School of Education to enter university-assisted partnership with Santa Ana district
Orange County Educational Advancement Network (OCEAN) will lead landmark effort to enhance learning, community engagement at James Monroe Elementary
By Tom Vasich and Sam Bersola
August 22, 2024
August 22, 2024
The University of California, Irvine School of Education will join with the Santa Ana Unified School District to launch their first university-assisted partnership at James Monroe Elementary School.
The School of Education regularly engages in research-practice partnerships with SAUSD schools and programs. The university-assisted partnership with Monroe Elementary is distinctive for allowing a more robust, holistic and community-driven approach between the School of Education and an entire school. This landmark effort will be led by School of Education researchers of Orange County Educational Advancement Network (OCEAN), which continues to broaden its successful engagement with diverse communities within and beyond Orange County. OCEAN will advance Monroe Elementary’s current work to integrate student support efforts, expand learning opportunities, and promote active family and community engagement.
The K-5 school will also benefit from a formal connection with the higher education and K-12 communities through research and best practices as a university-assisted partnership institution.
The School of Education regularly engages in research-practice partnerships with SAUSD schools and programs. The university-assisted partnership with Monroe Elementary is distinctive for allowing a more robust, holistic and community-driven approach between the School of Education and an entire school. This landmark effort will be led by School of Education researchers of Orange County Educational Advancement Network (OCEAN), which continues to broaden its successful engagement with diverse communities within and beyond Orange County. OCEAN will advance Monroe Elementary’s current work to integrate student support efforts, expand learning opportunities, and promote active family and community engagement.
The K-5 school will also benefit from a formal connection with the higher education and K-12 communities through research and best practices as a university-assisted partnership institution.
(From left) Ted Walstrom, Assistant Superintendent of Facilities and Government Relations SAUSD; Adam Lara, Associate Director of Research Practice Partnerships and Community Engagement, UC Irvine School of Education OCEAN; Frances Contreras, Dean of UC Irvine School of Education; Lorraine Perez, Deputy Superintendent, SAUSD; Andres Bustamante, Associate Professor of Education and Director, OCEAN; Symone Gyles, Assistant Professor of Education; Ron Hacker, Associate Superintendent, Chief Business Officer SAUSD; Sam Bersola, Executive Director of Strategic Initiatives and External Relations, UC Irvine School of Education.
School leaders and teachers capable of building and transforming Monroe Elementary into a true collaborative learning community and model of excellence will be identified, recruited, developed and supported. The partnership will enhance the effectiveness of classroom teaching practices and student and family programming to improve academic outcomes – via a program that can be replicated at other campuses in the SAUSD and throughout California. Another objective is to create internships for UC Irvine’s student teachers, career pathways for graduates of the School of Education’s degree and certificate programs, and professional development opportunities for current SAUSD instructors.
“We are thrilled to embark on this groundbreaking partnership with UC Irvine that will undoubtedly enhance the educational experience at Monroe Elementary School,” said Jerry Almendarez, SAUSD superintendent. “By combining the innovative research and academic excellence of UC Irvine with the deep community ties and dedication of our district, we are creating a collaborative model that will not only benefit our students and teachers but also inspire similar initiatives across the state.”
“This partnership gives the School of Education community a tremendous opportunity to collaborate in community-engaged research and to strengthen further our strong and long-established partnership with Santa Ana Unified School District,” said Frances Contreras, dean of the School of Education. “This university-assisted partnership school represents our first formal lab school. Given the strength of the School of Education faculty in STEM, language development and teacher education, Monroe presents an exciting setting to help shape a learning environment that draws upon the latest technology and innovations and positions linguistic development as a central asset.”
“We are thrilled to embark on this groundbreaking partnership with UC Irvine that will undoubtedly enhance the educational experience at Monroe Elementary School,” said Jerry Almendarez, SAUSD superintendent. “By combining the innovative research and academic excellence of UC Irvine with the deep community ties and dedication of our district, we are creating a collaborative model that will not only benefit our students and teachers but also inspire similar initiatives across the state.”
