School Accountability Report Card
Designated in 2013 as a California Distinguished School, South Pasadena High School is a public, coeducational, four-year comprehensive high school with an enrollment of approximately 1,528 students. There is a student/teacher staffing ratio of 36 to 1. Through special parcel tax funding, ninth grade English language arts classes are maintained at a size of twenty-five or fewer students. Classes meet for 100 minutes on an alternating block schedule with a daily seventh period that meets for fifty minutes. Two semesters comprise the 180-day academic year. The co-curricular program is extensive, ranging from athletics to theater, music, art, dance, and numerous clubs of student interest.
The school is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) and has maintained an excellent record of accreditation throughout the school’s existence, with our last full accreditation review in the 2010-2011 school year. The SAT continues to trend upward, both in scores and number of test takers, and the same is true of our Advanced Placement program that earned exclusive recognition from the College Board in the spring of 2011.
South Pasadena High School is steeped in traditions that help us maintain our Tiger Spirit. At the same time, we are in a continuous improvement cycle, researching and implementing programs and techniques focused on student achievement and personal growth. Career Technical Education provides myriad opportunities in the areas of business, entrepreneurship, woodworking, sports medicine, computer animation and design, silk screening, photography, and more. In the 2014-15 school year, a pathway program in computer programming and engineering grew into a third year of courses, and in the fall of 2016, a biomedical pathway second year course was added. Originally established in 1905, South Pasadena High School has served students in the community of South Pasadena in grades nine through twelve since 1984.
Through its 111-year history, the school has grown and changed in many ways, including a 2000-2003 remodeling and modernization program brought about by a 1995 bond measure. Planned upgrades to our science labs are designed and planned for implementation in the coming school year.
Teachers, staff, and administrators act on the principle that students come first. The educational programs at the school are tailored to meet the needs of each individual student. South Pasadena High School and South Pasadena Unified School District adhere to these core values:
- All students can learn and reach their full potential.
- Parent and family involvement in the student's education is critical to the success of students, of individual schools, and of the district as a whole.
- Building confidence and character are important to academic achievement.
- Mutually respectful relationships are essential in a diverse organization and community.
- Clear communication among administrators, teachers, parents, students and the community is essential to building trust.
- Transparency in governance and operations is essential to building trust.
- Timely and appropriate responsiveness to students, parents and families is essential.
- The work of all employees is indispensable to the well-being and success of students.
- Continuous improvement for all employees is critical to the success of the district.