The California Institute on Law, Neuroscience, and Education (CA Institute) is excited to announce the winners of our inaugural Collaboration Grants. These projects were selected because they encourage innovative, cross-disciplinary research to address the intersection of social justice, education, and neuroscience. In furtherance of the goals of the CA Institute, each of these projects brings together researchers from UC Law SF, UCSF, and UCLA in projects that aim to improve life & literacy outcomes for minoritized youth, particularly those in the juvenile justice system, while disrupting the deep-rooted connection between socioeconomic inequities and educational challenges.
The CA Institute will be funding 5 projects:
Developing a Least Restrictive Program for Re-Entering Transition Age Youth Pursuing Higher Education: A Pre-Implementation Evaluation
PI: Johanna Folk (UCSF)
Co-Investigators: Cynthia Valencia (UCSF), Michael Massa (OYCR), Jocelyn Meza (UCLA)
Institutions/Organizations: UCSF, UCLA, OYCR, Cre8Innovations
Abstract: Youth incarceration is incredibly costly, associated with a range of adverse health outcomes, and ineffective at preventing future legal system contact. Conversely, higher educational attainment is associated with reduced recidivism risk and positive life outcomes, including overall health and well-being. With the recent Department of Juvenile Justice facility closures in California, Least Restrictive Programs (LRP) have emerged as promising alternative placements for youth interested in pursuing higher education. These community-based placements are more developmentally oriented and cost-effective than incarceration and have the potential to support young people in navigating socialization challenges associated with re-entry while pursuing higher education. A community-based organization (Cre8Innovations), led by formerly incarcerated young adults and working in partnership with the Office of Youth and Community Restoration, is actively developing a LRP for transition age youth stepping down from Secure Youth Treatment Facilities and pursuing higher education in the San Francisco Bay Area. Grounded in pre-implementation science frameworks, the proposed study aims to assess and document barriers and facilitators to developing this LRP while honoring lived expertise, leveraging the expertise of an interdisciplinary team, and utilizing community participatory research methods. Mixed methods will be used to assess the needs of the population and identify evidence-informed interventions to integrate into the LRP curriculum, mentorship programming, and supervision practices. Findings will inform the implementation and evaluation of the LRP and serve as a blueprint for future LRP scalability.
Fourth Grade Forward: Making Meaning of Literature and Life with Near-Peer Mentors
PI: Rebecca Gotlieb (UCLA)
Co-Investigators: Mariah Pospisil, (UC/CSU Collaborative, UCSF) Virginia Sturm (UCSF)
Institutions/Organizations: UCLA, UCSF, Compton Unified School District, J3 Reading Club
Abstract: Fourth grade struggling readers, especially in high-poverty, urban schools, are at risk of experiencing substantial academic and social-emotional challenges, and possible future juvenile justice involvement. In a 1-year longitudinal intervention study in a high poverty, urban school district (Compton Unified School District), we aim to test immediate and delayed impacts of 4th grade struggling readers receiving near- peer reading and narrative skills tutoring. Synergistic with Dr. Gotlieb’s (UCLA) ongoing funded investigation, we hypothesize that 4th grade students who receive intervention will show sustained improvements in reading and social-emotional wellbeing and that effects may be strongest for students who receive support in a combination of both reading and narrative skill development. We will also assess whether Kindergarten through 2nd grade dyslexia-risk screening data (from Multitudes) predict 4th grade students’ performance on measures of reading, narrative skill, and affect, as well as their responsiveness to intervention. We will iteratively and collaboratively refine the intervention to enhance feasibility and cultural responsivity. Overall, this study could provide evidence for an inexpensive, durable, transformative means of improving key outcomes for students at a critical developmental time for staving off juvenile justice involvement and could suggest which students would benefit most from such intervention.
The Impact of Noise on Literacy Skills among Formerly Incarcerated Youth
PI: Julie Schneider (UCLA)
Co-Investigators: Jennie Grammer (UC/CSU Collaborative, UCLA), Mariah Pospisil (UC/CSU Collaborative, UCSF) Johanna Folk (UCSF), Michael Massa
Institutions/Organizations: UCLA, UCSF, UC/CSU Collaborative, OYCR, Rising Scholars Network, Bruin Underground Scholars Program
Abstract: Incarcerated youth face significant barriers to literacy development, a challenge which is further compounded by the high noise learning environments in carceral facilities. Mitigating these challenges is critical, as literacy deficits among this population are strongly associated with limited opportunities for rehabilitation and societal reintegration. Classroom noise disrupts speech comprehension, induces cognitive overload, and impairs neural processes essential for literacy, such as word recognition and comprehension. Despite established acoustical standards to mitigate noise, adherence remains voluntary, and typical noise levels in secure carceral settings far exceed recommended thresholds, reaching levels comparable to busy restaurants (65–80 dB(A)). Such conditions hinder effective communication and learning, disproportionately affecting youth with heightened noise sensitivities due to ADHD, ASD, or PTSD.
