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 Mrs. Eubanks, Ms. Fields-Coleman, and Ms. Roberts.
Below are some of the components of the BSAP program. After-school activities are usually scheduled for Mondays and/or Wednesdays, since these are the days when late buses are available for students who have Magnet transportation.
See also the Black Student Union page.
Fall 2024 Program Features
Coming soon!
Spring 2025 Program Features
BSAP Dads & Donuts Social
Friday, January 24, 2025, 7:30-8:20am
Library Patio
BSAP Mommy & Me Social
Friday, May 9, 2025, 7:30-8:20am
Library Patio
BSU/BSAP Eighth Grade Celebration
Wednesday, May 21, 2025, 3:10-4:15pm
Coffee With the BSAP Team
Zoom meetings are held throughout the school year
Wednesday, October 23, 2024, 9:00-10:00am
Wednesday, November 20, 2024, 9:00-10:00am [canceled]
Wednesday, January 15, 2025, 9:00-10:00am
Wednesday, April 16, 2025, 9:00-10:00am [may be rescheduled]
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 Newsletter
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).
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
Spring 2024
STEAM is our theme!
Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Math
Forty students will participate, with 10 mentors.
Activities:
- Robotics
- Finance
- Math Games
- Art
- Gardening
Jewelry Design Class
This activity is after-school on Wednesdays from 3:15 to 4:30pm. It's free for everyone.
Dates: April 3, 10, 17 24, May 1, 8, 15, 22, 29, 2024
Fall 2023
Mentoring Program
PE Yard Tournaments
Afternoon Art Paint and Sip African American Portraits
Photography Club/Black Student Union
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.
