Westside Global Awareness Magnet, Marina Del Rey CA

Original Research by School Decision on Westside Global Awareness Magnet

Westside Global Awareness Magnet is a K-8 alternative school in Marina del Rey, located within Los Angeles Unified. The school sits in a mixed-use coastal community defined by residential condominiums, waterfront parks, and a harbor-centered layout, where most families work in white-collar professions tied to technology, media, and design. The neighborhood's housing market reflects Marina del Rey's character: mid-rise and apartment-heavy, with home values substantially above state and national benchmarks and monthly rents relatively high relative to income, meaning this is a place where many families who enroll are either already established or relocating into a high-cost area.

The school enrolls a modest student body across nine grade levels. Most students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating that despite Marina del Rey's affluent profile, Westside draws a working-class or low-income population, likely from across the broader Los Angeles district. The student body is predominantly Hispanic and Black, with very small representation of white and Asian students and no American Indian, Alaska Native, or Native Hawaiian students enrolled. This demographic composition differs sharply from the predominantly white-collar professional makeup of Marina del Rey's adult residents, reflecting the school's role in serving a student population different from the immediate community's housing market.

State assessment data from 2024-25 shows academic performance that is mixed and uneven across grades. In English language arts, proficiency rates range widely, from strong performance in fourth grade and eighth grade to much lower rates in grades six and seven. Math proficiency is weaker overall, with a notable dip in seventh grade. Science performance, tested only in fifth and eighth grades, shows very low proficiency in fifth grade but substantially higher performance in eighth. These wide swings suggest either variation in cohort composition and readiness across grades or uneven instructional implementation by grade level. The overall proficiency index places the school below the midpoint among Los Angeles County's school districts, a position that reflects the reality that many tested cohorts are not reaching state proficiency benchmarks.

As an alternative school, Westside likely serves students with distinct educational needs or philosophies compared to conventional district schools. The word "global awareness" in its name signals a thematic or curricular emphasis, though detailed information about the school's specific pedagogy, structures, or program focus is not available in the provided data. Parents considering this school may want to investigate further what the "global awareness" mission means in classroom practice, how the school's alternative design shapes the student day and learning environment, and whether the school has specialized support or different staffing models compared to traditional public schools.

The school operates within Los Angeles Unified, which is navigating significant recent changes. The district approved a major facilities bond focused on repairing aging buildings, funded through long-term property tax increases that will affect families' overall cost of living. Additionally, LAUSD implemented a district-wide cellphone ban in February 2025 that covers the entire school day, a policy that affects daily school culture and student-parent communication. The district also oversees a culturally responsive achievement program that funds staffing and curriculum at selected schools. These broader district shifts create context for any family enrolling here: they are joining a large urban district managing substantial capital investment, evolving discipline and technology policies, and targeted academic initiatives.

A parent considering Westside should understand that this school serves a low-income student population in a higher-income community, with academic results below district averages and uneven performance across grades. The alternative school model and global awareness focus merit direct inquiry with school leadership about instructional design and support services. Housing in Marina del Rey is expensive relative to income, so families relocating for this school should factor that cost alongside the school's academic and programmatic characteristics.

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Academic performance

How students perform on state tests, by grade, set against the district.

Math

Grade 348%

School 48% · District 48%

▲ 5 pts above state median · ▲ 1 pts above county median

Grade 475%

School 75% · District 43% · ▲ 32 pts above district

▲ 38 pts above state median · ▲ 34 pts above county median

Grade 526%

School 26% · District 36% · ▼ 10 pts below district

▼ 4 pts below state median · ▼ 7 pts below county median

Grade 626%

School 26% · District 35% · ▼ 9 pts below district

▼ 4 pts below state median · ▼ 5 pts below county median

Grade 79%

School 9% · District 34% · ▼ 25 pts below district

▼ 21 pts below state median · ▼ 21 pts below county median

Grade 844%

School 44% · District 32% · ▲ 12 pts above district

▲ 16 pts above state median · ▲ 15 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 338%

School 38% · District 44% · ▼ 5 pts below district

▼ 2 pts below state median · ▼ 4 pts below county median

Grade 450%

School 50% · District 45% · ▲ 5 pts above district

▲ 8 pts above state median · ▲ 6 pts above county median

Grade 526%

School 26% · District 47% · ▼ 21 pts below district

▼ 19 pts below state median · ▼ 20 pts below county median

Grade 622%

School 22% · District 46% · ▼ 24 pts below district

▼ 22 pts below state median · ▼ 23 pts below county median

Grade 730%

School 30% · District 46% · ▼ 16 pts below district

▼ 15 pts below state median · ▼ 15 pts below county median

Grade 871%

School 71% · District 45% · ▲ 26 pts above district

▲ 26 pts above state median · ▲ 25 pts above county median

Science

Grade 511%

School 11% · District 29% · ▼ 19 pts below district

▼ 18 pts below state median · ▼ 17 pts below county median

Grade 847%

School 47% · District 27% · ▲ 21 pts above district

▲ 21 pts above state median · ▲ 23 pts above county median

Social studies

Grade 843%

School 43% · District 43%

▼ 6 pts below state median · ▼ 5 pts below county median

This schoolLos Angeles Unified, same grade

Graduation rate (ACGR) reflects the federally published Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate for the most recent year available. We refresh this data annually at the close of each academic year in June. The federal source publishes a banded rate (for example, "90-94%") instead of an exact number for cohorts small enough to risk identifying individual students. The state distribution chart, where shown, plots every school in the state with a published rate or band; schools whose rate is federally suppressed are excluded. Where the federal source publishes a band rather than an exact rate, the school is placed within its band using a stable, ID-derived offset, so its position is consistent across visits.