Da Vinci Design Recognized as a Top 10 Charter School in CA for Boosting College and Career Success by the California Charter Schools Association (CCSA)
In the recent California Charter Schools Association 2024 “Portrait of the Movement” study, the association recognized 10 exceptional charter schools in California whose focus on college and career preparation has achieved incredible results for students. Da Vinci Design was recognized for its CTE-completion rates with 78% of its Black student graduates completing a CTE pathway, one of the state’s highest rates of all charter high schools in 2022. The report also made special mention about how thoughtfully Da Vinci Design layers career preparation into its school structure.
A vital component of the study included learning directly from schools that substantially outperformed the state average regarding college and career preparedness for their students, schools with high college-going rates and/or high career technical education (CTE) pathway completion rates for Latino, Black, and/or socioeconomically disadvantaged students. The study found that California charter public schools are sending more than double the percentage of historically disadvantaged graduates off to 4-year colleges compared to traditional public schools.
“A big part of our mission and vision is to really try to bridge the gap not just between high school and college but really high school and career. We emphasize the importance of college and how that can be a springboard into finding the right career path for students,” shared Da Vinci Design Principal Russell Stoll.
Five key findings in preparing students for college and career, community, and life, and part of Da Vinci’s key practices include:
- Setting a clear intentionality of purpose to ensure college and career access and success
- Embedding college and career preparation into school schedule and curriculum
- Continually building awareness of college and career options
- Removing hurdles to increase access to college and career
- Tracking college and career data for continuous improvement
“Charter public schools are closing post-secondary gaps among the most vulnerable students in California and, in the process, creating positive generational change and breaking cycles of poverty in low-income communities,” said CCSA President and Chief Executive Officer Myrna Castrejón. “This report highlights how students benefit when a school orients its values, structures, finances, and operations around ensuring all students are prepared and supported to access college and career.”
