Alum's Vision for Learning: It Takes a Village...

Andre Chevalier is only 35, but in one major arena, he already is an “elder.”

The Cal State Northridge education alumnus is one of three “elders” who founded The Village Nation program in 2003. A positive learning community for African American students at Cleveland High School in Reseda, the program was inspired by the proverb “It takes a village to raise a child.”

Hearing about Chevalier’s work, Oprah Winfrey in spring 2007 sent her television crew to interview him and to cover the Cleveland program, already successfully adopted by Chatsworth High.

The “exciting and nerve wracking” Oprah broadcast experience was one in a chain of events that began during a CSUN graduate class in secondary education, when Chevalier saw a Los Angeles district high school test score chart showing African American students at the bottom. Chevalier’s distress propelled him to act. “Excuses had no thrill for me,” he said. “I was interested in making changes.”

Then Cleveland’s dean of students, he helped develop a system of “care, share and clear the air” assemblies, workshops and seminars that produced dramatic results at Cleveland: African American students’ Academic Performance Index scores zoomed from 569 in 2003 to 664 in 2005, besting the districtwide average of 649. The percentage of Village student participants passing the math portion of the state high school exit exam shot from 36 in 2003 to 81 in 2006.

“Focus and discipline are key,” said Chevalier.

Recently named dean at Oaks Christian School in Ventura County, Chevalier said he will remain involved with The Village Nation, “without a doubt.”