PRESS RELEASE September 10, 2007
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CONTACTS: Alliance: Jennifer Drake, Chief Development Officer Cal State L.A.: Sean Kearns, Director of Media Relations, 323.343.3050, skearns@calstatela.edu |
alliance for college-ready PUBLIC schools Breaks ground
on new facility for math and science high school at California State University, Los Angeles
Charter School-University Partnership Provides East Los Angeles Students Unique Opportunities for Advancement in Math and Science
LOS ANGELES - The Alliance for College-Ready Public Schools (Alliance) ceremonially broke ground today at the future home of its Marc and Eva Stern Math and Science School (Stern MASS) on the California State University, Los Angeles (Cal State L.A.) campus.
Scheduled for completion in July 2008, the facility will comprise 34,000 square feet and house 22 classrooms, four science labs, a multi-purpose room, a library and a Cal State L.A. professional development center that will ultimately serve 500 ninth- through 12th-grade students. The school is named for Marc and Eva Stern, who contributed a lead gift for facility construction. Eva Stern serves on the Board of Directors of the Alliance.
An early vision of then Councilman Antonio Villaraigosa, Stern MASS was developed by the Alliance in collaboration with the leadership and faculty of Cal State L.A. The goals of the school, which opened off-campus in the fall of 2006, are to give students in East Los Angeles the tools necessary to excel in math and science, prepare them for success in college, and motivate them to select math and science related majors and careers.
According to Cal State L.A. President James M. Rosser, "This unprecedented partnership is a natural for us. It aligns with our long-standing commitment to assist in providing students in our neighboring communities with the encouragement, preparation and access necessary to reach and succeed in higher education. More specifically, it affords our science and education faculty - and our teacher-education students - opportunities for new ways to collaborate with Stern MASS and other local teachers. We expect this will enable the development of more young people who can achieve excellence in math and science."
Stern MASS began its second year of operation this month in a temporary site on the southeastern corner of Cal State L.A. Its permanent facility will be built on the southwest side of campus. More than 340 ninth- and 10th-grade students currently attend the school. With a new freshman class joining the continuing students each year, in two years the school will reach its full capacity of 500 students, ranging from freshmen to seniors. By design, the relatively small size fosters a more personalized learning environment.
The Alliance/Stern MASS partnership with Cal State L.A. will also provide the high school's students access to valuable university resources, facilities, expertise, mentoring programs, science-oriented student organizations, cultural opportunities and field experience.
"This partnership provides such a unique opportunity for our students," said Alliance CEO Judy Burton. "Not only will they already be comfortable in a university environment when they head to college, they will also be in a better position to make choices that will prepare them for an increasingly competitive job market."
Stern MASS has already achieved significant progress, scoring a 718 on the 2007 State Academic Performance Index in its first year of operation. This is 165 points higher than neighboring East Los Angeles high schools that Stern MASS students would have otherwise attended. Their API score also places Stern MASS among the top 20 high schools in Los Angeles Unified School District.
With a 2006-07 student body that was 99 percent Latino and comprised of 32 percent English Language Learners and 92 percent participation in the free and reduced meal program, Stern MASS is also helping to significantly narrow the achievement gap that exists between California's Latino and Caucasian students.
Jack O'Connell, State Superintendent of Public Instruction, who attended the event, said, "Students of color are woefully under represented in the fields of math and science on college campuses and in careers. Stern MASS will provide an opportunity to significantly change that."
According to Ramon Cortines, Los Angeles deputy mayor of education, "Schools like Stern MASS, and all of the Alliance schools, are proof that all students can succeed within a culture of high expectations regardless of their ethnicity or socioeconomic background. These students are being given the skills and knowledge they need to contribute to the scientific and technological advances that are driving our local and global economy."
In addition to Stern MASS, the Alliance currently operates nine public charter schools in Los Angeles, serving more than 3,000 students. All Alliance charter schools significantly outperformed their neighboring district schools on the 2007 Academic Performance Index (API).
About The Alliance for College-Ready Public Schools
The mission of the Alliance, a nonprofit charter management organization, is to create a network of small, innovative schools that establish the foundation for college success in students who live in high poverty communities in the Los Angeles area. The vision is to open and operate a minimum of 20 high-performing public charter schools by 2010. The Alliance is led by President/CEO, Judy Burton. For more information, visit www.laalliance.org.
About California State University, Los Angeles
Working for California since 1947: Part of the 23-campus California State University system, the 175-acre hilltop campus of Cal State L.A. is at the heart of a major metropolitan city, just five miles from Los Angeles' civic and cultural center. More than 20,000 students and 200,000 alumni-with a wide variety of interests, ages and backgrounds-eflect the city's dynamic mix of populations. Six colleges offer nationally recognized science, arts, business, criminal justice, engineering, nursing, education and humanities programs, among others, led by an award-winning faculty. Dr. James M. Rosser has served as the University's president since 1979. Visit www.calstatela.edu for additional information.
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