- [Narrator] Coming up on "Inside California Education."

Discover a sports program in Los Angeles County that brings students with special needs and general education students together as teammates.

- It gives everybody a sense that they can find a place of belonging without judgment.

- [Narrator] Then, step into the recording studio of KYDS, Sacramento's high school run radio station.

- You're part of something in that like, yeah, I'm a DJ.

Like that's really awesome.

Like I can say that.

- [Narrator] Plus, see how a San Jose post-secondary program and its partnership with a community college has allowed students with disabilities to flourish both in and out of the classroom.

- It has changed my life for the better.

I mean, I wouldn't be the person I am right now.

- [Narrator] And, explore a new educational effort that aims to shake up the traditional school model by redesigning high schools.

- We have to redesign high schools so that they will meet the needs that we have today and the aspirations that we have for our students.

- [Narrator] It's all coming up next on "Inside California Education."

- [Announcer] Funding for "Inside California Education" is made possible by.

- [Narrator] The California lottery is turning 40.

And together with players, retail partners, and our staff, we're celebrating decades of raising extra money for public education.

More than $46 billion in four decades of having fun.

Thank you from the California Lottery.

- [Narrator] Imagine a credit union where school employees are treated like the heroes you are.

At Schools First Federal Credit Union, everything we do starts with helping school employees and their families live better today and plan for tomorrow.

Learn more at schoolsfirstfcu.org.

- [Announcer] The Stuart Foundation, improving life outcomes for young people through education.

College Board, helping all students own their future.

- [Announcer] Additional funding for "Inside California Education" is made possible by these organizations supporting public education.

(upbeat music) (upbeat music) (bell ringing) (people clapping) (gentle music) - [Coach] What are we doing today?

- [Students] Long jump, 100 (indistinct) and shotput.

- [Coach] All right.

- [Narrator] At Warren High School in LA County, there's a program bringing students together through the power of sports.

- Guys got it?

All right, I wanna see it real good.

Here we go.

- Our unified sports program is one of many of the inclusion efforts that we've had on this campus specifically centered on sports.

It was just an opportunity to give our students with special needs the chance to train with, compete with general education students as partners, as teammates.

On your mark, get set, go.

(upbeat music) It gives everybody a sense that they can find a place of belonging without judgment.

- You did really good.

You're not tired?

- Wish I was not tired of running.

- It's okay to be tired.

Me too.

(gentle music) - I enjoy like the sports of like basketball, soccer, track, and also seeing my fans.

Being a part of it like makes me feel happy and excited and I feel heroic.

- I don't think there's many schools that notice the kids with special disabilities, but now here like you can see everybody together playing together and they're just, they're able to be themselves and everybody has the same motive, which is to play together and to try to win.

- Really, I think it takes it back to the purity of sport, the love of the game.

Building a bond with your teammates, learning a sport, growing in that sport, challenging yourself to do something outside of your comfort zone.

- As you're coming up, you're pushing at the same time, okay?

- And I think it does prove to all of our athletes and all of our partners out there that they're capable of doing so much more than they maybe originally gave themselves credit for.

You ready, Adrian?

- Ready.

- Oh, with a spin.

- They're just human.

Like we need to change the mindset that these students have potential, and we just need to give them the opportunity and platform to show us those skills and believe in them so that they start believing in themselves.

- High five, we're gonna go out the back.

- [Narrator] Unified Sports was started by Special Olympics back in 2010.

Since then, it's grown across almost every state in the US, and even reached schools and communities and countries around the world.

The Downey Unified School District joined the movement in 2016.

- As we've continued to offer this, it's been incredible because now we go out and we compete against other schools and we're doing this competitive model which fits into CIF's initiative to push unified sports throughout the southern section and the state of California.

(dramatic music) - [Narrator] The school also hosts a unified track and field meet.

- [Announcer] Today, middle and high school students from Southern California come together at Justice Stadium to celebrate unified sports and compete.

- [Samantha] It is just an incredible opportunity to bring our local schools together and give them an opportunity to compete, to get to experience what every other student athlete on this campus gets to experience.

- [Announcer] Unified track meet.

- [Narrator] The unified sports program isn't just for high schoolers.

In the Downey Unified School District, it's also made its way into middle and even elementary schools.

(gentle music) - The beauty of the program, each campus can adapt it to their needs and how they wanna structure it.

At the elementary, you'll see it a little more structured to help guide the students along the way and give them that guidance and boundaries on how to connect.

- Can I play with you?

- Yes.

- Students naturally want to engage and play and collaborate with each other.

They just need to be provided with the tools to be able to do that.

We can participate by cheering on our friends, right?

I think what's been really touching to see is how much more understanding our general education students are.

They understand why our friend may need headphones and a little bit of a break, and that's been really beautiful.

