Pasadena Unified School District
Encyclopedia
The Pasadena Unified School District is a unified school district
that is responsible for the schools of Pasadena
, California
. , it has 4 high school
s, 3 middle school
s, 2 K-8 schools and 16 elementary school
s. The number of elementary school
s was reduced from 18 at the end of the 2010-11 school year.
The district also serves the city of Sierra Madre
and the unincorporated community of Altadena
.
) were named after Caltech professors.
In March of 1970, busing
was ordered in the district after the federal court
ordered desegregation of the public schools in Pasadena. This was a result of the city demographics of the time, which resulted in a "de-facto" segregation, with a large proportion of the African American population attending schools in the northwest area of the city (which was largely African American), and the white students attending schools in the east and southern parts.
Before the busing plan was implemented in September of 1970, the proportion of white students in public schools reflected the proportion of whites in the community (54 percent and 53 percent, respectively). Shortly after busing began, a significant segment of upper and middle class families who could afford private schooling, pulled their children out of the public school system to avoid sending their children to schools on the opposite end of the city from their homes. The result was a boom of private schooling available in the city, and the reduction of state funding for Pasadena public schools as enrollment was reduced.
In 2002, Superintendent Percy Clark reduced the number of students bused in the district and expanded a policy of neighborhood schools.
By 2004 Pasadena was home to sixty-three private schools, which educated one-third of all school-aged children in the city, and the proportion of white students in the public schools had fallen to 16 percent.
For the 2009-2010 school year, Pasadena Unified mounted a drive to stop interdistrict transfers out of the district. This was mainly directed at children entering kindergarten, first, seventh, and ninth grades, citing these as "transition" years. They included first grade as a transition year because kindergarten is not required by the State of California.
As of the 2009-2010 school year, PUSD employed 1,154 certificated staff, 1,027 of which were teachers.
In 2009-2010, the district also employed 1,307 classified personnel, 955 of which were full-time, 352 part-time.
language arts program. Middle and high schools use the Holt Literature and Language Arts curriculum. The PUSD Math curriculum is based on California’s mathematics framework which includes the Houghton Mifflin Mathematics curriculum for elementary schools and additional college-prep classes beginning in eighth grade. Curricular focus is also placed on History, Social Studies, Science, Art and Music, and Physical Education.
Unified school district
A unified school district or unit school district is a school district which includes both primary school and high school under the same district control....
that is responsible for the schools of Pasadena
Pasadena, California
Pasadena is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Although famous for hosting the annual Rose Bowl football game and Tournament of Roses Parade, Pasadena is the home to many scientific and cultural institutions, including the California Institute of Technology , the Jet...
, 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...
. , it has 4 high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
s, 3 middle school
Middle school
Middle School and Junior High School are levels of schooling between elementary and high schools. Most school systems use one term or the other, not both. The terms are not interchangeable...
s, 2 K-8 schools and 16 elementary school
Elementary school
An elementary school or primary school is an institution where children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as elementary or primary education. Elementary school is the preferred term in some countries, particularly those in North America, where the terms grade school and grammar...
s. The number of elementary school
Elementary school
An elementary school or primary school is an institution where children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as elementary or primary education. Elementary school is the preferred term in some countries, particularly those in North America, where the terms grade school and grammar...
s was reduced from 18 at the end of the 2010-11 school year.
The district also serves the city of Sierra Madre
Sierra Madre, California
The city of Sierra Madre is a municipality in Los Angeles County, California whose population was 10,917 at the 2010 census, up from 10,580 at the time of the 2000 census. The city is located in the Foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains below the southern edge of the Angeles National Forest. ...
and the unincorporated community of Altadena
Altadena, California
Altadena is an unincorporated area and census-designated place in Los Angeles County, California, United States, approximately from the downtown Los Angeles Civic Center, and directly north of the city of Pasadena, California...
.
History
In its early history, Pasadena had some of the highest performing schools in the state, largely due to a strong affiliation with the California Institute of Technology. Two schools in the area, Noyes Elementary (now closed) and Hale Elementary (now Norma Coombs Alternative SchoolNorma Coombs Alternative School
Norma Coombs Alternative School is located at 2600 Paloma St., Pasadena, California 91107 and is in the Pasadena Unified School District.-History:...
) were named after Caltech professors.
In March of 1970, busing
Busing
Busing may refer to:* Busing, the use of road vehicle designed to carry passengers* Desegregation busing in the United States* John Busing , American football strong safety...
was ordered in the district after the federal court
United States District Court for the Central District of California
The United States District Court for the Central District of California serves over 18 million people in southern and central California, making it the largest federal judicial district by population...
ordered desegregation of the public schools in Pasadena. This was a result of the city demographics of the time, which resulted in a "de-facto" segregation, with a large proportion of the African American population attending schools in the northwest area of the city (which was largely African American), and the white students attending schools in the east and southern parts.
