Daniel Pearl Journalism and Communications Magnet
Encyclopedia
Daniel Pearl Magnet High School (DPMHS) is a magnet school
within the Los Angeles Unified School District
in Lake Balboa, Los Angeles
, California
, near Van Nuys, in the San Fernando Valley
.
It is the smallest high school in LAUSD. The high school offers a complete academic program, with an emphasis on journalism and communications.
in 1995. In May, 2007, the Magnet was renamed. Its current name honors Daniel Pearl
, a Wall Street Journal reporter killed by terrorists who was an alumnus of Birmingham High School.
Prior to Pearl's separation from Birmingham, Birmingham became an independent charter school within LAUSD. About 66% of the faculty members of the school supported it. Because of the divisions within teachers and other staff members, the faculty and staff of the magnet program received permission from LAUSD to split from Birmingham.
In 2009, DPMHS was formed as an independent high school on the Birmingham campus. Connie Llanos of the Los Angeles Daily News
said that Pearl "got off to a rocky start." During the first year as a standalone school, one third of the students left. Some left due to conflicts with Birmingham staff and students; some Birmingham students and staff members tormented Pearl students. Some left because Pearl was so small; they wanted a more comprehensive high school experience.
DPMHS showed academic prowess as a standalone school. In the Spring 2011 semester, 94% of the tenth grade students passed the California High School Exit Exam (CAHSEE) on the first attempt. It is one of the highest passing rates of the rates of the high schools within the district. As of 2011 the school has an 80% graduation rate, while the average LAUSD graduation rate is 56%. In addition, 72% of the Pearl classes meet university entrance requirements.
In 2010 Pearl moved into a former special education center adjacent to Birmingham. Its current location is made up of the last buildings remaining from Birmingham General Hospital; the site had previously been occupied by West Valley School since 1970. During that year the school had 313 students, while it had a capacity of 500. Pearl is among the smallest high schools in the LAUSD. Most classes had 30 or less students, and some classes had 12 students each. Many LAUSD high schools have classes of 40 students. The school expected its enrollment to increase by 30% in the Fall 2011 semester.
.
The school had a 94% pass rate for the 2011 CAHSEE
, the third highest in LAUSD. In addition, it had an API
Score of 803 for the 2010-2011 academic year.
At the June, 2010 graduation, 65 of 68 seniors graduated, which gave the school a 95.5% pass rate, compared to 53% for LAUSD. For the June, 2011 graduation, 59 of 61 seniors will graduate, which will be a 96.7% pass rate.
All areas of academic classes are offered at DPMHS:
The House of the Year for 2010-2011 was Salazar House.
Magnet school
In education in the United States, magnet schools are public schools with specialized courses or curricula. "Magnet" refers to how the schools draw students from across the normal boundaries defined by authorities as school zones that feed into certain schools.There are magnet schools at the...
within the Los Angeles Unified School District
Los Angeles Unified School District
Los Angeles Unified School District is the largest public school system in California. It is the 2nd largest public school district in the United States. Only the New York City Department of Education has a larger student population...
in Lake Balboa, Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, near Van Nuys, in the San Fernando Valley
San Fernando Valley
The San Fernando Valley is an urbanized valley located in the Los Angeles metropolitan area of southern California, United States, defined by the dramatic mountains of the Transverse Ranges circling it...
.
It is the smallest high school in LAUSD. The high school offers a complete academic program, with an emphasis on journalism and communications.
History
The school started as a part of Birmingham High SchoolBirmingham High School
Birmingham Community Charter High School is a public coeducational high school in the neighborhood/district of Lake Balboa in the San Fernando Valley section of Los Angeles, California, United States...
in 1995. In May, 2007, the Magnet was renamed. Its current name honors Daniel Pearl
Daniel Pearl
Daniel Pearl was an American journalist who was kidnapped and killed by Al-Qaeda.At the time of his kidnapping, Pearl served as the South Asia Bureau Chief of the Wall Street Journal, and was based in Mumbai, India. He went to Pakistan as part of an investigation into the alleged links between...
, a Wall Street Journal reporter killed by terrorists who was an alumnus of Birmingham High School.
Prior to Pearl's separation from Birmingham, Birmingham became an independent charter school within LAUSD. About 66% of the faculty members of the school supported it. Because of the divisions within teachers and other staff members, the faculty and staff of the magnet program received permission from LAUSD to split from Birmingham.