Set, go!

(children yelling) I think we've been really surprised by how many peer relationships have formed in such a short amount of time.

Lucas, give friends high fives.

All people wanna find connection, and to know that they are wanted and they are included.

- The bonds and the friendships you see between the athletes and the partners, it's amazing.

- And I think those relationships are gonna stay with them through their lives.

- I feel like here at Warren, we're all the same.

- So like I have like brothers, families, but like, you know, having friends, like, it makes me happy.

- [Leah] There's a place for everyone, and it's with each other.

(gentle music) (upbeat music) - You are listening to KYDS 91.5 FM.

I'm DJ Ducky.

- And I'm DJ Kala.

- [Narrator] At first glance or first listen, it looks and sounds like the studio of any professional commercial FM radio station.

But this radio signal emanating from El Camino Fundamental High School in Sacramento is doing much more than just broadcasting an eclectic array of music.

It's giving these students, like 12th grader Sarah, also known as DJ Ducky, all kinds of new skills, strengths, and confidence.

- Knowing that like you're part of something and that like, yeah, I'm a DJ.

Like that's really awesome.

Like I can say that.

- I'm DJ Kala.

- And I'm DJ Ducky.

- You just heard "Somehow Somewhere Some Way" by Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band.

- [Narrator] Sarah and Joanna, or DJ Kala, are among about 60 to 80 students working at KYDS, Sacramento's only high school run radio station.

It's one of about a dozen throughout California.

It started in 1978 as a 10 watt micro station with a signal pretty much confined to the campus.

Today, its 400 plus watt transmitter means listeners can tune in from across Sacramento County.

- This is the real world.

You are talking to the public.

- [Narrator] Matt Sumpter graduated from El Camino in 1994, and since 2018, has been the teacher for the media arts career pathway.

These state-funded pathways are designed to combine academic study, access to industry knowledge, and hands-on learning.

Matt says that aligns exactly with his own teaching philosophy.

- This is not practice class where you're sitting in a desk and maybe in the future, you'll use this skill.

Here's the skill, you're using it today.

- Thank you for listening.

At first, that was like really scary for me, but then I learned to be more confident with myself and like say like, "Yeah, I'm DJ Ducky" and own it.

- When I was a freshman, I was like terrified of the radio almost.

I'd always be so nervous that I would mess up.

Now, I don't even need a script.

I don't even like think twice before going on because I'm just so used to it now.

Enjoy.

- That's what all this is.

Maybe you don't become a DJ on 98 Rock, but you come out with the confidence to be able to talk either into a microphone or just one-on-one to a person that you're trying to get a job from.

- [Narrator] But growing self-confidence is just the start.

Besides being on air, students also learn news writing, video production, time management, and how to behave and interact in a real work environment.

They visit commercial radio stations to meet with industry experts.

Matt and the students say the media arts program introduces them to people from different backgrounds.

They study together, create musical playlists, train each other, and often build friendships.

- Next up, we got "Fortunate Son" by CCR.

So having that avenue of creative expression and having that sort of space where you have to work with people and learn how to cooperate on projects is both huge parts of this class and what really makes it unique.

- We work with a lot of group projects so it teaches us teamwork, and I think that's like really great because you can get other people's ideas and other people's inputs instead of just doing a solo project.

- I feel like the fact that we get to not just like have our music taste on the radio, but like bond over it with other people too, I think it's a very special opportunity.

- [Narrator] Students also bond during the biannual fundraiser called Audiothon, which raises money for the school's media program as well as some outside charities.

The students are on the air for 24 hours straight.

- It's a great event.

The kids love it.

It's a team building event.

What I like to see is that it really promotes all the kids coming together that you wouldn't normally see come together.

We're a very diverse class.

- [Narrator] Perhaps the biggest measure of success is the positive feedback outside the school, throughout the community.

Matt and the students say listeners call in from across Sacramento County to request songs and offer praise and encouragement.

- Whenever I get any sort of feedback, I always share it with them because I want the kids to see what they're doing is real.

- It's not like you're talking to someone in-person, but you still get that feeling of people are hearing what you're saying.

- Normally, like older people, they'll call in and they'll be like, "I just heard you on the radio.

You guys are doing a great job."

I feel like really proud and I also feel I'm doing a good job.

- [Narrator] Not every one of the students working at KYDS will go on to careers in radio, but that's not the goal.

Educators say most will take away a much wider array of skills and personal growth that will advance both their academic and career futures.

- It really is incredibly fun.

It's very valuable for that experience of meeting new people and sort of having a place where you always belong.

- [Narrator] Still ahead on "Inside California Education," take a deep dive into a report that suggests ways to change the traditional school model to meet the needs of students today.

