At a time when the achievement gap in California is large and appears unchanging, some high schools are beating the odds. How these schools are accomplishing this and how their approaches can inform state policy so that more schools can realize the same success was the focus of this study, conducted by the School Redesign Network (a SCOPE-sponsored program) and Justice Matters in San Francisco.
The study focused on five urban, public high schools from across the state that have no selective admissions requirements, serve primarily students of color and low-income students, graduate students at higher rates than the state average, and send more than 80% of them to college. These five are not the only high schools succeeding against the odds, but they represent the types of educational approaches required to close California's educational achievement gap and to enable all students to move on to successful career and college pathways.
SCHOOLS
• Animo Inglewood Charter High School, Inglewood (Green Dot Public Schools)
• Leadership High School, San Francisco (independent charter)
• June Jordan School for Equity, San Francisco Unified School District
• New Tech High School, Sacramento Unified School District (supported by the New Tech Schools Foundation)
• Stanley E. Foster Construction Tech Academy, San Diego Unified School District
