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Daniel Pearl Journalism & Communications Magnet

Q: Is Daniel Pearl Journalism & Communications Magnet a good school?

Daniel Pearl Journalism & Communications Magnet ranks 663 rd of 2162 California high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 9-12

663^rd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 2,162 California High Schools

Better than 69% of California high schools

Summary

Daniel Pearl Journalism & Communications Magnet is a small, specialized public high school serving 183 students in grades 9-12 within the Los Angeles Unified school district in Lake Balboa, offering a focused curriculum in journalism and communications.

The school demonstrates significant strengths, particularly in supporting its students to graduation, with a 98.1% rate that far exceeds district and state averages. Academically, it outperforms both its district and the state in English Language Arts and Math proficiency, and it has shown notable effectiveness in serving special education and economically disadvantaged students. However, performance has been volatile year-to-year, and chronic absenteeism is a concern, though students who attend regularly achieve strong outcomes.

Compared to other local options, Daniel Pearl is the highest-performing traditional Los Angeles Unified school in the area, outranking schools like Reseda Charter High. It holds a competitive position against nearby charter schools, such as the Magnolia Science Academy campuses, while offering a much smaller, more personalized environment than larger charters like Birmingham Community Charter High.

183

Students ?

13.5

Student/teacher ratio ?

$29,435

Per pupil spending ?

78.7%

Free/discounted lunch ?

6649 Balboa Blvd.
Lake Balboa, CA 91406-5529

(818) 654-3775

District: Los Angeles Unified

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

59.6%

White:

27.3%

Asian:

5.5%

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Compare Daniel Pearl Journalism & Communications Magnet to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 65th percentile in 2015 → 69th in 2025

Strengths

✓98% graduate in 4 years — above the California average (88%)

✓Among the top-ranked schools in Los Angeles Unified

✓Above the California median (69th percentile)

Worth a look

!High chronic absenteeism (29% vs 19% California)

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school41%

District avg39%

California avg41%

663^rd of 2,162

California public high schools ?

Top 31%▲ up 4 pts since 2015

From top 35% (2015) to top 31% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of California High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

29^th of 153High Schools in the Los Angeles Unified

791^st of 1,543Los Angeles Unified among California districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	66.7	663 of 2162	69.3%	★★★☆☆
2024	71.4	545 of 2159	74.8%	★★★★☆
2023	42.4	1161 of 2170	46.5%	★★☆☆☆
2022	67.4	576 of 2123	72.9%	★★★★☆
2021	40.6	754 of 1290	41.6%	★★☆☆☆
2019	52.9	906 of 2133	57.5%	★★★☆☆
2018	71.3	567 of 2017	71.9%	★★★★☆
2017	65.3	683 of 2021	66.2%	★★★☆☆
2016	71.3	536 of 2039	73.7%	★★★★☆
2015	62.6	693 of 1994	65.2%	★★★☆☆
2013	53.5	694 of 2426	71.4%	★★★★☆
2012	56.3	641 of 2354	72.8%	★★★★☆
2011	50.2	793 of 2367	66.5%	★★★☆☆
2010	83.9	82 of 2281	96.4%	★★★★★