- There's a strong interest in equity and we want every student to succeed, so we need to wrap around them with the services that they need.

- [Narrator] But first, a unique program in San Jose offers students with disabilities a path to community college and other careers.

- It's just a matter of discovering what they can do, and then you build the future from there on.

(gentle music) - Cool, would you mind, let's take a look at that first.

- [Narrator] Jesus Jimenez never thought he would be able to attend, let alone succeed in college.

He thought that due to his disability, completing high school would be the pinnacle of his education.

But the Camden Post-Secondary Program in San Jose has allowed him to further his education and pursue his dreams.

- It has changed my life for the better.

I mean, if anything, if I wouldn't be here, I wouldn't be the person I am right now.

- The post-secondary program is for students age 18 to 21 years old who graduate from high school with certificates of completion.

For our students with moderate to severe disabilities, graduating without a regular diploma really poses the question of what are the opportunities for them to build their future?

- [Narrator] For Jesus, that means taking classes at West Valley College in Saratoga.

It's one of several opportunities provided by the Camden Post-Secondary Program, which helps students with disabilities acquire employment skills, learn to live independently, and offer educational opportunities beyond high school in just four years.

Camden Union High School district runs the program, and Ophelia Gomez is the special program's manager.

- The purpose of this is to help them transition from school to work, from school to the adult world, but as you know, training for adulthood is a journey.

- [Narrator] And it's a journey shaped by the students themselves through their chosen pathways.

Jesus is on the college pathway, which exists thanks to the program's partnership with West Valley College, where students can take community college classes.

- Our initial intention was just for them to have a college experience.

You know, they're 21, they're 18, so they should really be in a typical environment to be with their neurotypical peers, right?

Why not?

But then the confidence grew in such a way that they wanted to be more focused in what they want to do at the community college.

- Hold on.

What a gentleman.

All right, come on in, guys.

- Come on in, everybody.

- Awesome.

- Within the first semester, we realized, oh, these students are doing well with support and they could start pursuing things like certificates.

- [Narrator] Mike Dickey is a Camden Post-Secondary teacher on the West Valley College campus.

He helps students navigate their classwork and college life.

- The program is really about supporting the students becoming independent, and as they do that on college campuses, learning how to communicate with the professors, how to navigate the college campus, how to make social connections, how just to become involved in the community here.

- It's been a huge ride.

Like when I first entered here, I was a little nervous.

I felt like I wouldn't fit in that well.

But as the years go by, I felt like I'm a different person.

I've become more social.

I tend to work more harder than usual.

- [Narrator] And his hard work is paying off.

Jesus is on track to earn his certificate in business administration in December, an opportunity students with moderate to severe disabilities rarely get to achieve.

- Being in college is not abnormal for post-secondary programs.

Around the state, plenty of schools' programs have kids taking a yoga class or going and taking like a PE class or maybe an art class or something like that.

But what we were looking at doing is having them jump in, taking more of the actual academic classes and pursuing these certificates.

We had like early childhood education, we had kids going for business administration, we had kids going for filmmaking or theater or for coding things.

Just like this whole world of college and things that they can do with their lives that they would never thought was possible.

(bright music) - [Narrator] On Camden Post-Secondary's main campus, students can join their peers in workshops and explore other pathways that interest them, like the crafts, entrepreneurship, and self-employment pathway.

This track teaches students how to create handmade soaps, cards, potpourri, and other crafts that they then sell at the local farmer's market.

It also provides students with money management skills and puts them into their community.

- Here's your change, two dollars, have a great day.

- I really would like people to know that our students are very capable of doing some things.

It's just a matter of discovering what they can do and then you build the future from there on.

- [Narrator] Organizers of the Camden Post-Secondary Program say they hope to partner with more community colleges in the future to provide students with even more opportunities.

- I literally think that these students that we're working with are some of the best humans on earth.

They really are amazing humans.

A lot of our students come from places where their expectations are a lot lower, and like I said, you come here, you have a lot of chances to really excel.

- I mean, if I have advice for people who wanted to take classes in college, go for it.

It might surprise you.

It makes me feel like I'm able to do amazing things.

(bright music) - And she passed.

- We have to redesign high schools so that they will meet the needs that we have today and the aspirations that we have for our students.

- [Narrator] Linda Darling-Hammond knows what it takes to design successful high schools.

She's dedicated her career to shaping education policy.

Darling-Hammond is the president of the California Board of Education and an author of a report titled "Redesigning High Schools."

Created by the Learning Policy Institute, it calls for some significant changes to the traditional high school model.

- A hundred years ago, we were designing schools for compulsory education and mass education, and the factory model was the big thing of the time.

Henry Ford had just created the assembly line, and that was the design for the high school.