“This partnership gives the School of Education community a tremendous opportunity to collaborate in community-engaged research and to strengthen further our strong and long-established partnership with Santa Ana Unified School District,” said Frances Contreras, dean of the School of Education. “This university-assisted partnership school represents our first formal lab school. Given the strength of the School of Education faculty in STEM, language development and teacher education, Monroe presents an exciting setting to help shape a learning environment that draws upon the latest technology and innovations and positions linguistic development as a central asset.”
SAUSD superintendent Jerry Almendarez (center)with Bersola and Bustamante
"It is so exciting to see this next chapter for an historic K-12 university partnership that has served as a national model, dating back to 1983. This new designated partnership school, connected with the research powerhouse and teacher training of the School of Education, will be the perfect complement to the district wide college going efforts led by the Center for Educational Partnerships, taking this partnership to the next level," said Stephanie Reyes-Tuccio, Vice Provost for Educational and Community Partnerships.
Steps toward the university-assisted partnership began in spring when the SAUSD superintendent invited several UC Irvine faculty members and administrators to discuss the possibility of the School of Education’s partnering with a specific school in the district.
SAUSD leaders were impressed with successful existing collaborations that several UC Irvine School of Education faculty members were leading in their district, including a “fraction ball” math intervention that Andres Bustamante, associate professor of education and the director of OCEAN, leads at Monroe Elementary to help kids learn fractions in a fun and effective way.
"This initiative is incredibly exciting because it demonstrates the power that sustained research practice partnerships have to generate innovation, impact, and resources," Bustamante said. "We have been working in close partnership with SAUSD since 2018 through our OCEAN community. Since then, we have implemented a variety of projects, which have all been carefully aligned with the district's goals and strategic initiatives."
"This university-assisted partnership school represents the next step in our collaboration and I'm thrilled for the value it will bring to the children and families of Santa Ana and the field of education."
Joining Bustamante from UC Irvine will be June Ahn, professor of education; Symone Gyles, assistant professor of education, who will provide administrative and faculty oversight to the partnership with Monroe Elementary; and Adam Lara, associate director of research practice partnerships and community engagement, OCEAN.
The district wanted to explore a more formal partnership to improve student and school success more holistically. The School of Education considered the invitation an opportunity to share faculty expertise in research in ways that could help inform school practices in the local context. Similarly, observing the school’s day-to-day practices could help inform UC Irvine research. The SAUSD Board of Education approved a formal, three-year memorandum of understanding for this partnership at its Aug. 13 meeting.
Steps toward the university-assisted partnership began in spring when the SAUSD superintendent invited several UC Irvine faculty members and administrators to discuss the possibility of the School of Education’s partnering with a specific school in the district.
SAUSD leaders were impressed with successful existing collaborations that several UC Irvine School of Education faculty members were leading in their district, including a “fraction ball” math intervention that Andres Bustamante, associate professor of education and the director of OCEAN, leads at Monroe Elementary to help kids learn fractions in a fun and effective way.
"This initiative is incredibly exciting because it demonstrates the power that sustained research practice partnerships have to generate innovation, impact, and resources," Bustamante said. "We have been working in close partnership with SAUSD since 2018 through our OCEAN community. Since then, we have implemented a variety of projects, which have all been carefully aligned with the district's goals and strategic initiatives."
"This university-assisted partnership school represents the next step in our collaboration and I'm thrilled for the value it will bring to the children and families of Santa Ana and the field of education."
Joining Bustamante from UC Irvine will be June Ahn, professor of education; Symone Gyles, assistant professor of education, who will provide administrative and faculty oversight to the partnership with Monroe Elementary; and Adam Lara, associate director of research practice partnerships and community engagement, OCEAN.
