Eight Green Dot High Schools Ranked Among Best in the U.S.; Two Place Among Top 100 Charters
Number is most in charter school’s history on annual list by U.S. News
LOS ANGELES – Eight Green Dot Public Schools have been named America’s Best High Schools by US News & World Report, the most in the non-profit charter school network’s 15-year history. Ánimo Inglewood, Ánimo Jackie Robinson, Ánimo Leadership, Ánimo Pat Brown, Ánimo Ralph Bunche, Ánimo South Los Angeles, Ánimo Venice and Oscar De La Hoya Ánimo Charter High Schools were ranked in the top 10 percent of all high schools nationwide.
Alain LeRoy Locke College Prep Academy – a Green Dot Public School since 2008 – also was recognized nationally for its high performance. Ánimo Leadership and Oscar De La Hoya Ánimo both ranked in the top 100 of all charter schools in the nation and among the top 100 high schools in California.
“Once again, these rankings show that the hard work of our teachers, staff and students is producing results and creating learning environments that foster high expectations and innovative teaching approaches,” said Marco Petruzzi, CEO of Green Dot Public Schools National. “The students and families we serve deserve nothing less than the best education possible, and we are committed to providing it to them.”
U.S. News determines its rankings through three levels of evaluation: whether a school’s students are performing better than their peers; whether its least-advantaged students are outperforming similar students in their state; and how well it is preparing students for college. For its 2015 rankings, U.S. News reviewed 29,070 public high schools in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.
“We’re especially pleased to see a record number of our schools cited for their great work in preparing students for college, leadership and life,” said Cristina de Jesus, CEO of Green Dot Public Schools CA. “Central to our mission of providing a great education to each and every student is our dedication to constant improvement. We always want to do better for our students than we did yesterday. I applaud our teachers and staff for always striving to meet the high standards they set for themselves.”
Last year, Green Dot graduated more than 1,500 students, the most of any charter school organization in the nation. During its 15-year history, Green Dot schools have graduated more than 9,000 students with more than 90% being accepted to college. Green Dot currently is celebrating its 15th anniversary.
At every Green Dot school, students experience a small school environment where adults know their names. Green Dot schools provide a high care, high structure, high expectations approach to learning; a personalized learning plan for students; a traditional school day with an early emphasis in proficiency in reading and math; and after-school programs complementing our mission and educational model.
An independent study by UCLA found that Green Dot students are nearly four times more likely to graduate and be ready for college than students at neighboring schools. A separate UCLA study found that Green Dot’s high schools significantly lower a variety of serious risky behavior among students through increased retention and improved academic outcomes.