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	63.2	644 of 1906	66.2%	★★★☆☆
2024	72.3	467 of 1915	75.6%	★★★★☆
2023	38.4	1146 of 1915	40.2%	★★☆☆☆
2022	78.7	342 of 1858	81.6%	★★★★☆
2021	39.9	625 of 1054	40.7%	★★☆☆☆
2019	52.1	803 of 1833	56.2%	★★★☆☆
2018	65.6	608 of 1760	65.5%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	60.6	697 of 1900	63.3%	★★★☆☆
2024	70.5	472 of 1902	75.2%	★★★★☆
2023	35.5	1232 of 1917	35.7%	★★☆☆☆
2022	72.1	390 of 1861	79.0%	★★★★☆
2019	54.0	775 of 1814	57.3%	★★★☆☆
2018	70.8	474 of 1742	72.8%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	65.1	636 of 2013	68.4%	★★★☆☆
2024	73.2	438 of 2026	78.4%	★★★★☆
2023	34.7	1303 of 2030	35.8%	★★☆☆☆
2022	72.2	395 of 1943	79.7%	★★★★☆
2021	42.7	664 of 1126	41.0%	★★☆☆☆
2019	41.9	1126 of 1937	41.9%	★★☆☆☆
2018	69.1	538 of 1862	71.1%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	64.6	616 of 1942	68.3%	★★★☆☆
2024	64.2	609 of 1948	68.7%	★★★☆☆
2023	42.7	1029 of 1963	47.6%	★★☆☆☆
2022	46.7	899 of 1916	53.1%	★★★☆☆
2021	35.2	728 of 1122	35.1%	★★☆☆☆
2019	48.0	911 of 1880	51.5%	★★★☆☆
2018	71.4	504 of 1834	72.5%	★★★★☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2024	70.7	231 of 1216	81.0%	★★★★☆
2023	48.8	460 of 1197	61.6%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2024	54.1	543 of 1173	53.7%	★★★☆☆
2023	26.4	901 of 1193	24.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	47.8	621 of 1204	48.4%	★★☆☆☆
2019	32.0	852 of 1222	30.3%	★★☆☆☆
2018	26.0	905 of 1173	22.8%	★☆☆☆☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

Special Education (2024)81st percentile+6 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)68th percentile~ school

Male (2025)68th percentile~ school

Female (2025)66th percentile-3 vs school

Hispanic (2025)63rd percentile-6 vs school

White (2024)54th percentile-21 vs school

By subject vs California (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts/Literacy53%+4 vs state

Mathematics38%~ state avg

Science32%~ state avg

★

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Schools Near Daniel Pearl Journalism & Communications Magnet

