The 2024 Portrait of the Movement also identifies five key practices that are boosting college preparation and/or career pathways at ten excellentcharters
SACRAMENTO, CA –California charter public schools are sending more thandoublethe percentage of English learners and students with disabilities to University of California and California State University campuses as compared to the public school average, according to the2024 Portrait of the Movement: How California's Charter Public Schools are Preparing Students for College and Career.
The study, which was produced by theCalifornia Charter Schools Association(CCSA), finds overall, charter public schools also send substantially more socioeconomically disadvantaged, Latino, and Black students to UCs and CSUs.
The college-going rate is even higher amongsite-basedcharter public schools which are sending nearlytriplethe percentage of English learners and students with disabilities to UCs and CSUs as compared to the public school average.
In addition, the report finds Latino graduates ofsite-based charters are nearly twice as likely to attend a UC (10% vs 6%) or a CSU (23% vs 13%) as the state average.
“Charter public schools are closing post-secondary gaps among the most vulnerable students in California and, in the process, creating positive generational change and breaking cycles of poverty in low-income communities,” saidMyrna Castrejón, CCSA President and CEO. “As graduation season gets underway, CCSA salutes the daily efforts of charter school leaders and staff who devotetheir focus and energy to student success.This report highlights how students benefit when a school orients its values, structures, finances, and operations around ensuringallstudents are prepared and supported to access college and career.”
In addition to these statewide findings, CCSA’s2024 Portrait of the Movementpinpoints 10 excellent charter schools in California whose focus on college and career preparation has achieved incredible results for students:
AIMS High School(Oakland)
In 2021, 91% of their Black students went to college, nearly half of whom (48%) went to a UC. By contrast, in that same year, the Oakland Unified School District only sent 5% of its Black students to UCs. AIMS has the highest UC college-going rate for Black students among all charter public schools in California.
Aspire Ollin University Preparatory Academy(Los Angeles)
In 2022, nearly half (49%) of its socioeconomically disadvantaged graduates attended a CSU. This is one of the highest CSU-going rates in the state and far exceeds the Los Angeles Unified School District CSU-going average for socioeconomically disadvantaged students of 20%.
Birmingham Community Charter High School(Lake Balboa)
In 2021, nearly half (49%) of Birmingham’s Black graduates completed a CTE pathway, the second highest rate of all charter high schools in the state.
Da Vinci Design(El Segundo)
In 2022, 78% of its Black student graduates completed a CTE pathway, one of the highest rates of all charter high schools in the state.
Ednovate-USC Hybrid High College Prep(Los Angeles)
In 2022, 87% of its Black graduates went to college. Of these, more than half (53%) went to a CSU, far above the LAUSD Black student CSU-going average of 14%. This is one of the highest CSU college-going rates for Black students among all charter public schools in the state.
Lighthouse Community Charter High(Oakland)
In 2022, 85% of Lighthouse’s socioeconomically disadvantaged graduates and 84% of its Latino graduates completed a CTE pathway, among the highest rates of all charter high schools in the state.
Making Waves Academy(Richmond)
Over a third (34%) of its socioeconomically disadvantaged high school graduates went on to attend a UC in 2022. This is one of the highest rates in the state and far exceeds the West Contra Costa Unified School District UC-going average for socioeconomically disadvantaged students of 11%.
Renaissance Arts Academy(Los Angeles)
In 2023, 100% of its Latino and socioeconomically disadvantaged graduates completed a CTE pathway, among the highest rates of all charter high schools in the state.
The Preuss School UC San Diego(San Diego)
It had the highest UC college-going rates of any charter in the state for Latino graduates (45%) and low-income graduates (46%), along with 36% of its Black graduates also attending a UC in 2022. By contrast, the San Diego Unified School District sent 7% of its Latino graduates, 9% of low-income graduates, and 8% of its Black graduates to a UC in 2022.
The School of Arts and Enterprise(Pomona)
The SAE had one of the highest CTE pathway completion rates of all charter high schools in the state for Latino and socioeconomically disadvantaged students (93% and 92% respectively completed a CTE pathway in 2022).
CCSA researchers conducted interviews with school leaders at each school and pinpointed five common practices across these schools: 1) set a clear intentionality of purpose to ensure college and career access; 2) embed college and career prep into school schedules and curricula; 3) continually build awareness of college and career options; 4) remove hurdles to increase access to college and career; and 5) track college and career data for continuous improvement.
>> Click the link to read CCSA's2024 Portrait of the Movement: How California's Charter Public Schools are Preparing Students for College and Career.
Media interested in interviews with CCSA or charter leaders at the schools listed can contact Ana Tintocalis, Senior Director of Media Relations and Editorial Content Strategy:atintocalis@ccsa.org
About the California Charter Schools Association
The vision of the California Charter Schools Association (CCSA) is to build great public schools of joy and rigor that prepare all California students for success in college, career, community, and life. The mission of CCSA is to meet parent, educator, and community need for great public school options by supporting and advocating for high quality non-profit charter schools and sharing their success throughout California’s public schools.Learn more.
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