Info on Soces 4Th Grade Magnet Programme

I don't know about Soces but I can tell you the experience I have had with my daughter and magnet. When I first applied at second grade she was turned down, said her vocab wasn't at advanced level. In fourth grade she was tested for gifted and made it. I was then told to put her in magnet. Of course my daughter didn't want to go and leave her friends so I waited to put her in magnet for middle school. She will start magnet next year in sixth grade because she would be moving to a new school and some of her friends are going to private or regular middle schools. At first she was upset until we talked with her current fifth grade teacher and she was told that most of her friends wouldn't be in her gifted classes at middle school anyways. She is now excited to be going to a new school where she can see her old friends at lunchtime but she will make many new friends at the same time. If your son doesn't want to change schools I would just wait until middle school. Why stress him and yourself out. Good luck to you.

Hi S.,

I have heard nothing but very positive remarks regarding SOCES' academic program from parents and teachers (none of which attend or are employed there execept one was a teacher in LAUSD and her child attended SOCES). I also understand from them that it is very difficult to get in.

For what it's worth, if my child got in, I'd try it and see how it goes and re-evaluate after a year.

My daughter got into SOCES in the 4th grade this year and we had to take her out mid year as it was a terrible fit for her. But that doesn't mean that some kids don't love it. I have a friend with a sho who started there in 4th grade and he is beyond happiy in the 6th grade now.
She came from a small private school and this large school did not give her the attention and creativity she was used to. Other issues came up and the school was non responsive. We were not particularly impressed.

Hi S., I have both my children in SOCES. My daughter is in 4th grade and my son is in 7th grade (he started in 4th). The school is an excellent academic school and small for LAUSD. As in all things you get what you put into it. My daughter is doing fine and I love the elementary teachers. My son is failing 3 classes for the 2nd year in a row. He also has issues with fighting (he's very big for his age) and on the verge of being expelled. If you're going to keep your child in public school then SOCES is the way to go. If you're planning on private schools for the upper grades then keep him at Andesol.

SOCES has almost 1800 kids in 4th thru 12th grades, approximately 200 per grade. There is a waiting list of about 2500 kids each year and only 200 openings, mostly 4th grade. It's unlikely your son will get in for middle or high school. That's why I put my kids in for 4th grade. SOCES is one of the highest ranked high schools in LAUSD with 40% low income and 60% minority. I feel it's the best we can get in public school. I suggest you put him in SOCES for 4th grade. If it isn't a good fit, you can always go back. Feel free to email me if you want to discuss this further.

I took my child out of SOCES after one year. Academically he did nothing, and was extremely bored. The kids were nice and he liked his PE class. It is a good environment compared to most other area middle/highschools. I think one reason their test scores are high is that they do not have a large esl population. The population of the school is upwards of 2000 now. One other thing to consider is that 9th grade had 256 students last year and by 11th grade it was down to 180. A lot of students leave. Also while they do get students into college, last year most (45 or so) went to CSUN. For the last 2 years that I watched college placement, there weren't any students going to top schools.