In 2009, DPMHS was formed as an independent high school on the Birmingham campus. Connie Llanos of the Los Angeles Daily News
Los Angeles Daily News
The Los Angeles Daily News is the second-largest circulating daily newspaper of Los Angeles, California. It is the flagship of the Los Angeles Newspaper Group, a branch of Colorado-based MediaNews Group....
said that Pearl "got off to a rocky start." During the first year as a standalone school, one third of the students left. Some left due to conflicts with Birmingham staff and students; some Birmingham students and staff members tormented Pearl students. Some left because Pearl was so small; they wanted a more comprehensive high school experience.
DPMHS showed academic prowess as a standalone school. In the Spring 2011 semester, 94% of the tenth grade students passed the California High School Exit Exam (CAHSEE) on the first attempt. It is one of the highest passing rates of the rates of the high schools within the district. As of 2011 the school has an 80% graduation rate, while the average LAUSD graduation rate is 56%. In addition, 72% of the Pearl classes meet university entrance requirements.
In 2010 Pearl moved into a former special education center adjacent to Birmingham. Its current location is made up of the last buildings remaining from Birmingham General Hospital; the site had previously been occupied by West Valley School since 1970. During that year the school had 313 students, while it had a capacity of 500. Pearl is among the smallest high schools in the LAUSD. Most classes had 30 or less students, and some classes had 12 students each. Many LAUSD high schools have classes of 40 students. The school expected its enrollment to increase by 30% in the Fall 2011 semester.
Academics
DPMHS offers a complete college preparation program, with 72% of the courses offered meeting entrance requirements of the University of CaliforniaUniversity of California
The University of California is a public university system in the U.S. state of California. Under the California Master Plan for Higher Education, the University of California is a part of the state's three-tier public higher education system, which also includes the California State University...
.
The school had a 94% pass rate for the 2011 CAHSEE
California High School Exit Exam
The California High School Exit Exam is a requirement for high school graduation in the state of California, created by the California Department of Education to improve the academic performance of California high school students, and especially of high school graduates, in the areas of reading,...
, the third highest in LAUSD. In addition, it had an API
Academic Performance Index
The Academic Performance Index is a measurement of academic performance and progress of individual schools in California, United States. It is one of the main components of the Public Schools Accountability Act passed by the California legislature in 1999...
Score of 803 for the 2010-2011 academic year.
At the June, 2010 graduation, 65 of 68 seniors graduated, which gave the school a 95.5% pass rate, compared to 53% for LAUSD. For the June, 2011 graduation, 59 of 61 seniors will graduate, which will be a 96.7% pass rate.
All areas of academic classes are offered at DPMHS:
- Mathematics
- Algebra I
- Geometry
- Algebra II
- Trigonometry
- AP Calculus
- English
- Composition
- American Literature
- World Literature
- AP English Literature
- AP English Language
- Social Sciences
- World History
- Geography
- US History
- Government
- Economics
- Modern Languages
- Spanish
- Spanish for Spanish Speakers
- Science
- Biology
- Chemistry
- Physics
- Anatomy & Physiology
- AP Biology
- Journalism
- Journalism
- Newspaper
- Yearbook
- Media
- Video Production
- Film Making
- Music
- Choir
- Guitar
- Athletics
- Physical Education
- Sports (at Birmingham High School)
Houses
In the Spring 2011 semester, Houses were introduced as a part of the school culture. The houses are named after famous journalists. Members of the Houses are awarded House Points for academic, athletic, or service achievements; points are deducted for infractions such as tardiness, missing homework, or violation of class or school rules. All of the Houses compete for the House Cup, which is awarded at an annual Banquet at the end of the school year.| Name | Namesake | Colors | Symbol |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clemens House | Samuel Clemens | black and gold | Ship's Wheel |
| Hersey House | John Hersey John Hersey John Richard Hersey was a Pulitzer Prize-winning American writer and journalist considered one of the earliest practitioners of the so-called New Journalism, in which storytelling devices of the novel are fused with non-fiction reportage... |
red and gold | Sunburst |
| Higgins House | Marguerite Higgins Marguerite Higgins Marguerite Higgins Hall was an American reporter and war correspondent. Higgins covered World War II, the Korean War and the war in Vietnam, and in the process advanced the cause of equal access for female war correspondents.Higgins was born in Hong Kong while her father, Lawrence Higgins, was... |
blue and silver | Griffin |
| Salazar House | Ruben Salazar Ruben Salazar Rubén Salazar was a Mexican-American journalist killed by a Los Angeles County Sheriff's deputy during the National Chicano Moratorium March against the Vietnam War on August 29, 1970 in East Los Angeles, California. During the 1970s, his killing was often cited as a symbol of unjust treatment of... |
green and silver | Castle Tower |
The House of the Year for 2010-2011 was Salazar House.