Johnnie L.

Cochran Middle School

Culver City Middle School

KNOW YOUR SCHOOLS PROJECT

Johnnie L. Cochran Middle School, through a collaborative team effort, is committed to developing the whole child as a successful life-long learner by creating a positive school culture through the effective delivery of a rigorous standardsdriven curriculum based on assessed student needs.
-school mission statement

Johnnie L. Cochran Middle School, formerly known as Mount Vernon, changed its name in 2006 after the late Johnnie Cochran. The school is located between Venice Blvd and Washington blvd, before Crenshaw. It is in the Arlington Heights district. Information about the school is brief and the website gives no information on the history of it. What we do know is that Johnnie Cochran was a student there in the 1950s.

Johnnie Cochran Middle School is a block away from my home. I pass by it every day as I drive to LATTC. The majority of students are African American and Hispanic. The school is near the Washington Irving Library and Bank of America. There is a swap meet and a lot of fast food restaurants across the street, including a Starbucks near by. There is a also an adult school right across the middle school, Mid Wilshire Center, where a lot of teenagers and adults go to get their GED or a quick career program. The city has recently opened up a Daycare in the area. I personally like the area, Ive never had a problem and I like the fact that the library is within walking distance of the school.

By utilizing what we have learned as educators, parents, and students, and by building on what we have learned from the California State Document, Taking Center Stage, and from the work of Ruby Payne and others, the Cochran Middle School community through collaboration and cooperation is working to provide all of our students the opportunity to grow academically, physically, emotionally, and socially into citizens of this country that are prepared to live a life of contentment with a sense of satisfaction and purpose. Principals Philosophy

Less than 10 miles away is Culver City Middle School Home of the Panthers
The mission of Culver City Middle School, a culturally diverse and environmentally active learning community, is to ensure that all students are provided a challenging educational program that will foster integrity, respect, and a passion for success in our ever-changing global environment by bringing the resources available in our unique city together to achieve this goal. School Mission statement

Culver City Middle School is located in a very community-like atmosphere. The Culver City High School is right next to it and so is Farragut Elementary School. Theres a library near by, an adult school, and another daycare. The area is fairly clean and nicer than Johnnie L. Cochran Middle Schools location.

LETS COMPARE THE NEIGHBORHOODS!

JOHNNIE L. COCHRANS HOOD
Population 22,096 population in 2000, according to the U.S. Census 23,330 population in 2008, based on L.A. Department of City Planning estimates. 1.03 square mile 21,423 people per square mile, among the highest densities for the city of Los Angeles and among the highest densities for the county Income Household income in thousands of 2000 dollars $31,421 median household income (2008 dollars), low for the city of Los Angeles and low for the county In Los Angeles County, Downtown, University Park and Chinatown have the most similar household incomes. The percentage of households earning $20,000 or less is high for the county.

Ethnicity Ethnicity The percentages of black, Asian and Latino people are high for the county. Highly diverse for the city of Los Angeles but moderately diverse for the county

Education Education level 13.9% of residents 25 and older have a four-year degree, about average for the city of Los Angeles and about average for the county In Los Angeles County, Mid-City, Elizabeth Lake and Gardena have the nearest percentage of residents 25 and older with a four-year degree. The percentage of residents 25 and older with less than a high school diploma is high for the county.

Families Males Females The percentages of never married males, never married females and widowed females are among the county's highest. There are 1,165 families headed by single parents. The rate is 23.5%, high for the city of Los Angeles and high for the county Ancestry and immigration Mexican (25.7%) and Korean (5.3%) are the most common ancestries. 11,007 (49.8%) of residents are foreign born, high for the city of Los Angeles and high for the county. Mexico (34.9%) and El Salvador (20.2%) are the most common foreign places of birth.

NO WAY!!

