Eastside Oasis of Learning

Birds chirp and flowers bloom. Benches under shady trees welcome you to catch up on a good book. This tranquil setting is not a park or university. The literacy garden at 4th Street Elementary School in East Los Angeles is one of the many reasons the school – selected as one of 343 Distinguished Schools in California – is an oasis of learning.

On the heels of its 80th anniversary, 4th Street Elementary School is one of 24 LAUSD schools to receive one of the highest honors by the California Department of Education. Selection is based primarily on state and federal test scores and rigorous evaluation. Academic Performance Index scores at 4th Street for 2007 rose to 762 compared to 658 in 2003. This achievement is noteworthy considering 30 percent of entering students speak little or no English. About 93 percent of students receive free or reduced lunch and nearly 100 percent of the population is Latino.

4th Street’s success is rooted in the spirit of collaboration.

“We have a motivated, consistent and dedicated staff that is respected by parents and the community, said Principal Marguerite Murphy. “We work together to address and support the students needs,” she said.

A personal approach – including home visits to troubled students or calls to the business community for resources such as providing shoes or eyeglasses to students in need – also contributes to a truly nurturing learning environment.