Math
13%Grade 11 · Proficient or Advanced
Public high school
Ark Independent Studies
The scores are below where anyone wants them. Here's what they don't tell you.
53% of tested students are Proficient or Advanced in English and 13% in math. 88.6% graduate in four years. Explore the evidence alongside the opportunities your child would use.
Data sources · Methodology · State tests: 2025
Contact
Phone(831) 429-3898
DistrictSanta Cruz City High
PrincipalCynthia Parris
Grades6-12
Enrollment56 students
English
53%Grade 11 · Proficient or Advanced
Students
56Total enrollment
Graduation
88.6%Four-year graduation rate
What are you trying to decide?
The overall score is a starting point.
Look at subject results, trends and student groups, then consider the opportunities your child would use.
View school performance →Start with your child’s daily experience.
Explore teaching, coursework and student-group results. A schoolwide average cannot predict an individual experience.
Explore student experience →Confirm the enrollment route.
Check the address, grade and enrollment requirements directly with the district or school.
Check attendance and enrollment →Compare the options you can access.
Use comparable evidence alongside entry requirements, cost and location.
Compare nearby schools →Academic performance
What do the results tell us?
2025 results · Grade 11 · weighted by students tested within each subject.
Proficient or Advanced combines Levels 3 and 4, formerly Standard Met and Standard Exceeded. California changed the names for 2025–26; the cut scores did not. About the labels →
Share at Proficient or Advanced
● Math┄ English
Gaps in the lines mark years without annual results.
Exact annual results
| Year | Math | English |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | — | — |
| 2022 | 12% | 74% |
| 2023 | 35% | 70% |
| 2024 | 20% | 56% |
| 2025 | 13% | 53% |
Each year describes that year’s tested students. Changes between years do not follow the same children over time. Cohort-growth evidence, when available, is labeled separately below.
How achievement is distributed
AdvancedStandard Exceeded
7%ProficientStandard Met
7%DevelopingStandard Nearly Met
40%MinimalStandard Not Met
47%AdvancedStandard Exceeded
27%ProficientStandard Met
27%DevelopingStandard Nearly Met
27%MinimalStandard Not Met
20%Achievement-level percentages are not percentiles. “Developing” here is a test achievement level, separate from the SchoolScope performance band with the same name.
Annual results and the full academic record
Is it getting better · CAASPP 2022 to 2025
Slipped from the 25th to the 16th percentile since 2022.
Most rating sites would stop at “33% proficient” and call it done. Ark Independent Studies deserves a closer read. Two in five of its students qualify for free or reduced lunch (California: 64%) — and reading the numbers without that context misreads the school.
Test scores are one lens, and at this school they're a rough one right now. The sections below show the fuller picture — including the parts that are working.
15 tested · 1 of 1 grade published
Ark Independent Studies scores 41 of 100 on SchoolScope's Scope Score — the 16th percentile of 1,647 California high schools (CDE CAASPP 2025).
Percentile among 1,647 high schools statewide
ShowHide the by-grade tables, year by year
ELA — % met or exceeded, by grade
| Grade | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 11 | 74% | 70% | 56% | 53% |
Math — % met or exceeded, by grade
| Grade | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 11 | 12% | 35% | 20% | 13% |
Where students land · CAASPP 2024–25
One in three of students here meet the standard. One in ten clear it by a lot.
ELA53% met or exceeded
Exceeded 27%Met 27%Nearly Met 27%Not Met 20%
Math13% met or exceeded
Exceeded 7%Met 7%Nearly Met 40%Not Met 47%
Exceeded Met Nearly Met Not Met
California high schools · average20% exceeded · 43% met or exceeded
This school against the California average
2022–2025 trend · CDE CAASPP
| Scope | % Exceeded | % Met+ | Grad rate | College readiness | Absence | Suspension | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| This school | 41 | 17% | 33% | 88.6% | 0.0% | 32.0% | 2.3% |
| CA average · High School | 54 | 20% | 43% | 92.5% | 43.0% | 23.1% | 3.3% |
This schoolCA avg
Scope4154
% Exceeded17%20%
% Met+33%43%
Grad rate88.6%92.5%
College readiness0.0%43.0%
Absence32.0%23.1%
Suspension2.3%3.3%
Students & opportunity
Who shares in the school’s results?
Where graduates go
What happens after high school?
