2020
TOP LOS ANGELES
County PUBLIC
SCHOOLS
By Innovate Public Schools
in partnership with
USC Sol Price Center for Social Innovation
and USC Rossier Center on Education Policy, Equity and Governance
in partnership with
USC Sol Price Center for Social Innovation
and USC Rossier Center on Education Policy, Equity and Governance
For far too long, low-income African American and Latino students have been denied the opportunity to achieve their full potential. Systemic racism holds students back, but these schools are finding ways to help low-income students of color thrive despite the odds.
Our annual Top Public Schools report celebrates the 278 schools closing the opportunity gap for low-income African American and Latino students in Los Angeles County.
What is a Top Public School? Top Public Schools are schools that are beating the statewide average in one or more factors including math and reading scores, college eligibility, and suspension rates. To qualify for our list, schools must also serve a representative proportion of low-income African American or Latino students. We use the statewide enrollment averages as minimum baselines, meaning that schools must have at least 43% low-income Latino or 4% low-income African American students enrolled in order to be considered. See the methodology.
This list highlights the schools that are leading the way, but in order for all low-income students of color to thrive academically we must radically transform our educational system. Low-income African American and Latino students combined make up the majority of students in Los Angeles County, yet only 23% of schools eligible for our list are closing the opportunity gap. We must all hold ourselves accountable to ensuring that all low-income students of color have access to a world-class education. Being silent enables this systemic racism to continue.
Learn more about Innovate Public Schools.
Low-income Latino
Low-income African American
There are
Los Angeles schools
2,075
Los Angeles schools
510
schoolsserve at least 20
low-income African
American students**
Only
are Top Public Schools
35
of themare Top Public Schools
Source: California Department of Education, 2018-19 Enrollment files
**Schools were considered in this analysis if they had at least 20 low-income African American students and this sub-group comprises 4% or more of the school's overall enrollment.
**Schools were considered in this analysis if they had at least 20 low-income African American students and this sub-group comprises 4% or more of the school's overall enrollment.
The 279 Top Public Schools in Los Angeles County span 45 districts from the Antelope Valley to the Harbor and the Westside to Pomona Valley.
Click the map to explore each school’s outcomes for low-income African American and Latino students.
×
Top Public Schools in Los Angeles County.
ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS
These schools are closing opportunity gaps and setting students on a path to college.
Top Public Schools for Low-income African American Students in English
| wdt_ID | School | % Low-income African American proficient in English | District / Authorizer | Region | % Low-income African American enrolled in school | CMO Network | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 | 1 | El Rincon Elementary | 69% | Culver City Unified | Westside | 10% | |
| 17 | 2 | Playa Vista Elementary | 68% | Los Angeles Unified | Westside | 8% | |
| 18 | 3 | One Hundred Fifty-Sixth Street Elementary | 68% | Los Angeles Unified | South Bay | 24% | |
| 19 | 4 | Taper Avenue Elementary | 67% | Los Angeles Unified | Harbor | 5% | |
| 20 | 5 | Wilder's Preparatory Academy Charter (Charter) | 66% | Inglewood Unified | South Bay | 58% | Wilder's Preparatory Academies |
| 21 | 6 | Holmes Elementary | 58% | Long Beach Unified | Harbor | 31% | |
| 22 | 7 | Stephen Foster Elementary | 57% | Bellflower Unified | Harbor | 6% | |
| 23 | 8 | Hamilton Elementary | 57% | Pasadena Unified | San Gabriel Valley | 5% | |
