CASE STUDY

Roosevelt High School

Los Angeles Unified School District

THE SCHOOL:

Theodore Roosevelt High School is located in the Boyle Heights section of Los Angeles, east of downtown. At the time the Find A Tree program was at Roosevelt, it was the second largest high school in the US. Eighty-five percent of the nearly 5,000 students were failing math and English. One-hundred and twenty-five of the lowest performing students were required to enroll in the Find A Tree program.Years before Find A Tree had a name, Daniel was already living its principles—starting with the resources he had, building relationships, creating opportunities, and turning an ambitious idea into action.

Other high schools and organizations serving high school students where Find A Tree was utilized include the following (partial List): Crenshaw High School, Duke Ellington Continuation High School, View Park Continuation High School, Compton High School, Manual Arts High School, Young Black Scholars, the Magic Johnson Foundation.

IMPLEMENTATION:

Daniel collaborated with credentialed teachers to teach four Find A Tree classes.
Students participated in the Find A Tree process:
1. Identified talents and interests.
2. Determined a dream.
3. Researched their dream and made in-class presentations.
4. Linked academic classes to their dreams.
5. Implemented a service project that embodied their dream. Students learned the Find A Tree Principles through the implementation of their projects. Principles are psychological tools and dream-building life skills
6. Met mentors who worked in the same field as their dreams.
7. Participated in healing circles in which students discussed and shared traumatic life experiences.

CONCLUSION:

Once students have hope, motivation, and a dream, and they are provided an opportunity to heal from traumatic life experiences, their overall academic performance, attendance, and graduation rates will improve.
"
The Find A Tree program is turning failures into people who now have purpose.
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─Tyanna | Student
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Find A Tree training [is] a powerful and potentially life-changing experience for the young people of our beleaguered inner cities and a source of career reinvigoration for teachers.
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─Ronald L. Davis | Math Teacher
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Never in my 32 years of teaching and counseling have I experienced self-esteem raising results in adolescents in such a short period of time.
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─Patricia A. Baylis | Counselor
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Through the Find A Tree program I was able to intern with The Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, that experience was unforgettable. I met the world’s leading musicians and soloists… Who knew that the day I decided to attend the Find A Tree program was the day my life would change!
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─Abraham Aragundi | 11th Grade
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The Find A T ree program encourages the student to examine his or her aspirations. By learning the guiding principles presented in the program, the student begins to dream of possibilities, create real life projects, develop responsibility, and take ownership of his or her future endeavors.
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─Beverly Silverstein | Teacher and Training Magnet Coordinator
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LaCresha [was]…a borderline student with unacceptable classroom behavior… La Cresha has become a more motivated and on-task student. Her behavior has improved as has her grade in my class. She has begun to put in the effort and time required to be a good student, knowing that she needs to do well in school to do well in life… The difference is visible and, hopefully, long lasting.
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─Gloria Pepin | Science Teacher
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Find A Tree helps students find themselves, their dream, and connect with school. Find A Tree is the starting line to the greatest goal in life: the achievement of living your dream.
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─Angel Jimenez
Student
Los Angeles, California
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From the perspective of one who has taught in the Los Angeles Unified School District for more than 25 years, Find A Tree is the most effective day-to-day program I’ve seen in terms of encouraging students to develop meaningful goals and then relating the importance of education to the achievement of those goals.
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─Randy Fong
History Teacher
Los Angeles, California
"
Find A Tree brought a new perspective on how to engage students in their educational endeavors and how those could be connected to their dreams and aspirations. For the first time in years, many students were able to make direct connections between the content they were learning in class and their post-secondary dreams and hopes.
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─Dr. Yolanda Rangel
Assistant Principal
Los Angeles, California
"
I have worked with my students’ academics, but had never known what their hopes and dreams are! ...The Find A Tree Program seems particularly valuable for these students, some of whom are hard to reach. Daniel seems to have a gift for being able to connect with them and rekindle their interest in moving ahead with their lives. It is an inspiring process to witness.
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─Phoebe MacAdams Ozuma
English Teacher
Los Angeles, California