55%
Enrolled in college within a year
Class of 2023 · 16 of 29 completers · includes community colleges
29Completers
14%
Other colleges4 completers · Outside the California community college system
41%
California community colleges12 completers · Enrolled within a year
45%
Not recorded enrolled13 completers · No college enrollment in this reporting window
Destination data describes this earlier graduating class, separately from current-year test results and graduation. Percentages are rounded.
College destinations and the full graduate record
2024–25
Where graduates go
Context — never part of the Scope Score
Context — never part of the Scope Score
Where the class of 2023 went
55%enrolled in college within a year
- California State University1 (3%)
- California community college12 (41%)
- In-state private1 (3%)
- Out-of-state, 4-year1 (3%)
- Out-of-state, 2-year1 (3%)
- Not enrolled13 (45%)
CDE 12-mo College-Going Rate, class of 2023 · % = count ÷ completers, our arithmetic
See the full roll →The daily experience
What is it like to be a student here?
Students per teacher
Student–teacher ratio is a schoolwide staffing measure, not an average class size.
Teacher experience
Average teacher experience in the published staffing record. It does not measure individual teacher effectiveness.
Chronically absent
The share of students absent for at least 10% of their enrolled school days. Attendance reflects both school and out-of-school circumstances.
The people teaching · CDE staffing 2024–25
About 28 students for every teacher here.
Context — never part of the Scope Score
Students per teacher28 · district 21
Teaching staff4 teachers
Avg. experience14.0 years
Fully credentialed17%
First-year teachers25%
PrincipalCynthia Parris
Attendance & discipline · 2024–25
Kids here miss more school, and get suspended less, than the state average.
32.0% of students miss a month or more of school, versus 23.1% statewide. High absence often tracks community stress — the data can't say why.
Chronic absenteeismChronic absenteeism: this school 32.0%, district 23.9%, state 23.1%32.0% · +8.9pp vs state
Suspension rateSuspension rate: this school 2.3%, district —, state 3.3%2.3% · −0.9pp vs state
This schoolDistrictCalifornia
ShowHide attendance by student group and by grade
Chronic absenteeism by grade band
Grades 9–1232.3%
Resources & neighborhood
What sits behind the school experience?
Explore school spending and the district budget
What gets spent
It spends $21,443 per student, more than the California average.
Context — never part of the Scope Score
$133 per student arrives as federal Title funding — a measure of concentrated need, not school quality.
Per-pupil spendingPer-pupil spending: $21,443, CA average $14,491$21,443 · spent at this school
Federal share$133 per student
This schoolCalifornia
Source: NCES F-33 · Full district breakdown →
The neighborhood · ACS 2024
Two in five of students here qualify for free or reduced lunch, versus three in five statewide.
Context — never part of the Scope Score
Worth knowing
At 56 students, this school is much smaller than the typical California high school (≈1450).
On the state's science test (CAST), 26% met or exceeded the standard — science is tested in grades 5 and 8 and once in high school, and it never enters the Scope Score.
Hispanic or Latino50.0% · district 40.8% · CA 56.1%
White44.6% · district 47.1% · CA 19.9%
Other5.4% · district 9.4% · CA 9.0%
Free or reduced lunch41.1% · CA 64%
Median income$112K · CA $85K
Median home value$1.08M · CA $659K
Bachelor's degree+50% · CA 35%
ZIP population35,607
Median age43 years
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2024) · ZIP-level
Culture & philosophy
What is the school’s approach?
School-stated approach · questions for your visit
Look beyond the brochure
A source-reviewed culture summary is not available for this profile yet. Ask how teaching, student support and family communication work day to day.
Read the school’s own website ↗Family voices
What would you want another family to know about the daily experience here?
Ask a current family: “When your child needs help, how does the school respond?”
Educator voices
What should families understand about teaching, support and the school community?
Ask an educator: “How do you adapt a typical day for children with different needs?”
Compare nearby schools
What are the alternatives?
Compare schools serving the same grade stage. Private schools have no comparable state-test score.
2025 · high schools · combined reading and math measures. Percentiles compare schools within their enrollment group.
