Girls Athletic Leadership School – Los Angeles

Demographics

Percentage of students*

Why Girls Athletic Leadership School – Los Angeles was nominated

The mission of GALS is to empower students to succeed academically, lead confidently, live boldly and thrive physically.. It is a single gender (female identifying) college prep school that focuses heavily on identity development, social-emotional learning, physical development, and relationships., Girls Athletic Leadership School implements a Whole-Bodied Education Model that addresses the physical, emotional, and psychosocial needs of female students so they are empowered to be leaders of their own lives.

Student experience design

GALS LA, the only free, all-girls, public charter middle school in Los Angeles. We serve a diverse body of students. Our model integrates a holistic approach through movement, wellness, and social-emotional learning to meet academic, personal and emotional needs. Research shows that girls in single-gender schools develop higher confidence, stronger leadership skills, and greater academic ambition. Research also shows that daily exercise improves memory, attention and cognition, and sports participation boosts self-esteem and civic engagement. At GALS LA, we infuse movement throughout the school day to emphasize the importance of mind-body awareness and its positive effects on our students’ social, emotional, and academic success. How GALS LA is Unique GALS LA students typically grow at least two grade levels in just one year. We work diligently to close learning gaps and set up students for future success. Every student starts their day with 50 minutes of movement, helping them build confidence, focus, and emotional regulation. We prioritize mental health and integrate it into our school. We have one counselor for every 50 students, far exceeding typical school ratios. We utilize a trauma-informed and evidence-based support model. Our students also attend the GALS Series on a daily basis, which is a 50-minute social-emotional learning class teaching self-awareness, resilience, and leadership. We’ve banned cell phones on campus since our founding, allowing our students to receive a quality education without any distractions. GALS LA's Impact Of the 14 middle schools in Van Nuys and Panorama City, GALS was ranked #2 in the area by US News & World Report. Our curriculum integrated a rigorous college prep model which outperforms local schools in both math and reading. Moreover, GALS LA students outperform students across the entire state of California in reading proficiency by nearly 10%.

Core Practices

Core Practices	Length of Use
Adaptive Learning Software	5+ years
Anti-racist Practices	5+ years
All Courses Designed For Inclusion	5+ years
SEL Integration School-wide	5+ years
Student-led Conferences	5+ years

All Practices

Student Advisories

AI For Teacher Productivity

AI-assisted Tutoring

Assessments For Social-emotional Skills

Blended Learning

Co-leadership

Family And Community Support Services

Competency/mastery-based Education

Disaggregated Data On Student Participation

Extended Learning Time

Grading Policies Focus On Mastery

Interoperable Data From Multiple Technologies

Mental Health Services

Multi-tiered System Of Support (MTSS) In Academics

No Tracked Classes

High Quality Instructional Materials

Restorative Practices

SEL Curriculum

Students Access Their Own Data

Student-led Goal Setting

Trauma-informed Practices

Tutoring

Universal Design For Learning

key reasons for innovating

Artifacts

CA Dashboard Growth Model Data for ELA And Math CA Verified growth data results exceeding the district's requirements GALS as a community school