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Teacher quality
Principal leadership
Parent involvement
My daughter has attended PW for 3 years now, and I commute to bring her due to a mid year move. I wouldn't change schools for anything. The teachers are dedicated to our childrens education, and with LACounty educational system having such issues in recent years, I feel that I lucked and made the best fit. The principals have changed also in recent years, and I am not too fond of the new principal, however I know that she means well.
—Submitted by a parent
My two kids were in the magnet program and we had to move out of state mid-year. We moved to a school that was also highly rated, but were shocked at how far behind the classes were in the new school. The magnet program at Park Western really advances the kids beyond what is expected of their grade level. I also loved how committed the teachers and the principal were. Great, great school. We miss it!
—Submitted by a parent
This is the best school! Wonderful staff, teachers and principal who work very hard with the children at being their best. I couldn't ask for a better place for my son.
—Submitted by a parent
I absolutely love this school, my son and daughter love their teachers and friends...It's nice to see a atmosphere of closeness and togetherness within staff and teachers, as well as the parents. We are very fortunate to have great teachers, front office personell and a wonderful principal. The only bad thing people have to say, is that we need more parking but really in the scope of what is really important I will continue to be patient and take that extra walk so that my child continues to be a part of this great school. Park Western Keep Up The Good Work!
—Submitted by a parent
Park Western is commimtted to educating the children. There is one goal and that is to eduate every child to the best of their ability. The school is open to parents comments and concerns. The children love the school and the administration.
—Submitted by a parent
My daughter went to this school only one year, Grade 1, which was the best year ever. She loved every minute. It's like having a second family. The staff is super friendly and the principal is amazing. We don't have one bad thing to say about this school. Also, the after school program is great. The hardest part about moving away was to leave this school :(
—Submitted by a parent
We have a wonderful hard working staff. Our API score is 942. Our principal is very active and runs a great program. She has introduced reading and writing programs at our school that have proven fantastic results. The students have a love for learning.
—Submitted by a teacher
Outstanding elementary school. The reading, math and science programs are awesome. Teachers really do care. Second grade teacher just sent my daughter a welcome to 2nd grade letter! Fantastic!
—Submitted by a parent
This is a grea school, although there are a few issues I have had, but nothing that was able o be worked through. I am a mother of 5 children 3 out of the five have attended park western, my daughter has been attending since pre-school with mrs. Espi, she had mrs. nasr for kindergaten she is one of he best teachers I have ever meet, she encourages her students to be open and and crative, my daughter loves her and when she found out that she wasnt going to be her teacher any more she cried. she is going into the first grade. my son just finished pre-school with mrs.Espi and will also have Mrs. Nasr for kindergarden. my youngest son will be attending pre-school with mrs. Espie. but over all the school is great wih wounderful programs and excellent appreciation for parent helpers.
—Submitted by a parent
The rating of 10 is not hype. I don't usually spend time writing reviews but this one deserves my attention as a concerned parent of a daughter who has been attending this school since early 2007. The principal has a grip of this school as evidenced by her standing outside of the school every morning - watching out mainly for the kids' safety. Support for special-needs students is outstanding - a must for my daughter. Will surely miss this school when she leaves for middle school next year. Keep up the genuine interest for our children's educational and social upbringing!
—Submitted by a parent
This school is great, the teachers,staff, the principal are very friendly people and the field trips are cool too...even the lunches are to not to good it's still a great school
I'm a military spouse and we live in San Pedro's USAF base housing. This school is a Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) gem that I encourage all military children to attend. Take your child's test scores, or examples of reading/math levels if not yet tested, to the principal to see if she has room in her magnet (gifted) classrooms for another student. The school is allowed to directly accept students and bypass the LAUSD 'points' system (which works against military families living in LAUSD for a limited time). Once accepted LAUSD provides bus transportation to/from this school for magnet children. Park Western Place Harbor Magnet participates in the Science Olympiad at Cal-Poly, L.A. County math competitions, and an incredible Columbia Univ. reading/comprehension program. If your child is not gifted, this is still the best elementary school for them to attend (see the magnet/non magnet -combined- test scores on this website).
—Submitted by a parent
My daughter graduated elementary school from Park Western Harbor Magnet. I could not be more proud of her, since she graduated with a Presidents award for Outstanding Academic achievements. I have to admit that all would not be possible without the great teachers, and the great academics that are taught in this school. Not only that, but they had a wonderful art, music and extracurricular activities.