No nearby schools in this category are listed. The school being viewed stays visible for reference.
| School | Type | Performance band | Advanced | Proficient or Advanced | Distance | Select |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ark Independent Studies | Public | Needs Support | 17% | 33% | School being viewed | |
| Santa Cruz High | Public | Strong | 37% | 60% | 1.2 mi | |
| Harbor High | Public | Developing | 20% | 43% | 1.2 mi | |
| Costanoa Continuation Highcontinuation comparison group | Public | Developing | 0% | 2% | School being viewed |
More nearby public and private options
Your other options
Your other options
Nearby public schools across grade levels, plus private options within 10 miles.
Private schools do not receive a Scope Score or statewide ranking on SchoolScope.
2 private schools within 10 miles
Not scored
What should I check before applying?
- District public
- Confirm the attendance boundary and any permit options.
- Charter
- Check applications, priorities and deadlines with each school.
- Private
- Confirm admission requirements, tuition and financial aid.
Moving & enrollment
Which schools could serve my child?
Check your address with the district
School location and nearby schools do not establish attendance eligibility. Confirm boundaries and permit requirements with Santa Cruz City High.
District information →School website →Schools across the K–12 journey
Elementary · K–5
Middle · 6–8
High school · 9–12
Source: proximity. Schools are grouped by grade stage. Nearby schools are not confirmed feeder links or address assignments. Verify the current path and eligibility with the district.
Plan your next step
What should I do next?
Worth a school visit
Ask what changed in the last two years, and what the school is asking families for. Growth shows up in these numbers a year or two after it shows up in classrooms.
- Ask how the school follows up when a student starts missing days — chronic absence often starts outside the classroom, not inside it.
- Ask what share of students complete the full college-prep course sequence, and who gets steered into it.
- Ask whether the tour can step into a working classroom — watch how the teacher handles a student who's stuck.
- Ask to tour while school's in session, and notice how hallways and transitions feel — culture shows up between classes, not just in them.
- Ask how the school communicates with families when a child starts to struggle.
- Ask what a typical day looks like for a new student in the first few weeks.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
Is Ark Independent Studies a good high school?
Ark Independent Studies has a Scope Score of 41 out of 100, placing it in the 16th percentile of California high schools and ranked #1,389 statewide. 16.7% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is 3.2 percentage points below the California average of 19.8%. The Scope Score weights 7 dimensions for high schools: graduation rate (25%), exceeded standard (22%), college/career readiness (20%), met or exceeded (proficient) (18%), chronic absenteeism (5%), suspension rate (5%), and ELPAC English Learner proficiency (5%). Data source: California Department of Education CAASPP 2025, analyzed by SchoolScope.
What are Ark Independent Studies's CAASPP test scores?
On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 33.3% of students at Ark Independent Studies met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 16.7% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 16.7% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 16.7% went beyond it. Most rating sites report only the combined "proficient" number. SchoolScope surfaces the exceeded-vs-met split because it shows how many students go beyond the standard rather than only meeting it. 30 student-subject combinations were assessed.
How does Ark Independent Studies rank in California?
Ark Independent Studies ranks #1,389 among California high schools by Scope Score, placing it in the 16th percentile. This ranking is based on a weighted composite of 2025 CAASPP test performance (exceeded and met rates), chronic absenteeism, and suspension rate. Unlike single-number ratings, the Scope Score shows what drives the ranking so parents can decide what matters most to their family. See full methodology.
What is the attendance and school culture like at Ark Independent Studies?
32.0% of students at Ark Independent Studies are chronically absent (missing 10% or more of school days), compared to the California average of 23.1%. The suspension rate is 2.3%. SchoolScope includes these culture metrics in the Scope Score because they reflect day-to-day school experience in ways test scores alone cannot.
How does Ark Independent Studies compare to other schools in Santa Cruz?
Ark Independent Studies scores 41/100 (16th percentile) among California high schools. To compare with nearby schools, SchoolScope shows the same metrics side by side: exceeded rate, proficiency, growth trajectory, and school culture indicators. The school serves 56 students. Use the schools in Santa Cruz page or the map view to compare all high schools nearby.
A low score doesn't tell the whole story. Read: Your School Scored Low — Here's What That Actually Means
Use the published evidence to prepare questions, then verify fit and access with the school.
Behind the evidence
Inspect the full record
Public sources, visible methods and the underlying school record. Source years and limitations stay attached to the evidence.
How the Scope Score is calculated
On a narrow screen, scroll the table sideways to see the state comparison and weights.