It was conceptualized as a way that you put kids on an assembly line, they would go to a different stop on the assembly line.

You know, every 45 minutes, it gets stamped with a lesson by the teacher.

Today, what we really are expecting of our schools is that first of all, there's a strong interest in equity, and we want every student to succeed, so we need to wrap around them with the services that they need.

- [Narrator] Darling-Hammond and her colleagues say one of the key features of a redesigned school is positive developmental relationships.

That means creating more meaningful relationships among students, teachers, and parents.

- Typically, you have, first of all, teams of teachers who share groups of students, so they plan around the curriculum and they plan around the students.

There's also an advisory system, so each teacher serves as an advisor to about 15 or 20 kids, and they get to function as a family and really come to support each other.

Hillsdale High School was one of the traditional comprehensive high schools, but they decided to redesign the school.

They broke up into small houses.

Instead of randomly going from one class to another, you are in a group of students who stay together, who have an English language arts teacher in common, a math teacher in common, social studies.

In these redesigned schools, parents can be involved not only in the traditional ways, but they're involved very explicitly in the education of their child on multiple occasions.

Those in many cases have home visits at the beginning of the year, they'll often have a positive set of phone calls home to meet with the parents.

If the parent is actually asked, what do you know about your child and what do they care about, what do they need or what are the things we need to know to support them well?

It's from a positive perspective in that it's about serving the needs of the student rather than calling home when the kid gets in trouble.

- [Narrator] Another thing they say makes redesigned high schools successful, a focus on a deeper learning curriculum.

- Most kids need a curriculum where they're gonna have to be able to problem solve on their own.

They're gonna have to self-manage.

In these schools, you typically see a lot of project-based learning, so you might read in your history textbook about a bunch of historical facts and you might know the dates and you might know that they happen.

But if you're in a class that's focusing on deeper learning, you know, teams of students might need to research, figure out why they happen, what was going on, how did that work, and then actually enact it for their classmates, write about it and explain it to their classmates.

What is going on in the world today?

Where are we seeing the same kinds of forces at play?

And look for the deeper roots of it.

- [Narrator] Darling-Hammond says deeper learning curriculums can also be found at schools that offer college or career pathways.

- In California, we've been fortunate to have an initiative called Linked Learning to expand pathways that represent different careers.

They are also industry-connected.

So if you're in the Life Academy in Oakland, it's a biological sciences and health professions academy.

You would have internships at nearby hospitals and clinics.

You would graduate by putting together a portfolio of your work, demonstrating that you deeply understand the skills that we've talked about.

Those allow school to be relational, to be meaningful, to be authentic, to be connected to students' lives and communities.

- [Narrator] Another key point of the report explores how redesigned high schools should make an effort to create safer, more inclusive environments.

- A safe environment is one in which kids feel safe to be who they are.

So one of the things we see happening now is a lot of schools are bringing in restorative practices, so some schools have set up wellness spaces, which are places where students can take a breath if they're anxious, if something has happened that really gets them upset.

What we see is not only gains in attendance and achievement for students, but also better mental health.

Kids have less stress, less anxiety, and more welfare as a whole.

(gentle music) - [Narrator] Darling-Hammond says successful education is a two-way street that builds upon students' experiences, cultures, backgrounds, and aspirations.

- We have a lot of redesigned high schools that have been extraordinarily successful.

It makes a big difference in whether kids can connect what they know to the curriculum, which is how we all learn, and then also whether they're engaged and wanna come to school each day.

(upbeat music) - [Narrator] That's it for this edition of "Inside California Education."

If you'd like more information about the program, log onto our website, insidecaled.org.

We have stories from all of our shows, and you can connect with us on social media.

Thanks for joining us.

We'll see you next time on "Inside California Education."

- As you're coming up, you're pushing at the same time.

- Ready.

- Oh, with a spin.

- Next up, we got "Fortunate Son" by CCR.

- Thank you for listening.

- Here's your change, two dollars, have a great day.

- In these redesigned schools, parents can be involved very explicitly in the education of their child.

- [Announcer] Funding for "Inside California Education" is made possible by.

- [Narrator] The California Lottery is turning 40, and together with players, retail partners, and our staff, we're celebrating decades of raising extra money for public education.

More than $46 billion in four decades of having fun.

Thank you from the California Lottery.

(bright music) - [Narrator] Imagine a credit union where school employees are treated like the heroes you are.

At Schools First Federal Credit Union, everything we do starts with helping school employees and their families live better today and plan for tomorrow.

Learn more at schoolsfirstfcu.org.

- [Announcer] The Stuart Foundation, improving life outcomes for young people through education.

College Board, helping all students own their future.

- [Announcer] Additional funding for "Inside California Education" is made possible by these organizations supporting public education.

(upbeat music) (bright music)