Leveling the Playing Field: Youth Policy Institute Los Angeles

Pacoima, Calif.

In a workroom with computer stations along the walls, Joyce Moses sits across the table from two boys. The 8th and 9th graders are dressed almost identically, in jeans and white T-shirts.

Tonight’s topic is prime numbers, but Moses will also find it necessary to review odd and even numbers and multiplying by nine for the boys to get through the lesson.

“What we’re looking for is a number that can only be divided by one,” says Moses, as she points to a worksheet. “I’m going to teach you how to think about the problem...