LOS ANGELES (Thursday, Nov. 7) - The Los Angeles Unified School District Board voted unanimously to renew the charter for Camino Nuevo Dalzell Lance High School, a move that ensures students continue to access a high-quality, college preparatory education in one of the city's most underserved areas.
"Our school is transforming the lives of low-income, first-generation students who are graduating and going to four-year colleges at exceptionally high rates," said Julie Jhun, the principal. "I am very happy that the board recognized the incredible achievements of our students and faculty and decided to renew our charter so that we can offer more kids a real shot at success in life."
The Dalzell Lance campus, part of the Camino Nuevo Charter Academy network, has gained state and national recognition for supporting and investing students in the school's mission of going to college and becoming agents of social change.
Since its first graduating class in 2014, the school has maintained at least a 99 percent graduation rate, with all seniors meeting the course requirements for admission to a California public state university. Over three quarters of them attend four-year colleges including Harvard, Brown, UC Berkeley, UCLA, Tufts, Pitzer, and USC.
At Tuesday's special board meeting, a record number of charter schools were up for a renewal vote, among them Dalzell Lance, which appears as Camino Nuevo High School No. 2 on state records. District 7 Board Member Richard Vladovic said he was especially impressed with the school's English learner reclassification rate, which was above 20 percent for the most recent school year. The majority of students attending the network's schools come from Spanish speaking families.
Camino Nuevo has improved outcomes for students by adopting a challenging and engaging curriculum that promotes conceptual math and authentic literacy skills. Teachers receive constant professional development, including in trauma-sensitive practices and in other innovative practices to support English learners and students with special needs. The school's robust family engagement program also offers opportunities for parents to learn about the college admissions process and support their child's learning.
