By Missy Mead, Contributing Writer

They can be seen on backpacks, shirts and lanyards. The “850 or Bust” pins that flock our halls may look like a Daniel Pearl Magnet High School trend, but beyond their shine lies a sense of pride.

“The idea is to remind students to have school pride. We have an awesome API score, far better than other schools and we want that pride to grow and translate into a higher score on the CSTs this year,” said Magnet Coordinator Noreen Castellani. “The pins are just a visual reminder of what students should want their legacy to be.”

The Academic Performance Index (API) score relies heavily on the CST scores, so faculty are hoping students do better than the previous two years. DPMHS currently has an API score of 823. The score for 2011 was 802.

The school’s administrators have also issued CST reflection papers, putting together a motivational banner signed by students, a CST progress grading system and a pep rally. Testing for the California Standardized Test begins April 22 and ends on the 25th.

“Our biggest goal within the CSTs is to motivate kids to do well by emphasizing on our school pride,” Castellani said.