This study aims to understand and mitigate the impact of noise on literacy development among formerly incarcerated individuals. Specifically, we will: (1) investigate how varying noise levels influence literacy-supportive skills, (2) examine neural mechanisms by which noise disrupts cognitive processes critical to literacy, and (3) evaluate the effectiveness of noise mitigation strategies in reducing barriers to learning. By addressing these aims, the proposed research seeks to develop evidence-based interventions to enhance learning environments in carceral facilities, ensuring that youth receive equitable educational opportunities that support rehabilitation and reduce recidivism. Findings will provide actionable recommendations for creating acoustically optimized classrooms that foster literacy development and cognitive growth in carceral settings.
Understanding the Impact of a Young Adult Court on Recidivism and Health in Transitional-Aged Youth
PI: Andrea Lollini (UC Law SF)
Co-Investigators: Kathy Do (UCLA), Angela James (UCLA)
Institutions/Organizations: UCLA, San Francisco Young Adult Court, Felton Institute
Abstract: Transitional-aged youth (ages 18-24) are often treated like older adults in the criminal justice system, despite evidence from neuroscience research that brain regions involved in regulating risk-taking and impulsive behavior are still developing into the mid-twenties. Established in 2015, the Young Adult Court (YAC) in San Francisco (YAC-SF) offers an alternative court model for transitional-aged youth with serious felony offenses by combining judicial supervision with intensive social and health services delivered by Felton Institute to improve reintegration and reduce recidivism. This mixed-methods study will examine the correlates of engagement with program services and behavioral and mental health among participants who completed the YAC-SF program. Our study will (1) analyze secondary data collected by YAC-SF and Felton Institute to examine changes in participants’ engagement and health outcomes during the program (n=168); (2) recruit YAC-SF completers to participate in a mixed-methods longitudinal study of their life experiences after the program; and (3) conduct a legal analysis of YAC-SF and its alignment with restorative justice principles. Our interdisciplinary, cross-institutional team has expertise in law (Lollini and Charles, UC Law SF), neuroscience (Do, UCLA), and education (Do and James, UCLA), as well as established partnerships with YAC-SF and Felton Institute to ensure successful recruitment, data collection, and analysis of this project. Results will offer valuable insights into the efficacy of restorative justice programs in supporting the reintegration of transitional-aged youth after detention, thereby guiding evidence-based legal reforms and the expansion of wraparound services (e.g., education) to support a successful transition into adulthood.
Preventative Literacy Intervention through Culturally Responsive Teacher Development
PI: Monica Zegers (UCSF)
Co-Investigators: Mariah Pospisil (UC/CSU Collaborative, UCSF), Julie Schneider (UCLA)
Institutions/Organizations: UCSF, UCLA
Abstract: Spanish-speaking English Learners (ELs) face unique challenges in literacy due to limited English proficiency, socioeconomic disadvantages, and under-resourced schools. Traditional literacy instruction, often designed for monolingual English settings, can misidentify reading difficulties and inadvertently alienate EL students, hindering their academic participation and growth. These challenges frequently contribute to academic disengagement, exclusionary discipline practices, increased dropout rates, and involvement in the juvenile justice system.
This study aims to address these issues through a needs assessment and curriculum mapping intervention based on a cumulative risk model that integrates external (exogenous) and internal (endogenous) factors affecting literacy. The approach includes the use of neuroscience-based, culturally affirming assessments to evaluate the language and literacy development of EL students in the Monterey area, alongside targeted professional development (PD) for educators in dual- language and English-only schools. The structured needs assessment and curriculum mapping will guide the PD content, focusing on gaps in teachers’ literacy knowledge and classroom practices. An iterative improvement cycle will support ongoing instructional refinement, informed by teacher self-assessments, classroom observations, and data on student outcomes.
The expected short-term outcomes of this project include improved language and literacy outcomes for students, a reduction in exclusionary disciplinary practices, and an enhanced sense of belonging among ELs. For educators, anticipated outcomes include increased efficacy in supporting ELs. Ultimately, the study aims to develop a sustainable, replicable model for bilingual literacy development that promotes equity in education and helps disrupt pathways to justice involvement for marginalized students.
