As schools nationwide struggle with shrinking budgets and injecting academic rigor into curriculums, California’s State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson last week announced that 387 exemplary public schools were named 2012 Distinguished schools for their innovative education programs that both encourage students to learn and help close the achievement gap.

Six of the awardees this year are local schools from the Compton, Inglewood, Hawthorne and Los Angeles unified school districts.

LOS ANGELES, Calif.—Two USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism seniors majoring in broadcast journalism were awarded the Chick Hearn Memorial Scholarship at last nights Los Angeles Lakers game at Staples Center.

Jonathan Kendrick and Eleni Press, the second female recipient in the scholarship’s 10-year existence, were presented with the scholarships at at halftime of the Lakers’ 90-82 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies.