| The purpose of this study was to determine factors that show significant effect upon social change, following judicial decisions, as exemplified in the California State Superior Court case, Daniel v. State of California (1999) and the ensuing Advanced Placement (AP) Challenge Grant, Senate Bill 1689 (2000), to remedy problems of educational access and equity. Legal theory was paired with education theory, taking into account social policy in practice, to find factors that effect the achievement of social change, as evidenced in educational change, over time. This study was one of mixed methodology.;The original 57 LAUSD-AP Challenge Grant high schools, served as the quantitative study sample, disaggregated by ethnicity for African-American and Hispanic LAUSD-AP students, the targeted populations of Daniel v. State of California (1999) and the AP Challenge Grant (2000-2003). A White/Asian comparison group was used to assess the treatment as effecting change for a non-targeted ethnic group. The achievement of social change was evidenced by educational change in the percentage of AP exams taken and passed from before and after the AP Challenge Grant, (1999-2006), by the African-American, Hispanic and White/Asian, comparison group, students within the LAUSD-AP program.;A quasi-experimental, dependent group interrupted time series was utilized to assess change before and after the AP Challenge Grant (SB 1689, 2000) treatment. Measures for statistical and practical significance, including ethnic disaggregation for a cross-tab analysis of the original 57 AP Challenge Grant schools, indicated that the Hispanic students showed one measure of positive change in AP exams taken, and two measures of decline in AP exams passed, 1999-2006. The White/Asian, comparison group, showed one measure of decline in AP exams taken, from before and after the Grant. No significant changes as a result of the Grant treatment were indicated for the African-American students. When the ethnic groups were compared, the Hispanic student participation and performance was greater than the White/Asian group, and both surpassed the African-American students in AP exams taken and passed, before and after the AP Challenge Grant. Therefore, the results of the quantitative analysis indicated that the judicial decision, Daniel v. State of California (1999) and the ensuing AP Challenge Grant, (SB 1689, 2000) had little or no effect on social change for the LAUSD-AP African-American and Hispanic students of its intended remediation, nor the non-targeted White/Asian comparison group.;The qualitative research design assessed factors of effect for the quantitative results of this study in a Grounded Theory approach. Four state and local education administrators, with relevant experience in the LAUSD-AP program, before and after the AP Challenge Grant (1999-2006), were the participants in a twelve-question open-ended interview format that defined the qualitative instrument in three categories: adjudication, implementation and monitoring. The Grounded Theory that emerged after coding found three factors that effected social change: motivation, knowledge and accountability. Results of the qualitative analysis indicated that the goal of social change was not achieved as indicated by AP exams taken and passed by African-American and Hispanic students of the LAUSD. |