—Submitted by a parent
My 5th Grade daughter has attended the magnet program at Park Western since First Grade. At first, I was reluctant to have her attend a magnet school, but it turned out that my fears were unnecessary. Overall, we have been very satisfied with this school. Also, the field trips they take are awesome. It turned out to be the best decision we ever made!
—Submitted by a parent
My doughter is attending Park Western Harbor Magnet. I am very greatful for her having experienced teachers and very high academic acheivments. Sometimes is hard though because of the huge amount of homeworks and assignments, but is worthed. One thing that bothered me trough the years is the 'cool' kids that made some days not very plesant for mine, but I guess this is inevitable and it is a good lesson how to deal with them.
—Submitted by a parent
I have a daughter started the first grade at Park Western Elementary and could not be happier. My daughter adores her teacher and classmates and truly enjoys her school life. The principal, teachers, and other staff are all very helpful.
—Submitted by a parent
My child spent a couple of years here. This is one of the best schools in LA. The office staff and nurse are genuinely friendly, accommodating, and concerned about children, families and needs of the school. Working with teachers & volunteers (esp. parents) has been rewarding! It would be even better if more parents, volunteers got involved!
—Submitted by Veronica Greene, a parent
Park Western is an excellent school. I believe it is one of Los Angeles Unified's best kept secrets. The magnet as well as regular programs are designed for each child to excel. The reading program is excellent as well as their math and science programs. There is no lack in parent involvement either. It is just a great place to be.
—Submitted by Tijera Brown, a parent
There is amazing synergy with the staff, parents and students. Volunteers are welcome and greatly appreciated by the staff. The students are challenged on an individual level and are able to attain maximum growth in all areas of development. There is so much that test scores can't convey. If you are looking for a beautiful campus with friendly, happy, well-behaved students, opportunity for involvement and an extaordinary staff, visit our school.
—Submitted by Rogena Wightman, a parent
Community ratings and reviews do not represent the views of GreatSchools nor does GreatSchools check their accuracy or verify the reviewers' identities. Use your discretion when evaluating these reviews.
The Community Rating is the school’s average rating from its community members (e.g., parents, students, and school staff). The highest possible rating is five stars; the lowest is one star.
The API reflects year-over-year schools performance based on STAR test score results from spring 2012.
The state average for English Language Arts was 58% in 2012.
115 students were tested at this school in 2012.
2012
2011
2010
2009
The state average for Math was 64% in 2012.
115 students were tested at this school in 2012.
2012
2011
2010
2009
In 2011-2012 California used the California Standards Tests (CSTs) to test students in English language arts in grades 2 through 11; math in grades 2 through 7; science in grades 5, 8 and 10; and history-social science in grades 8 and 11. Middle and high school students also took subject-specific CSTs in math and science, depending on the course in which they were enrolled. The CSTs are standards-based tests, which means they measure how well students are mastering specific skills defined for each grade by the state of California. The goal is for all students to score at or above proficient on the tests.
See California's state standards
Source: California Department of Education
The state average for English Language Arts was 48% in 2012.
113 students were tested at this school in 2012.
2012
2011
2010
2009
The state average for Math was 69% in 2012.
113 students were tested at this school in 2012.
2012
2011
2010
2009
In 2011-2012 California used the California Standards Tests (CSTs) to test students in English language arts in grades 2 through 11; math in grades 2 through 7; science in grades 5, 8 and 10; and history-social science in grades 8 and 11. Middle and high school students also took subject-specific CSTs in math and science, depending on the course in which they were enrolled. The CSTs are standards-based tests, which means they measure how well students are mastering specific skills defined for each grade by the state of California. The goal is for all students to score at or above proficient on the tests.
See California's state standards
Source: California Department of Education
The state average for English Language Arts was 67% in 2012.
110 students were tested at this school in 2012.
2012
2011
2010
2009
The state average for Math was 71% in 2012.
110 students were tested at this school in 2012.
2012
2011
2010
2009
In 2011-2012 California used the California Standards Tests (CSTs) to test students in English language arts in grades 2 through 11; math in grades 2 through 7; science in grades 5, 8 and 10; and history-social science in grades 8 and 11. Middle and high school students also took subject-specific CSTs in math and science, depending on the course in which they were enrolled. The CSTs are standards-based tests, which means they measure how well students are mastering specific skills defined for each grade by the state of California. The goal is for all students to score at or above proficient on the tests.
See California's state standards
Source: California Department of Education
The state average for English Language Arts was 63% in 2012.