| 24 | 9 | Grant Elementary | 55% | Santa Monica-Malibu Unified | Westside | 7% | |
| 25 | 10 | Mid-City's Prescott School of Enriched Sciences | 54% | Los Angeles Unified | South L.A. | 19% |
Top Public Schools for Low-income African American Students in Math
| wdt_ID | School | % Low-income African American proficient in Math | District / Authorizer | Region | % Low-income African American enrolled in school | CMO Network | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 | 1 | El Rincon Elementary | 62% | Culver City Unified | Westside | 10% | |
| 16 | 2 | Wilder's Preparatory Academy Charter (Charter) | 58% | Inglewood Unified | South Bay | 58% | Wilder's Preparatory Academies |
| 17 | 3 | Taper Avenue Elementary | 57% | Los Angeles Unified | Harbor | 5% | |
| 18 | 4 | Bragg Elementary | 55% | ABC Unified | Southeast | 5% | |
| 19 | 5 | Holmes Elementary | 51% | Long Beach Unified | Harbor | 31% | |
| 20 | 6 | Ramona | 50% | Hawthorne | South Bay | 10% | |
| 21 | 7 | Lincoln Elementary | 50% | Long Beach Unified | Harbor | 7% | |
| 22 | 8 | Grant Elementary | 50% | Santa Monica-Malibu Unified | Westside | 7% | |
| 23 | 9 | Aspire Juanita Tate Academy Charter (Charter) | 48% | Los Angeles Unified | South L.A. | 9% | Aspire Public Schools |
| 24 | 10 | Lafayette Elementary | 48% | Long Beach Unified | Harbor | 12% |
Top Public Schools for Low-income Latino Students in English
| wdt_ID | School | % Low-income Latino proficient in English | District / Authorizer | Region | % Low-income Latino enrolled in school | CMO Network | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | KIPP Iluminar Academy (Charter) | 76% | Los Angeles Unified | Eastside | 87% | KIPP LA Schools |
| 2 | 2 | Equitas Academy #3 Charter (Charter) | 74% | Los Angeles Unified | Central L.A. | 89% | Equitas Academy Charter School, Inc. |
| 3 | 3 | KIPP Comienza Community Prep (Charter) | 72% | Los Angeles Unified | Southeast | 91% | KIPP LA Schools |
| 4 | 4 | KIPP Promesa Prep (Charter) | 70% | Los Angeles Unified | Eastside | 88% | KIPP LA Schools |
| 5 | 5 | Libertas College Preparatory Charter (Charter) | 68% | Los Angeles Unified | South L.A. | 81% | |
| 6 | 6 | KIPP Raices Academy (Charter) | 68% | Los Angeles Unified | Eastside | 87% | KIPP LA Schools |
| 7 | 7 | New Temple | 64% | Valle Lindo Elementary | San Gabriel Valley | 78% | |
| 8 | 8 | Chapman Elementary | 64% | Los Angeles Unified | South Bay | 55% | |
| 9 | 9 | Jefferson Elementary | 64% | Compton Unified | South L.A. | 86% | |
| 10 | 10 | Barranca Elementary | 62% | Covina-Valley Unified | San Gabriel Valley | 56% |
Top Public Schools for Low-income Latino Students in Math
| wdt_ID | School | % Low-income Latino proficient in math | District / Authorizer | Region | % Low-income Latino enrolled in school | CMO Network | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | KIPP Iluminar Academy (Charter) | 87% | Los Angeles Unified | Eastside | 87% | KIPP LA Schools |
| 2 | 2 | KIPP Comienza Community Prep (Charter) | 75% | Los Angeles Unified | Southeast | 91% | KIPP LA Schools |
| 3 | 3 | KIPP Promesa Prep (Charter) | 71% | Los Angeles Unified | Eastside | 88% | KIPP LA Schools |
| 4 | 4 | Equitas Academy #3 Charter (Charter) | 70% | Los Angeles Unified | Central L.A. | 89% | Equitas Academy Charter School, Inc. |
| 5 | 5 | KIPP Raices Academy (Charter) | 70% | Los Angeles Unified | Eastside | 87% | KIPP LA Schools |
| 6 | 6 | Global Education Academy (Charter) | 70% | Los Angeles Unified | South L.A. | 91% | Global Education Collaborative |
| 7 | 7 | Unsworth (Edith) Elementary | 64% | Downey Unified | Southeast | 65% | |
| 8 | 8 | Lafayette Elementary | 63% | Long Beach Unified | Harbor | 69% | |
| 9 | 9 | ISANA Palmati Academy (Charter) | 63% | Los Angeles Unified | San Fernando Valley | 84% | Celerity Educational Group |
| 10 | 10 | Jefferson Elementary | 62% | Compton Unified | South L.A. | 86% |
MIDDLE SCHOOLS
These schools are closing opportunity gaps and setting students on a path to college.
