Original Research by School Decision on Ellington (duke) High (continuation)
Ellington (Duke) High is a continuation school serving grades 10 through 12 in Los Angeles' South Los Angeles neighborhood, at West 110th Street. It is part of Los Angeles Unified and operates as an alternative school within the public system.
The school enrolls a small population of students, all of whom qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting deep economic need in the neighborhood. The student body is predominantly Black and Hispanic. Demographic data on students with IEPs or designated as English learners was not available.
On the 2024-25 state assessments, proficiency rates were very low across all tested subjects. In English Language Arts, a small share of students met the state standard. In mathematics, fewer still achieved proficiency. In science, no students achieved proficiency. These results point to substantial academic gaps. A parent may want to look into this further with the school to understand the school's approach to addressing these gaps, what support structures exist, and how the school engages with its student population.
A continuation school typically serves students who are off-track in their home school due to credit deficiency, attendance issues, or other barriers, with a designed-down program and often smaller classes and more intensive support. The small enrollment and upper-grade concentration at Ellington reflect this model; there are no ninth-graders enrolled, with most students in grades 11 and 12. For families whose child is not succeeding in a traditional high school setting, a continuation school offers an alternative pathway to a diploma, though the quality and intensity of that pathway varies widely by site.
The Los Angeles Unified School District is managing several major changes that touch all schools. In February 2025, LAUSD implemented a district-wide ban on student cellphone and smartwatch use throughout the entire school day, including lunch and breaks, enforced through lockable storage pouches in most schools. The district also adopted a revised Black Student Achievement Plan in 2024, moving away from race-based eligibility to serve students across different backgrounds through culturally responsive curriculum and added counselor and staff support; the board increased funding for this initiative in 2025-26. Additionally, voters approved Measure US, a large school facilities bond that will fund repairs and upgrades to aging school buildings, though it will raise property taxes over a multi-decade period for homeowners in the district.
The neighborhood around the school is part of a city and region in active housing growth and change. Los Angeles is rezoning to allow more housing units, with recent major developments in downtown and ongoing investment in transit infrastructure, though building has slowed amid high interest rates and material costs. The median home value in the 90047 zip code is above the state benchmark, and rents have risen slightly year-over-year. For a family considering the area, housing costs remain high relative to income, and rent takes up a substantial share of household budgets.
State assessment data provides one window into how students perform at a given school, but does not capture the full picture of a continuation school's role or the trajectories of its students. Given the very low proficiency numbers here, a parent seeking to understand what the school offers and how it approaches its population would benefit from talking directly with the school about its curriculum, support services, graduation outcomes, and post-secondary pathways for its graduates.
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