110 students were tested at this school in 2012.
2012
2011
2010
2009
The state average for Math was 65% in 2012.
110 students were tested at this school in 2012.
2012
2011
2010
2009
The state average for Science was 60% in 2012.
110 students were tested at this school in 2012.
2012
2011
2010
2009
In 2011-2012 California used the California Standards Tests (CSTs) to test students in English language arts in grades 2 through 11; math in grades 2 through 7; science in grades 5, 8 and 10; and history-social science in grades 8 and 11. Middle and high school students also took subject-specific CSTs in math and science, depending on the course in which they were enrolled. The CSTs are standards-based tests, which means they measure how well students are mastering specific skills defined for each grade by the state of California. The goal is for all students to score at or above proficient on the tests.
See California's state standards
Source: California Department of Education
| All Students | 85% |
| Females | 92% |
| Males | 78% |
| African American | 87% |
| Asian | n/a |
| Filipino | 100% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 76% |
| American Indian or Alaska Native | n/a |
| Pacific Islander | n/a |
| Other Pacific Islander | n/a |
| White (not Hispanic) | 100% |
| Economically disadvantaged | 80% |
| Non-economically disadvantaged | 92% |
| Students with disability | n/a |
| Students with no reported disability | 86% |
| English learner | 71% |
| Fluent-English proficient and English only | 87% |
| Migrant education | n/a |
| Gifted and talented | n/a |
| Parent education - not a high school graduate | n/a |
| Parent education - high school graduate | 72% |
| Parent education - some college (includes AA degree) | 82% |
| Parent education - college graduate | 93% |
| Parent education - graduate school/post graduate | 96% |
| Parent education - declined to state | n/a |
| All Students | 92% |
| Females | 95% |
| Males | 89% |
| African American | 87% |
| Asian | n/a |
| Filipino | 100% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 89% |
| American Indian or Alaska Native | n/a |
| Pacific Islander | n/a |
| Other Pacific Islander | n/a |
| White (not Hispanic) | 100% |
| Economically disadvantaged | 91% |
| Non-economically disadvantaged | 94% |
| Students with disability | n/a |
| Students with no reported disability | 93% |
| English learner | 79% |
| Fluent-English proficient and English only | 94% |
| Migrant education | n/a |
| Gifted and talented | n/a |
| Parent education - not a high school graduate | n/a |
| Parent education - high school graduate | 83% |
| Parent education - some college (includes AA degree) | 88% |
| Parent education - college graduate | 96% |
| Parent education - graduate school/post graduate | 96% |
| Parent education - declined to state | n/a |
In 2011-2012 California used the California Standards Tests (CSTs) to test students in English language arts in grades 2 through 11; math in grades 2 through 7; science in grades 5, 8 and 10; and history-social science in grades 8 and 11. Middle and high school students also took subject-specific CSTs in math and science, depending on the course in which they were enrolled. The CSTs are standards-based tests, which means they measure how well students are mastering specific skills defined for each grade by the state of California. The goal is for all students to score at or above proficient on the tests.
The different student groups are identified by the California Department of Education; if there are fewer than 10 students in a particular group in a school, the state doesn't report data for that group.
See California's state standards
Source: California Department of Education
| All Students | 87% |
| Females | 88% |
| Males | 85% |
| African American | n/a |
| Asian | 95% |
| Filipino | n/a |
| Hispanic or Latino | 80% |
| American Indian or Alaska Native | n/a |
| Pacific Islander | n/a |
| White (not Hispanic) | 95% |
| Economically disadvantaged | 77% |
| Non-economically disadvantaged | 96% |
| Students with disability | n/a |
| Students with no reported disability | 89% |
| English learner | n/a |
| Fluent-English proficient and English only | 92% |
| Migrant education | n/a |
| Gifted and talented | 100% |
| Parent education - not a high school graduate | n/a |
| Parent education - high school graduate | 71% |
| Parent education - some college (includes AA degree) | 87% |
| Parent education - college graduate | 94% |
| Parent education - graduate school/post graduate | 97% |
| Parent education - declined to state | n/a |
| All Students | 97% |
| Females | 95% |
| Males | 98% |
| African American | n/a |
| Asian | 100% |
| Filipino | n/a |
| Hispanic or Latino | 93% |
| American Indian or Alaska Native | n/a |
| Pacific Islander | n/a |
| White (not Hispanic) | 100% |
| Economically disadvantaged | 95% |
| Non-economically disadvantaged | 98% |
| Students with disability | n/a |
| Students with no reported disability | 99% |
| English learner | n/a |
| Fluent-English proficient and English only | 97% |
| Migrant education | n/a |
| Gifted and talented | 100% |
| Parent education - not a high school graduate | n/a |
| Parent education - high school graduate | 82% |
| Parent education - some college (includes AA degree) | 96% |
| Parent education - college graduate | 100% |
| Parent education - graduate school/post graduate | 100% |
| Parent education - declined to state | n/a |
In 2011-2012 California used the California Standards Tests (CSTs) to test students in English language arts in grades 2 through 11; math in grades 2 through 7; science in grades 5, 8 and 10; and history-social science in grades 8 and 11. Middle and high school students also took subject-specific CSTs in math and science, depending on the course in which they were enrolled. The CSTs are standards-based tests, which means they measure how well students are mastering specific skills defined for each grade by the state of California. The goal is for all students to score at or above proficient on the tests.
