SOCES History

 

Sherman Oaks Center for Enriched Studies, located in the South-West San Fernando Valley in the city of Tarzana, is a Span-Magnet school in the Los Angeles Unified School District. SOCES, an integration magnet, was established in 1981 as a response to court ordered busing, and is one of over 290 magnet programs offered throughout LAUSD. Of the 2000+ students who apply, we enroll approximately 300 new students annually.

 

SOCES offers a comprehensive educational program for grades four through twelve that prepares students for their post- secondary endeavors. Our campus occupies the former campus of Sequoia Junior High School which was established as a neighborhood school in 1952. In 1981, three small magnet schools (one on the campus of Sherman Oaks Elementary Schools) were combined and placed onto this twenty-four-acre campus and within two years took over the entire campus from declining local enrollment at Sequoia Junior High.

 

Our enrollment is determined by the need to maintain a racially balanced enrollment and by available space in each grade level. The LAUSD Office of Student Integration determines our enrollment and processes student applications according to the formula specified in the 1981 Court Order. Starting in fourth grade, we provide the skills and academic content to prepare our students to meet requirements for graduation and entrance to the UC and CSU systems. Students and their families who demand an environment with high expectations seek acceptance to SOCES. While it seems like a simple concept, basing instruction on high expectations promises greater accountability to the community and an assurance to parents that their child is engaged in rich, challenging, and “hands on” learning experiences.

 

Sherman Oaks Center for Enriched Studies (SOCES) is the largest magnet school in the Los Angeles Unified School District with 2100 students in grades 4-12. All students who attend SOCES must apply through an application process outlined in the “Choices” brochure, which is published annually through LAUSD Student Integration Services. Students are accepted into Magnet programs based on the number of magnet points they have. The student body, as mandated by court order, is integrated with a 60% combined minority and 40% Anglo student population.

 

The philosophy at Sherman Oaks Center for Enriched Studies is that parents and members of the community have the opportunity to share in the educational development of the students. Parents are encouraged to become involved at school.