Original Research by School Decision on Alliance Cindy and Bill Simon Technology Academy High
Alliance Cindy and Bill Simon Technology Academy High is a small charter high school in south Los Angeles, serving grades nine through twelve on Wilmington Avenue. It is part of the Alliance College-Ready network, which has undertaken a multi-year redesign of school schedules to give teachers substantially more time for planning, collaboration, and professional development, along with expanded student intervention and enrichment time. The network has reported improved math and ELA outcomes and higher teacher retention as a result of this structural change, which began in 2023 and is spreading to additional schools.
The school's current proficiency data shows results that warrant close attention. In English Language Arts, the proficiency rate stands below what would typically be considered grade-level. Mathematics proficiency is notably low. Science proficiency is also well below the state benchmark. The school has only one year of assessment results available, so trend data that would show whether performance is improving, stable, or declining is not present. A parent considering this school should speak directly with administrators about what these numbers reflect, what strategies the school has put in place to address gaps, and whether the schedule-redesign initiative is expected to drive measurable improvement in coming years.
The student body is almost entirely Hispanic and Black, drawn from a highly economically disadvantaged neighborhood. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating that most families face real economic constraint. The school itself is small, with an enrollment in the low hundreds distributed evenly across all four grades. No data on the school's graduation rate, chronic absenteeism, special education enrollment, or English learner enrollment was available.
The neighborhood sits in the 90059 zip code in south central Los Angeles. Housing in the area is affordable relative to the county and state, with median home values well below the California benchmark. Monthly rent is also relatively modest by regional standards. This is a working-class and low-income residential area, and the school draws almost entirely from nearby families.
The school's design emphasizes technology and college readiness. As a charter within a network focused on college preparation, it likely offers some form of college advising, dual-enrollment pathways, or advanced coursework, though the specific program offerings beyond the core academic subjects are not documented in the available data. A parent interested in the school's particular academic or career-pathway offerings, or in seeing examples of student outcomes and college placements, would want to request that information directly from the school.
This is a school for families seeking a small, mission-driven alternative to traditional public high school within their neighborhood, with an explicit college-readiness focus. The current achievement levels are genuinely low, and the school's ability to move those numbers will be a concrete measure of whether the recent schedule and support changes are translating to real progress. The schedule redesign itself is a significant pedagogical commitment that reflects intentional thinking about teacher time and student support, which families looking for that kind of deliberate school design may find relevant.
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