Top Public Schools for Low-income African American Students in English
| wdt_ID | School | % Low-income African American proficient in English | District / Authorizer | Region | % Low-income African American enrolled in school | CMO Network | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Wilder's Preparatory Academy Charter Middle (Charter) | 86% | Inglewood Unified | South Bay | 60% | Wilder's Preparatory Academies |
| 2 | 2 | Richard Henry Dana Middle | 69% | Wiseburn Unified | South Bay | 7% | |
| 3 | 3 | Culver City Middle | 56% | Culver City Unified | Westside | 6% | |
| 4 | 4 | Laurel Street Elementary | 55% | Compton Unified | Southeast | 19% | |
| 5 | 5 | Haskell (Pliny Fisk) Middle | 55% | ABC Unified | Southeast | 9% | |
| 6 | 6 | New Designs Charter (Charter) | 52% | Los Angeles Unified | South L.A. | 9% | New Designs Educational Group |
Top Public Schools for Low-income African American Students in Math
| wdt_ID | School | % Low-income African American proficient in Math | District / Authorizer | Region | % Low-income African American enrolled in school | CMO Network | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Wilder's Preparatory Academy Charter Middle (Charter) | 52% | Inglewood Unified | Inglewood Unified | 60% | Wilder's Preparatory Academies |
| 2 | 2 | Richard Henry Dana Middle | 48% | Wiseburn Unified | Wiseburn Unified | 7% | |
| 3 | 3 | Haskell (Pliny Fisk) Middle | 41% | ABC Unified | Southeast | 9% | |
| 4 | 4 | Palmdale Learning Plaza | 38% | Palmdale Elementary | Palmdale Elementary | 10% |
Top Public Schools for Low-income Latino Students in English
| wdt_ID | School | % Low-income Latino proficient in English | District / Authorizer | Region | % Low-income Latino enrolled in school | CMO Network | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | KIPP Los Angeles College Preparatory (Charter) | 72% | Los Angeles Unified | Eastside | 92% | KIPP LA Schools |
| 2 | 2 | ISANA Palmati Academy (Charter) | 68% | Los Angeles Unified | San Fernando Valley | 84% | Celerity Educational Group |
| 3 | 3 | Muir K-8 | 66% | Long Beach Unified | Harbor | 56% | |
| 4 | 4 | KIPP Sol Academy (Charter) | 65% | Los Angeles Unified | Eastside | 88% | KIPP LA Schools |
| 5 | 5 | Brooklyn Avenue Elementary | 64% | Los Angeles Unified | Eastside | 91% | |
| 6 | 6 | KIPP Comienza Community Prep (Charter) | 63% | Los Angeles Unified | Southeast | 91% | KIPP LA Schools |
| 7 | 7 | New Heights Charter (Charter) | 63% | Los Angeles Unified | South L.A. | 76% | N/A |
| 8 | 8 | Anderson Elementary | 63% | Compton Unified | South L.A. | 79% | |
| 9 | 9 | Gabriella Charter (Charter) | 60% | Los Angeles Unified | Central L.A. | 79% | Gabriella Charter Schools |
| 10 | 10 | Monte Vista Elementary | 60% | Mountain View Elementary | San Gabriel Valley | 82% |
Top Public Schools for Low-income Latino Students in Math
| wdt_ID | School | % Low-income Latino proficient in English | District / Authorizer | Region | % Low-income Latino enrolled in school | CMO Network | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | KIPP Los Angeles College Preparatory (Charter) | 72% | Los Angeles Unified | Eastside | 92% | KIPP LA Schools |
| 2 | 2 | Brooklyn Avenue Elementary | 63% | Los Angeles Unified | Eastside | 91% | |
| 3 | 3 | McKinley Elementary | 61% | Compton Unified | Southeast | 56% | |
| 4 | 4 | James Jordan Middle (Charter) | 60% | Los Angeles Unified | San Fernando Valley | 62% | N/A |
| 5 | 5 | Jefferson Elementary | 58% | Compton Unified | South L.A. | 86% | |
| 6 | 6 | Libertas College Preparatory Charter (Charter) | 57% | Los Angeles Unified | South L.A. | 81% | N/A |
| 7 | 7 | KIPP Sol Academy (Charter) | 55% | Los Angeles Unified | Eastside | 88% | KIPP LA Schools |
| 8 | 8 | KIPP Comienza Community Prep (Charter) | 54% | Los Angeles Unified | Southeast | 91% | KIPP LA Schools |
| 9 | 9 | Lexington Elementary | 54% | Pomona Unified | Pomona Valley | 89% | |
| 10 | 10 | Muir K-8 | 52% | Long Beach Unified | Harbor | 56% |
HIGH SCHOOLS
These schools are closing opportunity gaps and setting students on a path to college.
