Data Portal
> School Profile

Ellemercito Academy

Ellemercito Academy, nominated by Getting Smart, is a elementary/middle/high school in Downey, California that describes itself as a independent (private) school serving learners from a primarily urban area.

View Website

Location Downey, California

Governance Independent (private) school

Grades Prekindergarten, Elementary, Middle, High

Students 25

Locale Urban

Founder/Head of School Lizette Valles

Demographics

Percentage of students*

15%

English Learners

50%

Free/Reduced Lunch

75%

Students with Disabilities

African American or Black 15%

American Indian/Alaska Native —

Asian 10%

Hawaiian or Pacific Islander —

Hispanic or Latino 40%

White 10%

2+ Races 25%

Why Ellemercito Academy was nominated

Ellemercito Academy (Los Angeles, CA) is a non-profit using first-generation teachers to serve high needs K-12 learners. They offer real-world, highly personalized, and transformative education with an experiential, trauma-informed, and holistic learning approach. They focus on: high-needs learners, first gen teachers, real-world, highly personalized, and transformative education. Each student’s academic and social-emotional development holds equal value and an experiential, trauma-informed, and holistic learning approach is taken to meet individual needs. Educating students both in a relevant and meaningful manner coupled with an engaging, project and place-based model.

Student experience design

We have radically redefined education by taking our students out into the world to learn! We have ripped the doors off the classroom, and the world is an extension of our campus! Students rejoice over aerodynamics through indoor skydiving and helicopter rides, explore treehouses and handmade homes after reading Swiss Family Robinson, and co-create by helping to select their own curriculum! Our students' ages and preconceived grade levels do not determine how far they go! They determine that by pursuing their interests and delving into passion-based learning opportunities! More specifically, we serve students and follow their lead. Many of our students have undergone significant trauma, and we recognize that every behavior is communication of an unmet psychological need. Our school intentionally decodes behavior as we collaborate with a neurologist and therapist by incorporating a neuroscientific, reparative teaching approach acknowledging that trauma is healed through felt safety and connection in community.

Core Practices

Core Practices	Length of Use
Individual Learning Paths	3-4 years
1:1 Mentoring	3-4 years
Project-based Learning	3-4 years
Place-based Learning	3-4 years
Trauma-informed Practices	3-4 years

All Practices

Adaptive Learning Software

Advancement On Mastery

Student Advisories

AI For Learning Materials

AI For Teacher Productivity

AI-assisted Tutoring

Anti-racist Practices

Assessments For Agency And Self-directed Learning

Assessments For Career Readiness

Assessments For Deeper Learning

Assessments For Social-emotional Skills

Blended Learning

Co-leadership

Community And Business Partnerships

Family And Community Support Services

Competency/mastery-based Education

Competency Framework

Culturally Responsive Practices

Disaggregated Data On Student Participation

Dual Language Programming

Extended Learning Opportunities

Flexible Staffing & Alternative Teaching Roles

Hiring For Equity And Inclusion Values

All Courses Designed For Inclusion

Interdisciplinary

Individual Learner Profiles

Mental Health Services

Multi-tiered System Of Support (MTSS) In Academics

Multi-age Classrooms

Multiple Opportunities To Demonstrate Mastery

Peer To Peer Support

Performance Based Assessment

High Quality Instructional Materials

Reallocation Of Resources For Those Most In Need

Restorative Practices

SEL Curriculum

SEL Integration School-wide

Social Justice Focus

Students Access Their Own Data

Student-led Goal Setting

Self-paced Learning

Students Develop Projects

Tutoring

Universal Design For Learning

key reasons for innovating

Address systemic inequities

Artifacts

At Ellemercito, students are excelling with scores that surpass national averages, achieving a total score of 7.3 on the National Stanine metrics Our project-based and place- based learning approach is not only helping students meet stat standards but empowering them to exceed expectations, proving the transformative impact of a holistic education.approach. With an average attendance rate of 98%, we far exceed the 61.6% consistent attendance rate reported for Los Angeles Unified School District, showing that our engaging model keeps learners coming back. Additionally, 100% of students participate in place-based activities, such as nature immersion and community field trips, ensuring learning extends far beyond the classroom. These experiences not only foster academic growth but also cultivate social-emotional resilience, with over 70% of students showing significant improvement in self-regulation and coping skills.

Date Updated: 4/1/2025

*Canopy profile data is self-reported or sourced from NCES data, then verified by school leaders.