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				CAST Science (2025)				Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy (2025)					Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics (2025)					Per Pupil Expenditures (2024)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	CAST Science 8th Grade	CAST Science 11th Grade	CAST Science 12th Grade	CAST Science All Grades	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 6th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 7th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 8th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 11th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy All Grades	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 6th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 7th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 8th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 11th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Daniel Pearl Journalism & Communications Magnet	Public	9-12	6649 Balboa Blvd.	Lake Balboa	91406	Los Angeles County	Los Angeles Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(818) 654-3775	183	14	13.5	78.7%	50 (27.3%)	8 (4.4%)	109 (59.6%)	10 (5.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (3.3%)	66.7	663^rd of 2162 public high schools	69.3%		71.4	545^th of 2159 public high schools	74.8%	118		35.5		32.4				53.1	53.1				37.5	37.5	$29,435	$4,769	$24,666
Independence Continuation	Public	9-12	6501 Balboa Blvd.	Lake Balboa	91406	Los Angeles County	Los Angeles Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(818) 881-7737	103	6	18.7	90.3%	10 (9.7%)	3 (2.9%)	89 (86.4%)	1 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	15.7	1781^st of 2162 public high schools	17.6%		16	1789^th of 2159 public high schools	17.1%	8		0.0	7.7	2.4				24.3	24.3				5.6	5.6	$28,445	$5,518	$22,927
Birmingham Community Charter High	Public, Charter	9-12	17000 Haynes St.	Lake Balboa	91406	Los Angeles County	Birmingham Community Charter High District	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(818) 758-5200	3,162	140	22.6	90.0%	147 (4.6%)	122 (3.9%)	2,724 (86.1%)	110 (3.5%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (0.1%)	52 (1.6%)	71.4	570^th of 2162 public high schools	73.6%		65.5	642^nd of 2159 public high schools	70.3%	72		36.4	15.6	35.5				75.3	75.3				29.2	29.2	$20,192	$2,405	$17,787
High Technical LA	Public, Charter	9-12	17111 Victory Blvd.	Lake Balboa	91406	Los Angeles County	High Technical LA District	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(818) 609-2680	362	16	22.2	47.2%	215 (59.4%)	2 (0.6%)	114 (31.5%)	21 (5.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (2.8%)	83	359^th of 2162 public high schools	83.4%		89.8	233^rd of 2159 public high schools	89.2%	126		43.5		43.0				68.7	68.7				48.2	48.2	$16,663	$686	$15,977
Magnolia Science Academy 2	Public, Charter	6-12	17125 Victory Blvd.	Van Nuys	91406	Los Angeles County	Magnolia Science Academy 2 District	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(818) 758-0300	514	21	24.0	92.6%	16 (3.1%)	16 (3.1%)	468 (91.1%)	13 (2.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	50.3	1034^th of 2162 public high schools	52.2%		50.7	984^th of 2159 public high schools	54.4%	50	16.0	26.2		18.9	27.9	29.1	40.0	61.9	35.8	9.6	14.4	15.0	14.6	13.2	$20,194	$1,015	$19,179
Zane Grey Continuation	Public	9-12	18230 Kittridge St.	Reseda	91335	Los Angeles County	Los Angeles Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(818) 758-3769	77	5	15.2	98.7%	8 (10.4%)	5 (6.5%)	63 (81.8%)	1 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	13.3	1869^th of 2162 public high schools	13.6%		13.2	1881^st of 2159 public high schools	12.9%	12		6.3		9.1				10.7	10.7				8.0	8.0	$31,217	$6,980	$24,237
Reseda Charter High	Public, Charter	6-12	18230 Kittridge St.	Reseda	91335	Los Angeles County	Los Angeles Unified	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(818) 758-3600	1,339	76	17.6	88.3%	171 (12.8%)	44 (3.3%)	1,002 (74.8%)	87 (6.5%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (0.4%)	30 (2.2%)	45.4	1134^th of 2162 public high schools	47.5%		48.9	1026^th of 2159 public high schools	52.5%	108	24.1	21.9	14.3	22.0	37.8	41.5	33.3	46.8	42.3	25.0	25.3	24.6	23.8	24.4	$25,971	$4,915	$21,056
Magnolia Science Academy 5	Public, Charter	6-12	18238 Sherman Way	Reseda	91335	Los Angeles County	Magnolia Science Academy 5 District	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(818) 705-5676	218	13	16.3	78.4%	13 (6.0%)	4 (1.8%)	183 (83.9%)	15 (6.9%)	2 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.5%)	63	740^th of 2162 public high schools	65.8%		71.4	546^th of 2159 public high schools	74.7%	194	25.0		31.3	27.5	46.3	58.6	50.0	62.5	53.4	61.0	55.2	50.0	20.8	49.2	$21,457	$2,538	$18,919
Magnolia Science Academy	Public, Charter	6-12	18238 Sherman Way	Reseda	91335	Los Angeles County	Magnolia Science Academy District	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(818) 609-0507	746	39	19.1	86.2%	29 (3.9%)	7 (0.9%)	661 (88.6%)	43 (5.8%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (0.7%)	52.7	974^th of 2162 public high schools	54.9%		57.5	823^rd of 2159 public high schools	61.9%	151	16.9	30.1		21.6	22.1	34.5	34.4	54.8	34.4	22.8	25.2	24.0	19.7	23.3	$21,916	$1,902	$20,014
Diane S. Leichman Career Preparatory and Transition Center	Public	11-12	19034 Gault St.	Reseda	91335	Los Angeles County	Los Angeles Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(818) 881-5341	142	19	7.5	57.0%	41 (28.9%)	11 (7.7%)	70 (49.3%)	16 (11.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (2.8%)								(n/a)															$87,911	$10,496	$77,415

Frequently Asked Questions about Daniel Pearl Journalism & Communications Magnet

How many students attend Daniel Pearl Journalism & Communications Magnet?

In the 2024-25 school year, 183 students attended Daniel Pearl Journalism & Communications Magnet.

Is Daniel Pearl Journalism & Communications Magnet a good school?

Daniel Pearl Journalism & Communications Magnet ranks 663^rd of 2162 California high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Daniel Pearl Journalism & Communications Magnet?

Students at Daniel Pearl Journalism & Communications Magnet are 60% Hispanic, 27% White, 5% Asian, 4% African American, 3% Two or more races.

What district is Daniel Pearl Journalism & Communications Magnet in?

Los Angeles Unified

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the California Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.