Before the busing plan was implemented in September of 1970, the proportion of white students in public schools reflected the proportion of whites in the community (54 percent and 53 percent, respectively). Shortly after busing began, a significant segment of upper and middle class families who could afford private schooling, pulled their children out of the public school system to avoid sending their children to schools on the opposite end of the city from their homes. The result was a boom of private schooling available in the city, and the reduction of state funding for Pasadena public schools as enrollment was reduced.
In 2002, Superintendent Percy Clark reduced the number of students bused in the district and expanded a policy of neighborhood schools.
By 2004 Pasadena was home to sixty-three private schools, which educated one-third of all school-aged children in the city, and the proportion of white students in the public schools had fallen to 16 percent.
For the 2009-2010 school year, Pasadena Unified mounted a drive to stop interdistrict transfers out of the district. This was mainly directed at children entering kindergarten, first, seventh, and ninth grades, citing these as "transition" years. They included first grade as a transition year because kindergarten is not required by the State of California.
Elementary schools
- Altadena Elementary School
- Burbank Elementary SchoolBurbank Elementary School (Unincorporated Los Angeles County, California)Luther Burbank Elementary School, located in Altadena, an unincorporated section of Los Angeles County, California.Burbank is one of 21 elementary schools in the Pasadena Unified School District. Burbank Elementary School serves approximately 700 students in the Altadena area with its 27 full time...
(Closed at end of 2010-11 school year) - Cleveland Elementary School
- Don Benito Fundamental School
- Field Elementary School
- Franklin Elementary School
- Hamilton Elementary School http://hamilton.pasadenausd.org/
- Jackson Elementary School
- Jefferson Elementary School
- Loma Alta Elementary School (Closed at end of 2010-11 school year)
- Longfellow Elementary School
- Madison Elementary SchoolMadison Elementary School (Pasadena, California)Madison Elementary School is located at 515 E. Ashtabula Street, Pasadena, California 91104. Madison Elementary is in the Pasadena Unified School District.-External links:****...
- McKinley School
- Norma Coombs Alternative SchoolNorma Coombs Alternative SchoolNorma Coombs Alternative School is located at 2600 Paloma St., Pasadena, California 91107 and is in the Pasadena Unified School District.-History:...
- Roosevelt Elementary School
- San Rafael Elementary SchoolSan Rafael Elementary SchoolEstablished in 1918, San Rafael Elementary School is located in the San Rafael Hills of Pasadena, California and is one of the oldest public schools in Pasadena. Today, it is the only public school in West Pasadena...
- Sierra Madre School
- Washington Accelerated Elementary
- Webster Elementary School
- Willard Elementary School
Middle schools
- Charles W. Eliot Middle School—grades 6-8
- Washington Middle School
- Wilson International Baccalaureate Middle School—grades 6-8
High schools
- John Muir High SchoolJohn Muir High School (Pasadena, California)John Muir High School is a four-year comprehensive secondary school in Pasadena, California, United States and is a part of the Pasadena Unified School District. The school is named after preservationist John Muir.-History:...
— Zoned, grades 9-12 - Pasadena High School — Zoned, grades 9-12
- Rose City High School — Continuation High School
6-12 schools
- Marshall Fundamental Secondary SchoolMarshall Fundamental Secondary SchoolMarshall Fundamental Secondary School is a secondary school located in Pasadena, California at 990 North Allen Avenue, and is part of the Pasadena Unified School District...
— Alternative, grades 6-12 (middle and high school) - Blair International Baccalaureate SchoolBlair International Baccalaureate SchoolBlair International Baccalaureate School is located at 1201 S. Marengo Avenue, Pasadena, California 91106 and is in the Pasadena Unified School District ....
— Zoned, grades 6-12
Enrollment and Staffing
In the 2009-2010 school year PUSD served 20,084 students. PUSD's enrollment has dropped by approximately 14% since the 2000-2001 school year.As of the 2009-2010 school year, PUSD employed 1,154 certificated staff, 1,027 of which were teachers.
In 2009-2010, the district also employed 1,307 classified personnel, 955 of which were full-time, 352 part-time.
Curriculum
Every PUSD elementary student receives daily instruction in English Language Arts using the Open Court ReadingOpen Court Reading
The Open Court Reading Program is a core Language arts/English series used in a large number of elementary schools classrooms. It was one of two reading programs adopted for use in California schools when textbooks were last chosen in 2002. The other was Houghton-Mifflin Reading...
language arts program. Middle and high schools use the Holt Literature and Language Arts curriculum. The PUSD Math curriculum is based on California’s mathematics framework which includes the Houghton Mifflin Mathematics curriculum for elementary schools and additional college-prep classes beginning in eighth grade. Curricular focus is also placed on History, Social Studies, Science, Art and Music, and Physical Education.