Submitted by Oliver Sicat, Principal
Note: The information in this profile represents 2013-14 unless otherwise indicated.
School Overview
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School Description
USC Hybrid High School is a college preparatory public charter high school in Downtown LA currently serving 9th and 10th grades. It combines a traditional “no excuses” model with a blended-learning model that embeds technology across the curriculum and school day. The school, now in its second year of operation, plans to add one grade level in each of the next two years until it is a fully operational 9-12 school.
In 2011, a University of Southern California (USC) professor came up with the idea of starting a blended-learning high school with the intent of not just closing the achievement gap in terms of standardized test scores, but also closing the achievement gap in terms of college matriculation and college graduation. The school – a Next Generation Learning Challenges grantee – opened its doors in September 2012, but the school’s leaders quickly realized that in order for the school to be successful, they would need to bring in a principal who had experience starting and running a school. They called USC alum Oliver Sicat, who at the time was working as the Chief Portfolio Officer for Chicago Public Schools and before that had founded the University of Illinois-Chicago College Prep-Noble Street Charter School. Sicat accepted the position and started in May 2013. Before thinking about the school’s long-term model, Sicat set about fixing mistakes that had been made in the first year of operation, such as not implementing the right culture and not hiring employees with the right skill-sets for a blended environment.
Blended Learning Program
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Program Model
Program model: Flex
Model description
Every school day starts with a 30-minute advisory period during which advisers work with students to develop a daily learning plan and schedule based on online data from the previous day. After the advisory period, students work independently and at their own pace through online courses during two three-hour blocks. The first three-hour block is used for core courses, and the second three-hour block is used for elective courses in subjects such as business, engineering, music, and health. During both three-hour blocks, students can essentially choose how they progress through their online courses, and teachers occasionally use the time to pull out small groups of students for additional face-to-face targeted instruction on an as-needed basis.
Contact Information
Name: Oliver Sicat
Title: Principal
Email: [email protected]
Website: uschybridhigh.org