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Pasadena High School: Pathway to College and Career
Education Oct 23, 2015
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– Courtesy Photo
By May S. Ruiz
One of four comprehensive high schools in the Pasadena Unified School District (PUSD), Pasadena High School (PHS) has seen a remarkable transformation during the past five years under the leadership of principal, Gilbert Barraza. US News & World Report gave PHS the Silver Award in 2015, putting it in the top 20 percent of high schools in the country.
A particular source of pride for Dr. Barraza was being instrumental in rebuilding PHS’s A-G program. He expanded the school’s AP offerings from nine AP classes in 2011 to the current 21 AP courses in English, Math, History, Science and World Languages.
PHS also has several courses unique to the district. The APP Academy is an innovative four-year program where students learn computer science through mobile, web, and game development. Students in the academy go on field trips; get internships; receive individual college and career counseling; and study in a high-tech 21st century learning environment. It is a rigorous 9th to 12th grade curriculum that meets the A-G requirements of the UC and Cal State schools. It is one of the ten College and Career Pathways in PUSD.
Another four-year program offered at PHS is the Creative Arts, Media and Design (CAMAD). This Pathway combines academic courses and visual arts and design projects that give students real-world skills and hands-on experience to pursue an art or design career, or to attend college. Students work in an innovative $250K print shop to create artworks for public display and to learn Adobe Creative Suite software, including Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Dreamweaver, Flash and Bridge.
A very interesting PHS program is the Law and Public Service (LPS) Pathway – a four-year college preparatory course designed for students who are interested in pursuing legal, government or protective service careers. Its curriculum integrates the traditionally isolated fields of law and law enforcement, social justice, and academic and career technical education. On October 14, the school inaugurated its Court Room, which is an exact replica of the real one, complete with jury box. It also kicked off the LA County Teen Court Program under the guidance of Superior Court Judge Lu.
An ethnically diverse school, PHS’s student body is 54 percent Latino/Hispanic, 21 percent white, 18 percent African-American, three percent Filipino, and three percent Asian. It has an enrollment of 1,900, a certificated staff of 83 teachers, five counselors, four administrators, one nurse and one librarian.
According to Dr. Barraza, PHS has earned $20 M in scholarships and grants over the past two years. In 2014, the high school had one National Merit Scholarship winner. During the 2014-2015 school year, PHS produced one National Merit finalist, six Commended National Merit students, three National AP scholars, 13 AP scholars with Distinction, 12 AP Scholars with Honors and 58 AP scholars.
Forty-one percent of PHS’s 2015 graduates went to four year colleges; 52 percent went on to two-year community colleges; six percent to trade/vocational schools; three percent to the military; and ten percent gained employment. Recent graduates attended 84 colleges and universities including some of the most selective institutions in the country including Brown, Caltech, Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth, Harvard, MIT, University of California campuses, University of Pennsylvania, USC, and Yale.
