Black Student Achievement Program (BSAP)
The Black Student Achievement Program (BSAP) is an LAUSD program to support Black students' road to high academic performance, strong social-emotional awareness and management, and a positive cultural identity.
The BSAP addresses the need for culturally responsive curriculum and instruction as the classroom norm, fosters partnerships with community based organizations with proven track records of success within the Black community, and provides increased staffing support to address the academic and social-emotional needs of Black students.
The BSAP program is managed by Ms. Prentice, Ms. Fields, and Ms. Roberts.
Below are some of the components of the BSAP program.
2023-2024
Fall
Mentoring Program
PE Yard Tournaments
Afternoon Art Paint and Sip African American Portraits
Photography Club/Black Student Union
Spring
STEAM is our theme!
Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Math
Forty students will participate, with 10 mentors.
Activities:
- Robotics
- Finance
- Math Games
- Art
- Gardening
Black Student Union
The Palms Black Student Union meets weekly during lunch on Thursdays, in the Library Patio, with a goal to support the needs of Black students.
Any student can join. Once you sign up, you'll receive a summons.
Black History Month is one of the many topics discussed at the meetings.
BSAP Mantra
"Successful Black student achievement is defined by high academic performance, strong social-emotional awareness and management, and positive cultural identity.
Furthermore, strategies and methods utilized to cultivate these things shall be directly responsive to the unique needs of Black students due in large part to the historic and ongoing social and economic conditions experienced by Black people."
- Dr. George McKenna, LAUSD Board of Education, District 1
BSAP Leadership Conference
The BSAP Leadership Conference is held at Palms on a Saturday in February.
After yoga on the quad, 50 students chose workshops. Workshops topics have included African dance, crocheting, and creating vision boards.
The gathering ended with a luncheon.
Kwanzaa Celebration
Kwanzaa, first celebrated in 1966, is a celebration of Black culture.
Palms students celebrated in the Student Cafeteria with a Kwanzaa Paint and Snack event.
Students learned about Kwanzaa holiday traditions and the seven principles of Kwanzaa.
MultiCultural Week
During Multicultural Week in February 2023, Palms students put on the Black History Month Musical Legends Show.
Students performed monologues, listened to music by famous Black performers, and participated in a dance contest.
There was also an instrumental performance by Jazz Band and a singing performance by PBSU members.
Champs Up
Champs Up is a mentorship program for boys.
The group meets on Mondays at lunch.
My Black is Beautiful
My Black is Beautiful is a mentorship program for girls. Guest presenters have been featured.
The group meets on Wednesdays at 3:15pm.
After the 2022-2023 session ended, the group began planning how to continue in a new form, possibly under a new name.
Alex Theater Field Trip
In Spring 2023, BSAP sponsored a field trip to the Alex Theater in Glendale to see OURstory the Black History Musical. The show took 150 Palms students on a journey through time, to learn amazing stories not taught in school, leaving the students educated, uplifted, and entertained.
School Yard Rap
A School Yard Rap assembly was held in the auditorium for BSAP students as well as some history classes.
School Yard Rap is a black owned company that specializes in creating educational content and curriculum through the lens of History.
Their mission is to drastically improve educational experiences by providing curriculum, content, music, and professional development that uplifts the narratives of minorities, building awareness, knowledge, and competencies for excellence and equity.
Masquerade MORP
In June 2023, BSAP sponsored a Masquerade MORP (dress-up dance).
Spring 2023
Spring 2023 events included:
- A tour of SoFi Stadium and the Kinsey African American Art & History Collection, on Wednesday, April 19, 2023.
- A UCLA college tour.
- An end-of-year service learning event.
Program Goals
Engagement
- Increase levels of parent and family engagement
- Increase participation in extracurricular activities at school
- Increase presence of community organizations on campus
Academic Achievement
- Graduation rate increase
- Attendance and chronic absenteeism rate decrease
- Increase enrollment in Advanced Placement and honors courses
- Increase proficiency in Math and ELA/English
- Increase number of students on track in A-G requirements
- Increase number of students at or above benchmark in literacy skills
- Decrease 1st time referrals for special education services
School Experience and Support
- Every student has an advocate
- Increase access to mental and social-emotional health resources
- Increase favorable school experience survey responses
- Access to culturally responsive curriculum and pedagogy
- Decrease discipline rates (arrests, suspensions, referrals)
- Elimination of policies and practices that contribute to school to prison pipeline
Resources
Guide: LAUSD Black Student Achievement Plan (PDF)
Black Student Success Plan Survey
Presentation: LAUSD Board of Education Black Student Achievement Plan (PDF)