In September 2006, the Marc and Eva Stern Math and Science School (Stern MASS) opened to serve about 200 9th grade students from the East Los Angeles community. Stern MASS is a unique public charter high school collaboration between the Alliance for College-Ready Public Schools (a charter management organization) and California State University, Los Angeles (CSULA). The Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) granted our charter and is responsible for holding our school accountable for its performance.

Stern MASS is designed to prepare students from East Los Angeles to be successful in four-year colleges and to be able to pursue doctoral degrees in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. Stern MASS provides a small, personalized learning environment for students that I believe is more effective in preparing students for higher education. Stern MASS uses a mastery learning approach that supports all students to achieve at high levels. Our collaboration with CSULA is advantageous because it provides our students with a college experience while they are still in high school.

Stern MASS has already begun to distinguish itself as a first class educational institution. In November 2008, Stern MASS moved into its new facility on the campus of CSULA. In 2009, Stern MASS was awarded with a California Distinguished School Award for its high student performance and was the only high school in LAUSD to earn an Academy Award for its School Personnel Accountability Report Card (a measure of high quality counseling programs). Stern MASS is now one of the top 12 highest performing open enrollment high schools out of the over 100 LAUSD high schools.

I am proud of our school’s accomplishments, and we have only begun to establish a tradition of rigor and excellence at Stern MASS.

Sincerely,
Derrick Chau, Ph.D.
Principal