Renaissance Arts Academy, a K-12 charter school in Glassell Park, has been designated a “California Distinguished School” by the California Department of Education.
The school is one of 162 middle and high schools in the state to receive the honor, which recognizes exceptional student performance or consistent progress in closing the achievement gap. It is the only school in Northeast Los Angeles to receive the honor, announced on Feb. 25.
PK Candaux, executive director of Renaissance Arts Academy, credited the honor to the school’s commitment to arts immersion and ensemble learning. Noting that nearly all the school’s graduates go on to four-year universities, Candaux added: “We are proud of their ‘distinguished accomplishments and look forward to the coming years.”
Other L.A. Schools Targeted for Improvement
PUC Santa Rosa Charter Academy in Glassell Park is the only school in NELA on the state’s new list of low performing schools, released in early February.
The school, a middle school for 6th to 8th graders, is on the list because it has been identified as having a group (or groups) of students who meet the criteria for “lowest performing.” The school is not on the list because of overall poor performance.
PUC Santa Rosa Charter Academy did not respond to the Boulevard Sentinel’s request for comment.
Student groupings in the state’s evaluation are by race, ethnicity, socioeconomic indicators and special needs. Performance is measured in math and English proficiency, English-learner progress, absenteeism and other metrics.
In all, the state’s list includes 110 schools in the L.A. Unified School District and 1,530 schools elsewhere in the state. The listed schools are in line for more help and funding from the state. They also must
develop plans to improve.
Digging into the Data
Two LAUSD schools on the state’s low performing list are in the Camino Nuevo charter school network, which is led in part by Allison Greenwood Bajracharya, one of the candidates in the race for School Board in District 5. The state found that Camino Nuevo Charter High and Camino Nuevo Elementary #3, need additional targeted assistance for low performing student groups.
Bajracharya did not respond to the Boulevard Sentinel’s request for comment.
T.A. Hendrickson, a native of Eagle Rock, is the editor of the Boulevard Sentinel and a former member of the Editorial Board of the New York Times.
