undertaking transformative work in our schools.”
CTS Executive Director and Co-Founder Dr. Joseph Bishop stated, “Our unofficial motto, ’we do research differently,’ represents our commitment to uplift perspectives and engage audiences in new ways to prioritize the success and health of historically marginalized communities, including students and educators of color, and to produce action-oriented research bolstered by practical recommendations for lawmakers and education stakeholders.”
RAPSA is grateful to CTS for their willingness to create a better future for our At-Promise students, we look forward to learning more at the RAPSA 2024 Forum!