A BluePrint for Success: Case Studies of Successful - Educational ...

Lessons Learned
A Blueprint for Success
Since the organization was founded in 1995, there have been many changes to the program services
and focus. One of the major changes has been adapting the services to parents and families according
to the shift in demographics in the local area. As a result of the 1976 Tinsley Court decision, many
East Palo Alto families opted to have their children educated in more affluent school districts such as
the Palo Alto Unified School District. Even though students were attending schools out of the district,
the college-going rate for these students was still low because students were not enrolling in the
right high school classes for admission to college. In 2000, FCE formed a partnership with the Voluntary
Transfer Program of the Palo Alto Unified School District to work with students and parents
to help them be more aware of what they needed to do to ensure college admission and graduation.
In the early years of the program, most families were African American and many members of these
families were actively involved in advocacy efforts in East Palo Alto, which was a magnet for many
Black activists in the 1960s and 1970s. In the past decade, however, East Palo Alto has experienced
an influx of Latino and Pacific Islander families and that led FCE to increase their work with parents
include self-advocacy as well as advocacy about education.
As the organization continues to grow, Dr. Waring has developed a list of pending questions that
they hope to address. Some relate to program growth, what growth looks like, and how it can potentially
affect FCE’s personal interactions with the students. “We have been so small that we can have
one-on-one conversations with kids that are not routinized or formalized,” commented Dr. Waring.
She added, “as we grow, we need to figure out how to keep the personal interactions and yet achieve
the same goals.” There are also questions about how to organize the program alumni and how to be
more intentional at creating an alumni council. Among the FCE staff, some see potential for growth
at the regional level, with a model that is tailored to the unique challenges faced in California. Others
see a national problem, and envision a program that supports students nationwide. FCE hopes to
engage in these conversations early this fall (2011) and prepare a document to present it to the board
members in April 2012. FCE also hopes to continue to evolve and be more responsive to the group
that they service (e.g., there is a new focus on bilingualism given the demographic changes).
When asked about an aspect that she wishes could be done differently if given the opportunity, Dr.
Waring indicated that she “would start working with families earlier, probably in middle school.
Even though we start at 9th grade, many students have already fallen of the track that leads them to
college. This may be an area we pursue in the future.”
Educational Policy Institute 81 www.educationalpolicy.org