By Jamar Younger
Phoenix College Preparatory Academy has embarked on a dramatic evolution since the school opened in 2003.
The central Phoenix public charter school, affiliated with Phoenix College, originally opened as a remedial school that catered to students who fell behind in their studies and needed to recover credits to graduate.
Over the years, the school has moved from one serving students who fell behind to a rigorous college prep school helping students get ahead.
The school’s AzMERIT scores have steadily increased within the last three years, rising above the state average, earning an ‘A’ in this year’s preliminary letter grade system.
Phoenix College Prep’s enrollment has more than doubled within the last five years, from 67 to 175 students. About 90 percent of the school’s students qualify for free-and-reduced lunch, said Principal Keith Brown.
More than half of the school’s senior class is on track to receive their associate’s degree by time they graduate in the spring.
This semester, Phoenix College Prep students are taking 250 college classes for about 800 credits. The school offers mostly general studies classes that are easily transferable, Brown said.
“We are a college preparatory school, not just in name, but we’re serious about getting students into college classes,” he said. “The teachers are the main reason those things happen.”
The school has benefited from its partnership with the Center for Student Achievement, a division of the Arizona Charter Schools Association, which has provided professional development and technical assistance to the school’s teachers and leaders.The charter’s affiliation with Phoenix College, located across the street from the school, and the Maricopa County Community College District, has also served as a catalyst for the school’s growth and success.
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The community college district has supplied grants to help pay for the college classes and supplies, allowing the school to expand its offerings.
The school will also open eight new computer labs on campus with assistance from Phoenix College.
The technology improvements, along with the prospect of a free college education, have proved to be a big selling point for eighth graders who are considering the school.
“From an IT and technical standpoint, it’s kind of state of the art,” he said. “We’re excited about where we’ve come from and where we’re going.”
The school has also ramped up its recruiting efforts, reaching out to eighth graders at area charter and district schools.
“We’re trying to educate them to just think futuristic, to think about high school, college and a stable career,” said Malia Austin, student services coordinator.
The school’s growth has allowed students to consider possibilities they might not have ever imagined.
Senior Zomorda Lathgani, 17, is on track to receive her Associate of Arts degree when she graduates high school in May.
Lathgani plans on pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Medical Studies at ASU’s downtown campus before heading to medical school, she said.
She had always wanted to become a doctor, but her experience at Phoenix College Prep allowed her dream to become more accessible.
“It made me change the way I look at my life and how successful my life can be after I graduate from here,” she said.
