Highly Gifted Magnet
As a highly gifted magnet, all core academic classes are taught at an honors level. Portola Highly Gifted Magnet differentiates the standard Los Angeles Unified School District's curriculum by utilizing strategies such as acceleration, depth, complexity, and clustering in order to access higher level thinking skills. The goal is to provide students in the magnet with a balanced program of the "core content" with expectations to exceed the standards and expose students to a gifted educational experience. We also offer a rich elective experience for our students with an emphasis on the performing and visual arts.
The curriculum by grade level is as follows:
6th Grade
- Common Core Honors Math 6 or Common Core Alternate Accelerated Math 6/7
- Honors English 6
- Honors Science 6 - Earth Science
- Honors Ancient World History 6
- Physical Education
- Elective Class (choices include: art; instrumental music; choir; drama; computers; creative writing; coding; marine biology)
7th Grade
- Common Core Accelerated Math 7 or Common Core Alternate Accelerated Math 8/Alg. 1
- Honors English 7
- Honors Science 7 - Life Science/Health
- Honors World History 7
- Physical Education
- Elective Choice
8th Grade
- Common Core Honors Algebra 1 or Common Core Honors Geometry or Common Core Honors Algebra 2 or Common Core Honors PreCalculus
- Honors English 8
- Honors Science 8 - Physical Science
- Honors U.S. History 8
- Physical Education
- Elective Choice
Elective Choices
- Advanced Drama (7th/8th grade only)
- Advanced Orchestra/Music Lab (by audition)
- Beginning Drama
- Beginning Strings
- Beginning Winds
- Book Making
- Cartoon Animation
- Chorus
- Coding
- Creative Writing
- Digital Imaging
- Engineering Design
- Exploring Anatomy and Physiology (7th/8th grade only)
- Exploring Biotechnology (7th/8th grade only)
- Exploring Video Production
- Film Appreciation
- Film Making
- General Art/ Advanced Art
- Horticulture
- Intro Computers
- Jr. Leadership
- Leadership (7th/8th grade only)
- MathCounts
- MUN Global Worlds
- Robotics
- Senior Band (experience required)
- Senior Orchestra (experience required)
- Spanish 1
- Spanish II
- Yearbook