Envision Schools’ 1500 students come from a diverse range of ethnic, economic, linguistic, and national backgrounds. 53% of our students are Latinx, 15% are Black, 5% are white and 13% are Asian or Asian Pacific Islander. Our students speak 25 distinct languages. 75% of them are First Generation College Bound and 75% qualify for the Federal Free or Reduced Price Lunch Program.
Many of our students come to us with compelling and unique educational stories of disinterest or disengagement in school, and frustration about teaching that feels irrelevant to their lives and future prospects. They leave as engaged, active, hands-on learners, enthusiastic about the world around them and capable of navigating college and career successfully. More than 99% of Envision’s graduates go on to college (compared with 66% nationwide), many of them to competitive four-year schools –– and, more importantly, 85% persist beyond that challenging first year and are continuing to work toward earning their degrees. The national persistence rate is 75%.
Despite many challenges, these students not only complete their rigorous coursework, but they excel in ways they never thought possible. Students who once showed no interest in school wrap up their senior year with a portfolio defense presentation that demonstrates their understanding and application of academic concepts. They show what they know from their studies and reveal just how far they have come in their years at Envision.