ABC collaborates with partners and researchers to uplift data and research that serves as a basis for its advocacy platform and that provides information on progress in improving the well-being of Latinas/os in Los Angeles.
Multilingual Learners in Southeast Los Angeles
April 2026
60% of students in Southeast Los Angeles (SELA) are multilingual learners. This report highlights their academic progress, access to dual-language programs, and key recommendations to support their success in and beyond the classroom. As the future of Los Angeles County, investing in multilingual learners is essential to the region’s long-term prosperity. These students are SELA—and SELA is worth investing in.
Southeast Los Angeles (SELA) Education Transformation Through Community Schools
May 2026
ABC led efforts in Southeast Los Angeles (SELA) to uplift the California Community Schools Partnership Program, a state-funded program designed to implement the Community Schools model at local public schools. Our report, Southeast Los Angeles (SELA) Education Transformation Through Community Schools, presents the experiences and perspectives of SELA parents and community members regarding community schools, highlighting the role these schools play in fostering inclusive, supportive, and resource-rich environments.
Protecting Students From Our Changing Climate
January 2024
Creating sustainable school buildings and playgrounds is crucial for student well-being and academic success, especially in the face of climate change. Concrete and asphalt schoolyards worsen the heat island effect, leading to higher temperatures and increased health risks. Research indicates that deteriorating and unsafe facilities not only harm students’ respiratory and physical health but also affect cognitive development, academic performance, and emotional well-being. Despite the urgent need for change, many schools, particularly in the U.S., continue to maintain traditional structures.
College Access & Success in the Southeast
August 2022
In Southeast Los Angeles (SELA), the number of Latina/o students graduating from high school and accessing post-secondary pathways has risen over the last few years. However, there are still large and persistent gaps for SELA students in college preparation, access, and completion. To meet the rising economic demand for degree holders and to close poverty gaps, decision-makers will need to make meaningful strides toward meeting the educational needs of the SELA community. This policy framework builds on the voices and perspectives of SELA parents, students, faculty, and community leaders focused on creating a strong higher education pipeline for the SELA community.
The Latino/a Scorecard Report
July 2021
The report establishes a grade/score in five issue areas: education, health, public safety, economic prosperity, and civic engagement. These grades are based on indicators and data collected by our university partners: USC Sol Price for Social Innovation, LMU’s Thomas and Dorothy Leavey Center for the Study of Los Angeles, and UCLA’s David Geffen School of Medicine. Coupled with accompanying policy recommendations, the report intends to guide advocacy and campaigns for addressing the opportunity gaps that have acted as barriers to allowing Latinas/os in Los Angeles from fully thriving.
Impact Report
March 2021
Our 2021 Impact Report highlights our achievements amid the COVID-19 pandemic. A key accomplishment was the publication of “The Latino/a Scorecard Report,” which offers 32 policy recommendations for systemic change. The report also reflects on ABC’s advocacy and looks forward to future opportunities.
Consortium for English Learner Success Policy Agenda
September 2020
Equal access to educational content, better-equipped bilingual instructors, and adequate funding for language acquisition programs are among the urgent needs to address the education crisis facing Dual Language Learners (DLL) and English Learners (EL) students in California. Disrupted by COVID-19 and mounting disparities, ELs will face significant learning loss as they struggle to overcome the Digital Divide, lack of synchronous instruction, and shortened curriculum. The policy agenda provides separate policy recommendations for the state and LA County to achieve each value and give DLL and EL students an equal chance to succeed alongside other students.
SELA Rising
December 2019
Southeast Los Angeles (SELA) is a vibrant, majority-Latino region where over 60,000 students attend 89 public schools, most of them low-income and navigating both academic and language-learning demands. Despite the rich cultural and linguistic assets the community brings, structural inequities persist: a third of elementary students are English learners, and most elementary and middle schools are not bringing the majority of their Latino students to grade level. Yet the picture is not without promise — SELA high schools stand out statewide for academic achievement in English and are successfully preparing most Latino students for college, pointing to what is possible when schools are resourced and supported to meet their communities where they are.
LAUSD Board District 5 Policy Agenda: An Analysis Rooted in Constituent Voices
Spring 2019
Ensuring educational equity in LAUSD’s Board District 5 is critical for student success, particularly for the district’s most underserved communities in the south and southeast. Environmental and economic disparities compound the health and developmental risks facing BD 5 students. Research from over 500 constituent voices reveals that deteriorating school facilities, inadequate support for special education and English Learner students, and persistent language barriers for Spanish-speaking parents are actively undermining academic performance and well-being. BD 5 students score nearly 10 percentage points below the state average in English and math, and seven of LAUSD’s lowest-performing schools are concentrated in the southeast. Many schools continue to operate without the resources, staff, or multilingual supports that families urgently need.
Latino Scorecard Report
October 2003
The Latino Scorecard Grading the American Dream took an important step in examining data, perceptions, and implications surrounding the Latina/o community and put knowledge to work to surface one critical and fundamental idea: to take action.