L.A. Charter School Network Has Higher than Average Latinx and Black College-Bound Scholars

 Alliance College-Ready Public Schools proudly announce their 2024 valedictorians and salutatorians, many who are on their way to college, bucking the national trend.

LOS ANGELES, June 10, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- With graduation season in full swing, Alliance College-Ready Public Schools is celebrating its high-achieving scholars, led by this year's 2024 valedictorians and salutatorians. Overall, 95% of scholars graduate from an Alliance high school, and 96% of those graduates have been accepted to college.

This is no small feat. According to an analysis by EdSource from the California Department of Education, in 2023, 68% of Black students and 64% of Latino students did not meet A-G requirements, the college prep courses required for admission to California's public universities.

All Alliance high schools have aligned their graduation requirements to A-G requirements, preparing scholars to graduate high school college-ready and eligible to not only being accepted into California colleges, but also accepted into universities across the country. This is especially impressive considering 94% of Alliance schools serve families in Los Angeles' low-income Latinx, Black, and immigrant communities.

Alliance doesn't just get their scholars to college, they continue to track them onto college graduation as well. Understanding the disparity in the communities they serve, Alliance schools focus on core instructional practices in the classroom, paying special attention to scholar and adult wellness, with an emphasis on their College-Ready Graduate Profile. This approach has resulted in a college-graduation rate of 39% for Alliance scholars, making their graduation rate for low-income students more than 3.5 times the national average.

Most Alliance scholars have overcome countless barriers to reach graduation day and continue onto college. With schools in Downtown L.A., East L.A., Lincoln Heights, Huntington Park, South L.A., and Sun Valley, Alliance valedictorians and salutatorians are tackling these challenges and bringing pride and inspiration to the entire Alliance network.

"Many of our scholars will be the first in their family to graduate from high school or even middle school. As first-generation scholars, this is a major milestone!" says Alliance's CEO, Pablo Villavicencio. "Their diploma represents the sacrifices they made as well as their families and holds a symbolic value that represents their culture, heritage, and communities."

College readiness starts as early as sixth grade in Alliance schools, with dedicated support through the college application process in high school. Scholars also have the opportunity to take college courses through the Dual Enrollment program, allowing them to progress faster in their academic journey and potentially reduce the financial burden of their college education. This aligns with the overarching vision of Alliance College-Ready Public Schools, making the pathway from high school graduation to a four-year degree more accessible.

"We give our scholars an advantage that similar students don't usually have," says Alliance's Vice President of Counseling and College Success, Sally Vo. "We aren't just supporting our scholars with their academics. We're truly preparing future leaders."

This year's graduating class has been accepted to prominent, local area colleges like UCLA, UC Irvine, and Cal State LA, as well as the prestigious universities of Harvard, Dartmouth, Stanford, Georgetown, and UC Berkeley.

Below is a comprehensive list of all Alliance school valedictorians and salutatorians sorted by region:

About Alliance

Alliance College-Ready Public Schools is one of the largest and most successful nonprofit public charter school networks in the nation, operating 26 high-performing, public charter middle and high schools that educate nearly 13,000 scholars from Los Angeles' most underserved communities.

Alliance schools have been recognized as among the best in the nation by U.S. News & World Report, Newsweek, the U.S. Department of Education, and the California Department of Education. Since opening our first school in 2004, 95% of Alliance scholars have graduated from high school and been accepted to college. We strive to uplift our scholars and their communities by fostering unparalleled educational opportunities that encourage scholarly thought, resilient learning, powerful communication, mind-body wellness, and community advocacy. To learn more, visit www.LAalliance.org.

SOURCE Alliance College-Ready Public Schools