Top Public Schools for Low-income African American Students
| wdt_ID | School | % low-income African American UC/CSU eligibility | % Low-income African American proficient in English | % Low-income African American proficient in math | District / Authorizer | Region | % Low-income African American enrolled in school | CMO Network | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | CATCH Prep Charter High, Inc. (Charter) | 97% | 52% | 40% | Los Angeles Unified | South L.A. | 63% | |
| 2 | 2 | King/Drew Medical Magnet High | 62% | 57% | 26% | Los Angeles Unified | South L.A. | 30% | |
| 3 | 3 | Los Angeles Center for Enriched Studies | 61% | 52% | 59% | Los Angeles Unified | Central L.A. | 13% | |
| 4 | 4 | Culver City High | 60% | 75% | 19% | Culver City Unified | Westside | 6% |
Top Public Schools for Low-income Latino Students
| wdt_ID | School | % low-income Latino UC/CSU eligibility | % Low-income Latino proficient in English | % Low-income Latino proficient in math | District / Authorizer | Region | % Low-income Latino enrolled in school | CMO Network | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Alliance Cindy and Bill Simon Technology Academy High (Charter) | 99% | 73% | 26% | Los Angeles Unified | South L.A. | 87% | Alliance College-Ready Public Schools |
| 2 | 2 | Alliance Dr. Olga Mohan High (Charter) | 99% | 67% | 61% | Los Angeles Unified | Central L.A. | 89% | Alliance College-Ready Public Schools |
| 3 | 3 | Alliance Judy Ivie Burton Technology Academy High (Charter) | 98% | 77% | 56% | Los Angeles Unified | South L.A. | 95% | Alliance College-Ready Public Schools |
| 4 | 4 | Ednovate - USC Hybrid High College Prep (Charter) | 98% | 67% | 56% | Los Angeles Unified | Central L.A. | 73% | Ednovate, Inc. |
| 5 | 5 | Alliance Ouchi-O'Donovan 6-12 Complex (Charter) | 97% | 55% | 42% | Los Angeles Unified | South L.A. | 88% | Alliance College-Ready Public Schools |
| 6 | 6 | Environmental Charter High (Charter) | 97% | 71% | 35% | Lawndale Elementary | South Bay | 73% | Environmental Charter Schools |
| 7 | 7 | Alliance Patti And Peter Neuwirth Leadership Academy (Charter) | 97% | 71% | 43% | Los Angeles Unified | South L.A. | 95% | Alliance College-Ready Public Schools |
| 8 | 8 | Alliance Gertz-Ressler Richard Merkin 6-12 Complex (Charter) | 97% | 83% | 58% | Los Angeles Unified | South L.A. | 95% | Alliance College-Ready Public Schools |
| 9 | 9 | PUC Lakeview Charter High (Charter) | 97% | 75% | 53% | Los Angeles Unified | San Fernando Valley | 82% | PUC Schools |
| 10 | 10 | Alliance Margaret M. Bloomfield Technology Academy High (Charter) | 96% | 80% | 39% | Los Angeles Unified | South L.A. | 87% | Alliance College-Ready Public Schools |
These schools are leading the way, but in order for all low-income students of color to thrive academically, we must radically transform the educational system. Work with us to increase the number of Top Public Schools for all low-income African American and Latino students.
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