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Rainier Valley Leadership Academy
Rainier Valley Leadership Academy, nominated by an anonymous organization, is an elementary/middle/high school in Seattle, Washington, that describes itself as a public charter school serving learners from a primarily urban area.
Location Seattle, Washington
Governance Public Charter School
Grades Elementary, Middle, High
Students 130
Locale Urban
Executive Director / Principal Ray Garcia Morales
Demographics
Percentage of students*
21%
English Learners
76%
Free/Reduced Lunch
30%
Students with Disabilities
African American or Black 72%
American Indian/Alaska Native —
Asian 1%
Hawaiian or Pacific Islander —
Hispanic or Latino 15%
White 3%
2+ Races —
Why Rainier Valley Leadership Academy was nominated
RVLA aims to recognize Black and Indigenous humanity by being an explicitly anti-racist school. Students engage in culturally responsive SEL as well as project based learning. The school has countless community partners, hosts local entrepreneurs on their campus, and offer mentoring by elders and community members. They currently operate a middle and high school and will be expanding to elementary.
Student experience design
The learning environment is designed to support scholars with being critical thinkers. Critically analyzing situations from diverse perspectives and making their realizations for themselves. Supporting scholars in understanding how to reflect on where others are, and how that may affect them. We want scholars to be comfortable addressing and discussing racism and oppression. Scholars should be affirmed and have suave to see their own brilliance and ancestral brilliance, recognizing truths vs myths in those histories. We focus on outdoor education, travel, leadership, and the performing arts.
Core Practices
| Core Practices | Length of Use |
|---|---|
|
Advancement On Mastery |
3-4 years
|
|
Anti-racist Practices |
5+ years
|
|
Blended Learning |
5+ years
|
|
Career Exploration |
5+ years
|
|
Community And Workforce Partnerships |
5+ years
|
All Practices
Student Advisories
AI For Teacher Productivity
Apprenticeships
Assessments For Social-emotional Skills
Career Advising & Support
Co-leadership
College Advising & Support
Family And Community Support Services
Competency/mastery-based Education
Culturally Responsive Practices
Disaggregated Data On Student Participation
Flexible Staffing & Alternative Teaching Roles
Grading Policies Focus On Mastery
All Courses Designed For Inclusion
Educators Have Industry Experience
Internships
Interoperable Data From Multiple Technologies
Mental Health Services
1:1 Mentoring
Multi-tiered System Of Support (MTSS) In Academics
Industry Networking
No Tracked Classes
Peer To Peer Support
High Quality Instructional Materials
Reallocation Of Resources For Students Most In Need
Restorative Practices
School-based Enterprises
SEL Curriculum
SEL Integration School-wide
Student-led Conferences
Students Access Their Own Data
Student-led Goal Setting
Trauma-informed Practices
Tutoring
Universal Design For Learning
Youth Employment Programs
key reasons for innovating
Address systemic inequities
Improve school culture
Increase student agency
Date Updated: 4/1/2026
*Canopy profile data is self-reported or sourced from NCES data, then verified by school leaders.