WEST COVINA, CA – MAY 8, 2019 – Out of 2,068 traditional schools across Los Angeles, Telesis Academy of Science and Math is among 279 schools that are closing the achievement gap for low-income African American and Latino students. The list of schools is published in a new study, 2019 L.A. Top Public Schools for Underserved Students, by Innovate Public Schools – Los Angeles, a non-profit committed to helping kids and their families access quality education, and the University of Southern California (USC). Telesis Academy was recognized at a special Top Schools L.A.: Leading the Way on Education Equity celebratory event at USC’s Tutor Center Ballroom this past Saturday, May 4, 2019.
To download a copy of the report, please visit https://reports.innovateschools.org/top-la-public-schools/.
“The Board of Education and I are pleased to share this accomplishment and are proud of our team of educators and staff at Telesis Academy for their work on closing the achievement gap for all of our students,” said Rowland Unified School District Superintendent Dr. Julie Mitchell.
To be a Top Public School, schools are closing the achievement gap by exceeding statewide average scores in English language arts and mathematics and setting students on a path for college. At Telesis Academy, 83.5 % of low-income students are Latino and African American.
“As Principal of Telesis Academy, I am so very proud of our teachers, our staff, and our students. We strive to know each of our students both as people and as learners,” said Telesis Academy Principal Johan Schmitz. “By holding to our ‘No Excuses University (NEU)’ philosophy that ALL students can achieve and succeed, our students are performing at the highest levels, are excited about learning, and are prepared for college and career.”
Telesis Academy of Science and Math is a Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (S.T.E.A.M) Academy and the first ever “No Excuses Prep Academy” in the Nation. The NEU college-readiness program at Telesis begins in Transitional Kindergarten through eighth grade. The Telesis teaching staff was trained by Damen Lopez, founder of NEU, which focuses on a school culture of collaboration, student-focused conversations, and shared responsibility to use data to ensure academic success for all. Telesis Academy has also partnered with the California Science Center in Los Angeles, where the staff has been trained in the areas of science, aerospace and ecology and is incorporating the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) into the teaching as well as preparing students to learn, think and work like engineers.
Telesis Academy of Science and Math is part of the Rowland Unified School District and is located at 2800 E. Hollingworth Street in West Covina, CA 91792. The school website can be accessed at www.telesisacademy.net. To contact Principal Johan Schmitz, call (626)965-1696.
Since 2015, the Top Schools report has been produced annually for Bay Area schools. This is the first year the report was produced for Los Angeles County. For more information about the L.A. Top Public Schools for Underserved Students www.innovateschools.org/topschoolsla report or the Top Schools L.A.: Leading the Way on Education Equity event at USC, please contact Director of Communications Silvia Scandar Mahan at [email protected]