The different student groups are identified by the California Department of Education; if there are fewer than 10 students in a particular group in a school, the state doesn't report data for that group.
See California's state standards
Source: California Department of Education
| All Students | 88% |
| Females | 88% |
| Males | 88% |
| African American | 100% |
| Asian | 100% |
| Filipino | n/a |
| Hispanic or Latino | 82% |
| American Indian or Alaska Native | n/a |
| Pacific Islander | n/a |
| White (not Hispanic) | 85% |
| Economically disadvantaged | 83% |
| Non-economically disadvantaged | 94% |
| Students with disability | n/a |
| Students with no reported disability | 93% |
| English learner | n/a |
| Fluent-English proficient and English only | 91% |
| Migrant education | n/a |
| Gifted and talented | 100% |
| Parent education - not a high school graduate | n/a |
| Parent education - high school graduate | 83% |
| Parent education - some college (includes AA degree) | 94% |
| Parent education - college graduate | 94% |
| Parent education - graduate school/post graduate | 96% |
| Parent education - declined to state | n/a |
| All Students | 92% |
| Females | 90% |
| Males | 93% |
| African American | 91% |
| Asian | 100% |
| Filipino | n/a |
| Hispanic or Latino | 88% |
| American Indian or Alaska Native | n/a |
| Pacific Islander | n/a |
| White (not Hispanic) | 95% |
| Economically disadvantaged | 87% |
| Non-economically disadvantaged | 98% |
| Students with disability | n/a |
| Students with no reported disability | 95% |
| English learner | n/a |
| Fluent-English proficient and English only | 95% |
| Migrant education | n/a |
| Gifted and talented | 100% |
| Parent education - not a high school graduate | n/a |
| Parent education - high school graduate | 75% |
| Parent education - some college (includes AA degree) | 94% |
| Parent education - college graduate | 100% |
| Parent education - graduate school/post graduate | 100% |
| Parent education - declined to state | n/a |
In 2011-2012 California used the California Standards Tests (CSTs) to test students in English language arts in grades 2 through 11; math in grades 2 through 7; science in grades 5, 8 and 10; and history-social science in grades 8 and 11. Middle and high school students also took subject-specific CSTs in math and science, depending on the course in which they were enrolled. The CSTs are standards-based tests, which means they measure how well students are mastering specific skills defined for each grade by the state of California. The goal is for all students to score at or above proficient on the tests.
The different student groups are identified by the California Department of Education; if there are fewer than 10 students in a particular group in a school, the state doesn't report data for that group.
