Gilroy Early College Academy
| Dr. TJ Owens Gilroy Early College Academy | |
|---|---|
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| Address | |
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5055 Santa Teresa Blvd Gilroy, California 95020 United States |
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| Coordinates | 36°58′25″N 121°34′07″W / 36.9737°N 121.5686°WCoordinates: 36°58′25″N 121°34′07″W / 36.9737°N 121.5686°W |
| Information | |
| Type | Public, early college |
| Motto | Be someone. Go somewhere. Seek Excellence. |
| Established | 2007 |
| School district | Gilroy Unified School District |
| Oversight | Western Association of Schools and Colleges, Accrediting Commission for Schools |
| Superintendent | Deborah Flores |
| Principal | Sonia Flores |
| Staff | 13 (2012-2013) |
| Grades | 9-12 |
| Enrollment | 236 (2013-2014) |
| Color(s) | Red and Black |
| Mascot | Griffon |
| Website | School website |
Dr. TJ Owens Gilroy Early College Academy, or GECA, is an early college high school located in Gilroy, California, at the southern edge of Silicon Valley. Founded in 2007, with a grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, GECA ranks among the top 10 high schools in California and is the best performing early college school in the state.
Dr. TJ Owens, GECA's namesake, was the former Dean of Students at Gavilan College and president of the Gilroy Unified School Board. He was a father of five and an active member of the national organization 100 Black Men of America, as well as Bethany Church in Gilroy. Owens championed civil rights and was a key figure in GECA's inception, but died of a stroke two years before it was established.
GECA received a startup grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and is now solely funded by the state.
The mission of the Dr. TJ Owens Gilroy Early College Academy at Gavilan College is to provide a highly supportive and academically challenging learning environment for high school students with high potential for future academic and career success. Parental involvement in the school is required, and all books, materials, and Gavilan fees are paid for by the school.
2013–2014
Approximately 90 percent of the class of 2011 graduated and entered a four-year university or continued their education at Gavilan with the intention to transfer to one.
The school's non-weighted average API from 2011-2013 is 929 schoolwide, 900 for socioeconomically disadvantaged students, and 869 for English learners. Statewide, students of all groups average 790, socioeconomically disadvantaged students 742, and English learners 717.
GECA is one of ten schools participating in A Study of American Public High Schools with Academically-Competitive Admissions sponsored by Stanford University’s Hoover Institution and the Thomas B. Fordham Institute.
The school was ranked 10th best in California and 54th best in the United States on the 2015 U.S. News & World Report rankings.
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