
Cardinal Courses
Courses for credit
Policy Practicum: Roses Talk: Elevating At-Promise Student Voices in San Jose Unified
Quarter-long course
Education & Youth Development
Policy Practicum: Roses Talk: Elevating At-Promise Student Voices in San Jose Unified
Despite decades of efforts to remediate racial disparities in education, low-income schools serving predominantly students of color continue to face significant challenges that perpetuate unequal educational outcomes. While no single solution can solve these complex issues, insights from the most marginalized students offer an underutilized source of knowledge that can drive more effective policies and practices. This policy lab seeks to directly address persistent disparities in education by elevating at-promise student voices in school and district decision-making, reshaping our thinking around and approaches to advancing educational equity. With over 25,000 students, SJUSD is the largest school district in Santa Clara County, the county where Stanford University is located. District leaders and administrators at Gunderson High School-a Title I high school in South San Jose-have identified a collective need to better understand how to support "at-promise" students, those who may fail to earn a high school diploma for a variety of reasons, including but not limited to low scores on standardized tests, disengagement from school, English language learner status, previous suspension or expulsion, involvement in the foster care system, houselessness, and special education labeling. We recognize these young people as at-promise because it is the system that needs to shift in order to support and cultivate their tremendous, and often untapped, potential. This course rests on the assertions that education systems need to "to see the wealth of knowledge and experiences these students bring to school" (Rios et al., 2020). In this course, Stanford students will seek to answer this research question: How would at-promise students shape school and/or district policies and practices to improve their educational outcomes? Students will conduct focus groups with Gunderson at-promise students to develop policy recommendations that inform school and district decision-making, particularly around how to engage and improve outcomes for the most marginalized students in SJUSD. The course offers a unique opportunity for Stanford students to participate in community-engaged learning and research, apply technical skills and academic knowledge to real-world challenges, and contribute to positive educational outcomes for underserved students. (Same as LAW 809X)
When
Location
Stanford
Deadline
March 31, 2025 | 12:00 AM
Open To
Graduate Students
Cardinal Service Notation
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