Mission & School History
The mission of ICEF Public Schools is to prepare all students to attend and compete at the top 100 colleges and universities in the nation.
ICEF, which stands for Inner City Education Foundation, operates 7 schools, educating over 2,500 students in grades TK through 12. ICEF was one of the first charter school management organizations in Los Angeles and has become a leader in raising to competitive levels the achievement of Black and Latinx students in the state of California.
ICEF’s success makes it a model of education reform. In just over a decade, ICEF established a K-12 model that ensures all students are prepared to compete and succeed in college. In 2012, 98 percent of our seniors that started the 2011-12 school year with ICEF graduated from high school, and 99 percent of these students have been accepted to college—more than 92 percent of them to four-year universities. This is in stark contrast to the performance of traditional public schools in the neighborhood, where more than 50 percent of high school students drop out, and less than 10 percent go on to graduate from college. ICEF started with the proposition that every student must be accepted into and competitive in college.
In addition to academic rigor, ICEF stands out from the crowd by providing our students with rich extracurricular offerings. ICEF gives students the opportunity to participate in athletics and an outstanding performing and visual arts program that enriches and supports their academic experience. At ICEF, music, dance, sports, and drama are not options for “extras.” We truly believe that by encouraging our students to participate in these activities—along with their academic studies—we are developing not just stellar students, but interesting and talented members of society.
ICEF Core Values
ICEF schools are guided and known by their core values and beliefs which reflect best practices researched in high-performing schools that consistently produce well-educated students prepared to enter and succeed in college.
Community - We will create, grow, and support a unified community where we are passionate about the success of our students.
Diversity - We will respect diversity while using our differences to drive innovative practices that unite us all.
Empowerment - We will empower our stakeholders to be efficient and effective in delivering the highest quality services for our students.
Accountability - We will develop a culture of integrity where we hold ourselves and each other accountable for our actions and behaviors with our students, our parents, and our stakeholders.
Communication - We will provide clear, effective, and timely communications within our organization and in our business dealings.
Safety - We will ensure a learning environment where students, parents, visitors, and staff feel supported and secure.
Collaborate - We will make ICEF an enjoyable workplace of professionals where we actively share responsibility, celebrate success, learn from failures, and work together for the success of all.