Housing Average household size of 3.0 people, about average for the city of Los Angeles and about average for the county Unincorporated Catalina Island, Veterans Administration and Westlake have the most similar percentage of homeowners in Los Angeles

An overall map of where the school is located

Culver City Middle Schools Entire City Demographic

Population Diversity
Population: 38, 422

Educational Attainment Less than 9th Grade 1,714 Some High School 1,915 High School Graduate 4,344 Some College 6,824 Associate Degree 1,859 Bachelor's Degree 6,774 Graduate Degree 4,910 Percentage High School or Higher 87.2%

Age Distribution Age 17 and under 20% Age 18 - 24 7% Age 25 - 34 13% Age 35 - 44 17% Age 45 - 59 24% Age 60 and over 19% Median Age: 38 years Income Distribution Under $24,999 16% $25,000 - $49,999 25% $50,000 - $99,999 35% $100,000 - $149,999 14% Over $150,000 9% Average Household Income: $78,100 78K is the Median Household Income: $60,000 average? Wow!!!!

Culver City Middle School is right next to the high school.

At first glance, both the neighborhoods seem very similar. The streets are surrounded by houses instead of apartments. The blocks arent overcrowded. The only difference is that Culver City Middle School is surrounded by other schools. Students from the elementary school next door get to remain in their previous schools area. The same with the students that graduate from Culver City Middle School. They get to attend the high school thats right next to their school. Students grow up with the same peers, this can create a better environment for them.

CRIME RATES
Arlington Heights (Johnnie L. Cochran) Area

Six Month Summary

81 VIOLENT CRIMES 160 PROPERTY CRIMES 103.3 CRIMES PER 10,000 PEOPLE Six-month summaries are based on the latest six months where data are available from all departments, Nov. 1, 2010 to May 1, 2011

Yikes! The # of robbery and assault crimes is high in my area.

Culver City Crime Rates Yearly

(according to Neighborhood Scout)

Unfortunately I could not get recent crime reports because the Culver City Police Department has not released them (according to latimes.com). By the charts you can determine that crimes happen more frequently in the Arlington Heights area. But Culver City is not spotless either. They have more crime than I expected.

Now that weve learned about the neighborhoods, lets compare schools.. Johnnie L. Cochran Middle School
Student body

Culver City Middle School

Student body

Enrollment: 1,738 students Free and reduced-price lunch: 84.0% ? English language learners: 43.0% Diversity rank: 3/10 ? Faculty

Enrollment: 1,585 students Free and reduced-price lunch: 39.0% ? English language learners: 12.1% Diversity rank: 10/10 ? Faculty

Faculty

Total teachers: 84 Median teacher experience: 4 years Student-teacher ratio: 21:1 ?

Total teachers: 73 Median teacher experience: 9.5 years Student-teacher ratio: 22:1

Unofficial Rank: 1/10

Unofficial Rank 7/10

STAR 2010 SCORES MATH 20.7% ENGLISH 25.3%

STAR 2010 SCORES MATH 56.1% 65.4%

ENGLISH

Johnnie Cochran, Jr., Middle School

ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS: 43% Extracurricular Activities: Band Academic contests Yearbook Students eligible for free or reducedprice lunch program: 91%

Culver City Middle School ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS: 11%

Extracurricular Activities:
Band , Chorus, Ceramics/sculpture Computer arts, Dance Drawing/painting, Orchestra Theater/drama, Japanese French, Spanish Badminton, Basketball Baseball, Cheerleading Cross country, Football Gymnastics, Martial arts / self-defense P.E. classes, Soccer Softball, Tennis Track, Volleyball Academic contests, Community service Debate , Newspaper Radio/video/multimedia Science and technology Student council / student government Yearbook

Students eligible for free or reducedprice lunch program: 41%

What weve learned about both schools through these statistics..

