Driving Reform
Green Dot Public Schools is leading the charge to transform public education in Los Angeles and beyond so that all children receive the education they need to be successful in college, leadership, and life. With Green Dot's success to date, we are demonstrating that public schools can do a far better job of educating students if they are operated more effectively. Green Dot envisions a public school system in L.A. made up of small, excellent schools that encourage and welcome parental involvement and opinions, support teacher creativity, and educate students at their highest and best levels-no matter what their background.
To fulfill this mission, Green Dot has built great high schools in Los Angeles to prove that urban high schools can be successful with the right model. In addition, Green Dot is working with LAUSD, the Mayor of Los Angeles and other political leaders, the State of California, the government, the general public, teachers unions and other groups to influence the reforms required to improve the quality of urban schools in Los Angeles, and ultimately throughout the state and the nation.
School Results
Green Dot has a proven track record of successfully serving the highest-need students in Los Angeles. All twelve schools are addressing the needs of students who have traditionally struggled in the public school system, and they are achieving far greater results than comparable schools in standardized test scores, graduation rates, and college matriculation.
Graduation and College Acceptance
Three Green Dot schools have had graduating classes to date, and they have all produced outstanding results: 66% of our graduating seniors have been admitted to four-year universities. Another 25-30% of graduates go on to two-year colleges. The graduation rates from our schools significantly outpace those of local school districts:
API Scores
The California Department of Education (CDE) calculates an Academic Performance Indicator (API) score for each school in the state. The API score summarizes a school district's or a school's performance on the 2006 STAR and CAHSEE (high school exit exam) standardized exams, and are on a scale of 200 to 1000. (CA Dept of Education API Website)
The latest 2006 API scores show Green Dot schools significantly outperforming comparable school districts:
School Rankings
The CDE also releases school rankings based on these API scores. The Similar Schools Rank compares the performance of a school to the 100 schools most similar to it based on school demographics, and ranks schools on a scale of 1 to 10 (1 = worst, 10 = best).
Similar Student Populations
Green Dot has been able to achieve all these successes with students who have very similar backgrounds to those at comparable schools in the same neighborhoods, with respect to ethnicity, income, proficiency levels in English, etc.:
Source: http://www.greendot.org/