HEALTH SERVICES ACADEMY HIGH SCHOOL
Health Services Academy High School (HSAHS) is a free public charter school developed and operated by Alliance College-Ready Public Schools (ACRPS) and authorized by the Los Angeles Unified School District.
Description: Opened in September 2009, HSAHS is a new initiative by ACRPS employing the theme of healthcare to provide students with rigorous college-preparatory instruction and application based curriculum. The mission is to equip students in South Los Angeles with the tools necessary to excel in high school curriculum, to prepare them for success in college and to motivate them to select health care related majors and careers – areas in which minority students like those in the school community are grossly underrepresented.
Characteristics: In order to successfully transition students into higher education and the work force, the school curriculum is based on three principles: academics, experiential education, and leadership development.
- Academics: Standards-based curricula meet or exceed California “A-G” university entrance requirements. The course sequence will allow students to begin college-level coursework while enrolled in HSAHS. The school principal and ACRPS are also working with successful educators and health care professionals as well as the National Consortium on Health Science and Technology Education (NCHSTE) to develop integrated curriculum units.
- HSAHS curriculum will emphasize relevant application of academics through project-based learning.
- HSAHS will allow students exposure to the health services through work-based learning activities that include internships, job shadowing, site visits to university hospitals, and mentoring.
- Experiential Education: The school is establishing extensive partnerships in the following areas to provide students with work-based learning experiences:
- Leadership Development: Understanding student personal growth is vital to success and a healthy, responsible life, the school curricula will encompass a developmental component. The curriculum will develop student self-esteem, social competencies, and positive values. In addition, the developmental curriculum will serve to empower students to become self-advocates and advocates for others. Students will also participate in external leadership training through Health Occupations Students of America (HOSA).
1.Local health care systems and organizations
2.Higher education: e.g. schools of medicine
3.Industry and government
Community: The community surrounding HSAHS is home to mainly non-charter public high schools that are primarily low-performing and/or overcrowded. HSAHS students would otherwise attend schools serving a range of 2,000-4,000 students per campus, often on a three-track year-round calendar. Historically, these schools are not meeting Adequate Yearly Progress according to a statewide accountability system mandated by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 and are in their 5th year as Program Improvement school.
Enrollment: In the 2009-2010 school year, HSAHS has approximately 130 students in grade 9. A new 9th grade class will then be added over the next three years until full 9-12 enrollment of 500 students is reached.
Educational Model: HSAHS and all Alliance schools are guided by a set of core values and beliefs. Outlined below, each of these reflects best practices researched in high-performing schools that consistently produce well-educated students prepared to enter and succeed in college.
| Small School Small Learning Community Individual Learning Plans Additional Time Assessment Advisory |
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100% College-Readiness Interpersonal Skills Communication Skills Critical Thinking Proficiency in Core Content Standards |
Project-Based Learning |
Inquiry-based Learning |
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