See California's state standards
Source: California Department of Education
| All Students | 83% |
| Females | 76% |
| Males | 89% |
| African American | 82% |
| Asian | n/a |
| Filipino | n/a |
| Hispanic or Latino | 73% |
| American Indian or Alaska Native | n/a |
| Pacific Islander | n/a |
| Samoan | n/a |
| White (not Hispanic) | 100% |
| Economically disadvantaged | 71% |
| Non-economically disadvantaged | 94% |
| Students with disability | n/a |
| Students with no reported disability | 85% |
| English learner | n/a |
| Fluent-English proficient and English only | 85% |
| Migrant education | n/a |
| Gifted and talented | 100% |
| Parent education - not a high school graduate | 64% |
| Parent education - high school graduate | 57% |
| Parent education - some college (includes AA degree) | 75% |
| Parent education - college graduate | 97% |
| Parent education - graduate school/post graduate | 100% |
| Parent education - declined to state | n/a |
| All Students | 89% |
| Females | 88% |
| Males | 89% |
| African American | 82% |
| Asian | n/a |
| Filipino | n/a |
| Hispanic or Latino | 83% |
| American Indian or Alaska Native | n/a |
| Pacific Islander | n/a |
| Samoan | n/a |
| White (not Hispanic) | 100% |
| Economically disadvantaged | 84% |
| Non-economically disadvantaged | 93% |
| Students with disability | n/a |
| Students with no reported disability | 92% |
| English learner | n/a |
| Fluent-English proficient and English only | 91% |
| Migrant education | n/a |
| Gifted and talented | 100% |
| Parent education - not a high school graduate | 91% |
| Parent education - high school graduate | 79% |
| Parent education - some college (includes AA degree) | 84% |
| Parent education - college graduate | 97% |
| Parent education - graduate school/post graduate | 89% |
| Parent education - declined to state | n/a |
| All Students | 89% |
| Females | 82% |
| Males | 93% |
| African American | 73% |
| Asian | n/a |
| Filipino | n/a |
| Hispanic or Latino | 84% |
| American Indian or Alaska Native | n/a |
| Pacific Islander | n/a |
| Samoan | n/a |
| White (not Hispanic) | 100% |
| Economically disadvantaged | 82% |
| Non-economically disadvantaged | 94% |
| Students with disability | n/a |
| Students with no reported disability | 91% |
| English learner | n/a |
| Fluent-English proficient and English only | 91% |
| Migrant education | n/a |
| Gifted and talented | 100% |
| Parent education - not a high school graduate | 82% |
| Parent education - high school graduate | 57% |
| Parent education - some college (includes AA degree) | 91% |
| Parent education - college graduate | 100% |
| Parent education - graduate school/post graduate | 89% |
| Parent education - declined to state | n/a |
In 2011-2012 California used the California Standards Tests (CSTs) to test students in English language arts in grades 2 through 11; math in grades 2 through 7; science in grades 5, 8 and 10; and history-social science in grades 8 and 11. Middle and high school students also took subject-specific CSTs in math and science, depending on the course in which they were enrolled. The CSTs are standards-based tests, which means they measure how well students are mastering specific skills defined for each grade by the state of California. The goal is for all students to score at or above proficient on the tests.
The different student groups are identified by the California Department of Education; if there are fewer than 10 students in a particular group in a school, the state doesn't report data for that group.
See California's state standards
Source: California Department of Education
GreatSchools Ratings are based on the most recent standardized test results for schools. Use the breakdown ratings below to compare types of students at this school. Learn more »
Grade 2
Grade 3
Grade 4
Grade 5
All students
Female
Male
All students
African American
Asian
Filipino
Hispanic or Latino
White (not Hispanic)
All students
Economically disadvantaged
Non-economically disadvantaged
Students with no reported disability
English learner
Fluent-English proficient and English only
Gifted and talented
Parent education - not a high school graduate
Parent education - high school graduate
Parent education - some college (includes AA degree)
Parent education - college graduate
Parent education - graduate school/post graduate
All students
| Ethnicity | This school | State average | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hispanic | 55% | 51% | ||
| Asian | 18% | 11% | ||
| White | 15% | 27% | ||
| Black | 10% | 7% | ||
| American Indian/Alaska Native | 1% | 1% | ||
| Hawaiian Native/Pacific Islander | 1% | 1% | ||
| Two or more races | 0% | 3% |
| This school | District average | State average | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch program 1 | 49% | N/A | 54% |
| English language learners 2 | 11% | N/A | 24% |
| Language | This school | State average | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spanish | 92% | 85% | ||
| Japanese | 5% | 0% | ||
| Farsi (Persian) | 1% | 0% | ||
| Korean | 1% | 1% | ||
| Serbo-Croatian (Bosnian, Croatian, Serbian) | 1% | 0% |
| This school | District average | State average | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average class size | 21 | N/A | 25 |
| This school | District average | State average | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average years teaching in district | 15 | N/A | 11 |
| Average years teaching | 15 | N/A | 13 |
| This school | District average | State average | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full credential | 100% | N/A | 96% |
| Emergency credential or waiver | 0% | N/A | 2% |
| School Leader's name |
|
| Fax number |
|
| Extra learning resources offered |
|


Tips for understanding school culture
TIP: Don't forget to ask about documents required for enrollment, such as your child's birth certificate, proof of address, or a record of immunizations.
1214 Park Western Place
San Pedro,
CA 90732
Phone: (310) 833-3591
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