Hundreds of school district and public education leaders from throughout Los Angeles County will gather at the University of Southern California’s Tutor Center Ballroom on Saturday, May 4, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. for “Top Schools L.A.: Leading the Way on Education Equity.”

The event celebrates nearly 300 schools that are successfully closing the achievement gap for low-income black and Latino students. It will showcase top schools and include a certificate ceremony and breakout sessions led by experts in the education field. Lacey Robinson, chief of programs and engagement for UnboundEd, will give the keynote address.

Innovate Public Schools-Los Angeles, a nonprofit helping children and families access quality education; the Sol Price Center for Social Innovation; and USC’s Rossier School of Education Center for Education Policy, Equity and Governance are hosting the symposium. It follows research published in “L.A. Top Public Schools for Underserved Students,” a report by Innovate Public Schools and USC that examined data from more than 2,000 schools in Los Angeles County.

Researchers found that 279 of the schools sampled are closing the achievement gap for low-income students of color, and that of the approximately one million black and Latino youth attending, less than two out of 10 attend a high-quality public school or top public school in Los Angeles County. Low-income black and Latino students attending top public schools have a better chance of getting into a college or university.

“These top public schools –- traditional district, magnet and charter – serving large numbers of low-income black and Latino students are beating the odds and helping kids succeed in spite of challenges such as limited funding and resources, poverty and much more,” said Jeimee Estrada, regional vice president for Innovate Public Schools-Los Angeles. “We often hear this can’t be done, but now we know that nearly 300 schools in L.A. County are making it happen and many more can do it too. Innovate Public Schools is celebrating their achievements. They are the exception to the rule, and we have to tell their stories,” she added.

The schools to be celebrated at the event closed the achievement gap by surpassing statewide average scores in math and English language arts, and increasing college eligibility rates. Among L.A. County high school seniors, 45% of black graduates and 52% of Latino graduates are eligible for admittance to the University of California and California State University systems. Top public schools like King/Drew Medical Magnet High and CATCH Prep Charter High have a UC/CSU college eligibility rate of 95% for low-income black students.

Additionally, more than 90% of low-income Latino students are eligible for admissions to a UC/CSU at 10 Alliance College-Ready network schools: Animo Leadership High, Cesar E. Chavez Learning Academies-Social Justice Humanitas Academy, STEM Academy at Bernstein High in Hollywood, PUC Triumph Charter Academy, PUC CALS Early College High, Environmental Charter High and Aspire Ollin University Preparatory Academy.

“We are extremely proud to serve as a research partner on the L.A. Top Public Schools for Underserved Students report,” said Gary Painter, director of the USC Price Center for Social Innovation. “We know that a high-quality education provides a critical pathway to lifelong opportunity for children and their families, and that closing the achievement gap is a critical metric to demonstrate that we are providing equity to students in our schools.”

For information, visit innovateschools.org/topschoolsla.