1. The amount of residents that live in the Arlington Heights area, where Johnnie L. Cochran is located, are about 22,000. Culver City has roughly 40,000 residents. Almost twice as many residents BUT thats the estimate for the entire Culver City area. Whereas Arlington Heights is only made up of a few miles, making the area more crowded. 2. The average income per household in Culver City is $78,000/year. The average household income near Johnnie Cochran is less than HALF of that, averaging 31,000/year. It is clear that Culver Citys residents are a lot better off financially than the residents in the Arlington Heights district. The students in Culver City Middle School come from families who have the means to provide them with whatever is necessary for their education (books, supplies, tuition fees, food, extracurricular activities, ect). However, $31,000 a year per household is not a lot for a family of 3 or more. Arlington Heights residents are living close to poverty and that can affect the students quite a bit. Not only is it harder for them to get the resources they need to succeed in school but it may also mean that parents are away from home, working or trying to find ways to keep food on the table. And when a parent isnt around, it affects the students immensely.

Why is one school doing better than the other? What are the influences that matter? What needs to change for the low school to rise up?
The reasons why these schools are so different than one another are evident in the statistics. The neighborhoods these schools are at tell the tale of the success one school is having over the other. Culver City is nestled in more of a suburban community, whereas Johnnie. Cochran Jr. is located in an urban setting. This makes a huge difference because the environment where children go to school is determined largely by its surroundings. The urban settings where Johnnie Cochran Jr. is can be distracting for the students on their way to school. With all types of fast food places and stores it is easy for these kids to get sucked into them. Culver City is surrounded by family homes and other schools. It cannot be denied that if children are surrounded by an environment that embraces education, that they will excel more than those who are not. The lack of extracurricular activities in Johnnie Cochran Jr. is very disappointing and leads to poor performance. If there is not motivation like after school programs or sports, then there is no incentive for students to strive to do well. On the other hand, Culver City has a multitude of options for extracurricular activities. And they are obviously doing well academically because they have these options and motivations. Another key factor in why Johnnie Cochran Jr. Middle School is not doing so well is due to the education level of the parents. As the stats suggested that the Arlington Heights area has one of the highest percentages of residents 25 and older with less than a high school diploma. This obviously affects the children of these individuals. They cannot help their children with school work as much as parents with a higher education would. This is not to say that they would not want to help their kids, but unfortunately the just do not have the capacity to do so. The children in turn are left on their own to do school work that they often times have questions to. In consequence, when they get to class they may not have their homework done or simply just did not get it. All in all, it affects both the students and the school, because the performance is not the best.

The influences that matter begin with the school. I believe in you are what you strive to be. In other words, schools like Culver City that want to achieve outstanding tests scores and provide the best education possible out there will. They are putting in the effort to provide the perfect environment for the growth of good education. The teachers are emitting the sense of school pride and students feed off that. Johnnie L. Cochran Middle School needs to revamp their way of thinking. While I know they might not have the financial resources that schools like Culver City might have, but if there is a will there is a way. They need to start thinking that they can influence these kids in more ways than just spewing information at them. If they create after school programs and sports team that engage them with something they like, it will be easier for teachers to engage them in the classroom. Incentives do wonders if you know how to use them correctly.

What have you gotten out of this project? The truth is that I had no idea how bad the schools in L.A. were. Its not something I had ever researched. I was born in Los Angeles but moved out of here when I was 12. I went through my entire elementary schooling here, but then moved to Iowa. I can only ask myself if I had stayed here, what Id be doing now? Its very likely I would not have graduated high school and definitely not have gone to college. The things Ive learned from this project sadden me profoundly. The neglecting that the students receive from their schools and at home are the major reason students do so poorly. When I look at Culver City Middle School, which is less than 10 miles from here, I think how is it possible that within such a short distance between both schools, things can be so different? Smaller cities are definitely better environments to grow up in. Also where theres money, theres a bigger support system. Culver City Middle School has many more extracurricular activities than Johnnie L. Cochran does and not every teacher is so determined to make every kid learn. A lot of teachers have seen a lot and they become so indifferent towards the education of the students. I truly believe that not everyone is born to teach and only a certain few can do it well. Ive learned to appreciate the teachers that care for the well-being of their students, more than I did before. The skills I have gained in this process have been researching and taking statistics into account for why things are the way there are. But more than just a skill or tool, Ive gained a sense of urgency to do something about this. Maybe by simply volunteering some hours, tutoring kids that need help. I will take a lot of what Ive learned with me and tell parents and friends who have children in