USC Hybrid High School Will Open in the Heart of Downtown L.A.

LOS ANGELES, May 25, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- USC Hybrid High School is set to open on September 4 at its newly secured site at 350 South Figueroa Avenue, in the heart of downtown Los Angeles.

The highly anticipated new LAUSD charter school is now actively recruiting ninth grade students for the fall with regular informational meetings on the University Park campus.   

Development of the new 19,000 square foot site will take place over the summer, with plans for four large learning labs, two project rooms, and a series of "huddle rooms" for small student groups, an administrative suite, and a courtyard. 

The school is easily accessible by public transit. Its nearest cross street is 3rd Street.

The innovative new school, which has been developed at the USC Rossier School of Education, redefines traditional notions of high school by blending face-to-face personalized instruction and digital coursework.

The unique structure of Hybrid High makes academic success possible for students who struggle in more conventional school settings.  Hybrid High has an ambitious mission of graduating 100 percent of its students socially and academically prepared for success in college and the work place.

The average high school dropout rate in urban centers across the nation is nearly 50 percent. One third of the students who drop out of high school reportedly do so because they have jobs or care giving responsibilities to help their families. In Los Angeles Unified School District, 56 percent of ninth graders finish high school in four years, and that percentage is much lower in the neighborhoods served by Hybrid High.

"Hybrid High School will fill a vital need for a quality, rigorous educational program that is tailored to students' needs and ensures that more of our students are finishing high school," said Principal Stephanie McClay. "I'm really excited to open in the fall and begin to work with our students and families."

Hybrid High increases access to school up to 12 hours per day, 7 days a week, and year-round for urban students who are caring for family members, working full or part-time jobs, or who just need additional time to improve their skills and master course work.

Students at Hybrid High receive personalized schedules and learning plans, and individualized support. The rigorous academic curriculum integrates project-based learning and social emotional learning, and the school's extensive use of technology will prepare every student to use the digital tools of the 21st century.

The school hopes to enroll 150 ninth graders in its first year, and plans to grow its student body to 650 students in grades 9 to 12 in four years.

USC faculty and staff and USC neighborhood families with children entering the ninth grade are encouraged to attend one of the following orientation sessions, to be held in Waite Phillips Hall 403 on the University Park Campus at 5:30 pm on the following dates:

• May 29, 2012
• June 12, 2012
• June 26, 2012
• July 10, 2012
• July 24, 2012

For more information about USC Hybrid High School and applications, go to: http://uschybridhigh.org/

The USC Rossier School of Education (ross-EAR) is one of the world's premier centers for the study of urban education. In addition to the school's transformational research and partnerships, Rossier also prepares teachers and educational leaders who are committed to improving urban education locally, nationally and globally. (http://www.rossier.usc.edu)

Contact: Andrea Bennett 213-740-5436 or [email protected] 

SOURCE USC Rossier School of Education