For Immediate Release April 14, 2015
Contact: Tom Waldman
213.241.6766

LAUSD BOARD OF EDUCATION VOTES TO APPROVE NEW ALL-GIRLS SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING AND MATH SCHOOL AT LOS ANGELES HIGH SCHOOL

LOS ANGELES - The Los Angeles Unified School District Board of Education voted unanimously today to establish the Girls Academic Leadership Academy, Los Angeles, an all-girls science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) school. The school will be located in District 1 on the campus of Los Angeles High School.

"It is clear that within our District, our female student population is underserved in the areas of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics," District Superintendent Ramon C. Cortines said. "Not only will this new school help our students discover their potential, think critically and develop important intellectual skills, it will also prepare them for college and beyond."

The school's mission is predicated on research that shows that an all-girls school focusing on STEM has a significant impact on the academic achievement of young women. Particularly, in the District, datademonstrates that there is an achievement and participation gap between male students and female students in STEM areas. The school's single gender admissions policy is designed to reduce the achievement andparticipation gap between male and female students in these STEM areas.

"As we continue the national discussion on equal pay for equal work today, I stand in support of our youth because our girls matter," L.A. Unified Board Member Monica Garcia said. "We push the envelope for parent choice and for the schools our students deserve. A diverse district requires an equally impressive diverse portfolio of educational options to get all our students to 100 percent graduation."

"This will be an exciting opportunity for girls in the district, offering them a supportive environment to become leaders in the field of science, technology, engineering and math,"District Board Member Tamar Galatzan said. "I support these kinds of programs that tailor education to the differing needs of students."

The school's highly rigorous college preparatory curriculum will provide girls with a clear pathway to college in the STEM field with the expectation that female students will graduate with a strong, confident and independent voice, with collaborative and compassionate leadership skills, and with a sense of self and community.

The school will start with grades six and nine in the 2016-17 school year, growing one grade level per year and will cover each by its first graduating class in 2020. The school will be funded by bond and general funds.