SANTA ANA, Calif. – The Orange County Board of Education voted Wednesday to renew the award-winning Scholarship Prep’s charter for a rare and welcoming seven-year term, citing its strong academic achievements and continued commitment to serve foster and homeless youth throughout the county.
The Orange County school, located in Santa Ana, is one of three high-performing Scholarship Prep Public Schools in Southern California that create a university-inspired environment as a pathway of success by motivating students not only to attend school, but to excel and close the achievement gap, particularly among historically disadvantaged populations.
“We are grateful for the confidence and support from the Orange County Board of Education as we continue to build on our success story to change the lives of the students we serve throughout the county,’’ said Jason Watts, co-founder and chief operating officer of Scholarship Prep Public Schools. “By renewing our charter, the board sent a clear message to our students, their families and the local community that they support delivery of a high-quality public education to prepare students for college and beyond.”
Founded in 2015 with the belief that there must be access to good quality educational options for all families regardless of zip code – Scholarship Prep has exceeded expectations since its inception. The state Department of Education has named it a 2020 California Distinguished School.
After just its second year, Scholarship Prep’s Orange County campus was ranked the No. 1 public school in California based on student academic growth in mathematics, according to California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP) tests. In addition, Scholarship Prep ranked in the top 1 percent of top performers in academic growth in English Language Arts/Literacy, ranking 45th out of 10,634 schools. In 2019, its state test scores outpaced schools in the Santa Ana Unified School District, in which the school is located, on the CAASPP tests.
Dennise Allotey, principal of Scholarship Prep, said: “The charter renewal means more Orange County students will have the opportunity to thrive in our one-of-a-kind university-inspired learning environment. We are repeatedly seeing our model is working and we look forward to continuing to raise the bar on delivering education and to further close the achievement gap among historically disadvantaged populations, including foster and homeless youth in Orange County.”
About Scholarship Prep Public Schools
Founded in 2015, Scholarship Prep is a network of California public charter schools providing a collegiate-inspired education to underserved communities. The organization strives to close the achievement gap for all students through rigorous academics, unique student supports, and intensive staff development. Scholarship Prep operates schools in Santa Ana, Oceanside, and Wilmington (Los Angeles County). For more information, please visit www.scholarshipschools.org.