The district wanted to explore a more formal partnership to improve student and school success more holistically. The School of Education considered the invitation an opportunity to share faculty expertise in research in ways that could help inform school practices in the local context. Similarly, observing the school’s day-to-day practices could help inform UC Irvine research. The SAUSD Board of Education approved a formal, three-year memorandum of understanding for this partnership at its Aug. 13 meeting.
About James Monroe Elementary School
With an enrollment of 240 K-5 students, James Monroe Elementary School is located at 417 E. Central Ave., in Santa Ana, 4 miles north of John Wayne Airport. Approximately 85 percent of its students are from socioeconomically disadvantaged families – 98 percent identify as Hispanic or Latino, and 59 percent are English learners.
Monroe Elementary draws from the culture and strengths of its students and families. Their native language – Spanish – is viewed as a vital asset to be uplifted, and the school integrates community and project-based learning into its curriculum. Monroe Elementary’s dual-language immersion program promotes bilingualism and biliteracy in Spanish and English, rigorous academic achievement and cross-cultural understanding. Kindergartners start with 80 percent of instruction in Spanish and move to 50 percent by fifth grade.
In addition to its commitment to empowering students to become bilingual and biliterate, Monroe Elementary fosters competencies in science and technology through an emphasis on science, technology, engineering, art and math. It’s one of the first schools in the nation to provide the Project Lead the Way curriculum in Spanish and was recognized as a PLTW Distinguished Launch School this year. PLTW is a hands-on learning program that engages students in real-world problem-solving and critical thinking.
With an enrollment of 240 K-5 students, James Monroe Elementary School is located at 417 E. Central Ave., in Santa Ana, 4 miles north of John Wayne Airport. Approximately 85 percent of its students are from socioeconomically disadvantaged families – 98 percent identify as Hispanic or Latino, and 59 percent are English learners.
Monroe Elementary draws from the culture and strengths of its students and families. Their native language – Spanish – is viewed as a vital asset to be uplifted, and the school integrates community and project-based learning into its curriculum. Monroe Elementary’s dual-language immersion program promotes bilingualism and biliteracy in Spanish and English, rigorous academic achievement and cross-cultural understanding. Kindergartners start with 80 percent of instruction in Spanish and move to 50 percent by fifth grade.
In addition to its commitment to empowering students to become bilingual and biliterate, Monroe Elementary fosters competencies in science and technology through an emphasis on science, technology, engineering, art and math. It’s one of the first schools in the nation to provide the Project Lead the Way curriculum in Spanish and was recognized as a PLTW Distinguished Launch School this year. PLTW is a hands-on learning program that engages students in real-world problem-solving and critical thinking.
About the University of California, Irvine School of Education
The University of California, Irvine School of Education is a diverse, dynamic and collaborative institution focused on advancing education sciences and contributing to improved high-quality education opportunities and outcomes for individuals across the education lifespan, from early childhood to higher education and beyond. The UCI School of Education’s programs, research and community partnerships are dedicated to producing innovative scholarship, addressing the needs in education, and inspiring future generations of educators, scholars and leaders. U.S. News & World Report ranks the UCI School of Education No. 8 among public schools of education and No. 17 graduate school of education. Led by Dean Frances Contreras, the UCI School of Education is home to more than 1,000 students enrolled in the bachelor, master and doctoral degree programs, and a vibrant network of more than 10,000 alumni. For more information, please visit our website.
The University of California, Irvine School of Education is a diverse, dynamic and collaborative institution focused on advancing education sciences and contributing to improved high-quality education opportunities and outcomes for individuals across the education lifespan, from early childhood to higher education and beyond. The UCI School of Education’s programs, research and community partnerships are dedicated to producing innovative scholarship, addressing the needs in education, and inspiring future generations of educators, scholars and leaders. U.S. News & World Report ranks the UCI School of Education No. 8 among public schools of education and No. 17 graduate school of education. Led by Dean Frances Contreras, the UCI School of Education is home to more than 1,000 students enrolled in the bachelor, master and doctoral degree programs, and a vibrant network of more than 10,000 alumni. For more information, please visit our website.