What the score weighs · CAASPP 2024–25
The 6 things our score weighs
| What we weigh | Here | State | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Graduation rate | 88.6% | 92.5% | 25% |
| Exceeded standard | 16.7% | 19.8% | 22% |
| College readiness | 0.0% | 43.0% | 20% |
| Met or exceeded | 33.3% | 43.2% | 18% |
| Chronic absenteeism | 32.0% | 23.1% | 5% |
| Suspension rate | 2.3% | 3.3% | 5% |
Source CAASPP 2025 · California Department of Education. Measures graduation, test performance, college readiness, attendance, and climate — not arts, community, or your kid. How the score is built
A closer look at the evidence
Ark Independent Studies: reading the evidence
Ark Independent Studies posts low test scores — and test scores are one lens among several. If this is your zoned school, the numbers below are where to start a conversation, not where to end one.
Subject proficiency describes tested students, while graduation describes a graduating cohort. These figures are not successive stages followed by the same students.
Explore the underlying data →Every number: score factors, grades, student groups and downloads
Every number · For the data nerds
Every number on this page
Score factors, grade-level breakdowns, subgroup proficiency, and nearest schools.
Ark Independent Studies is ranked #1,389 statewide · #4 of 5 in Santa Cruz City High.
01Score factorsWeighted composite · 2024–25
| Factor | School | State | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Graduation rate | 88.6% | 92.5% | 25% |
| Exceeded standard | 16.7% | 19.8% | 22% |
| College readiness | 0.0% | 43.0% | 20% |
| Met or exceeded | 33.3% | 43.2% | 18% |
| Chronic absenteeism | 32.0% | 23.1% | 5% |
| Suspension rate | 2.3% | 3.3% | 5% |
- Graduation rate
- ↓ vs CA 92.5% · index 52 · 50 = CA high-school midpoint
- Exceeded standard
- ↓ vs CA 19.8% · index 51 · 50 = CA high-school midpoint
- College readiness
- ↓ vs CA 43.0% · index 31 · 50 = CA high-school midpoint
- Met or exceeded
- ↓ vs CA 43.2% · index 48 · 50 = CA high-school midpoint
- Chronic absenteeism
- ↓ vs CA 23.1% · index 49 · 50 = CA high-school midpoint · ▲ 5.5pp higher vs 2024
- Suspension rate
- ↑ vs CA 3.3% · index 56 · 50 = CA high-school midpoint · ▼ 0.3pp lower vs 2024
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
ShowHide table 02 — By grade & subgroup
| ELA | Tested | EXC | MET | NEAR | NOT | MET+ | +/CA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 4 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Grade 11 | 15 | 27% | 27% | 27% | 20% | 53% | +5 |
| Math | Tested | EXC | MET | NEAR | NOT | MET+ | +/CA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 4 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Grade 11 | 15 | 7% | 7% | 40% | 47% | 13% | −10 |
We show the grade rows CDE publishes for this school. A missing grade or dash can mean the school does not serve that grade, that we hold no valid result for it, or that the tested group was too small to report. It does not mean zero.
| Science (CAST) | Tested | EXC | MET | NEAR | NOT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Schoolwide | 19 | 5% | 21% | 74% | 0% |
CAST is tested in grades 5 and 8, then once in grade 10, 11, or 12. This row is the school's all-student aggregate. Not part of the Scope Score.
03Nearest high schoolssorted by Scope Score
| School | Dist | Scope | EXC | MET+ | Susp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ark Independent Studies ← | — | 41 | 16.7% | 33.3% | 2.3% |
| Santa Cruz High | 1.2 mi | 72 | 37.5% | 59.8% | 1.5% |
| Harbor High | 1.2 mi | 48 | 19.9% | 42.7% | 2.7% |
| California average | — | 54 | 19.8% | 43.2% | 3.3% |
| Costanoa Continuation Highscored within its class, not statewide | 0 mi | 21 | 0.0% | 2.2% | 3.0% |
04More measurescontext · not all part of the Scope Score
ShowHide table 04 — More measures
Graduation Rate
88.6%
AP Exam Prepared
Not offered
This school may not offer AP courses
A-G Completion
16.1%
A-G are the 15 courses (across 7 subjects) required for UC/CSU eligibility
College-Going Rate
55.2%
| Year | Scope | Pctile | Rank | Exc | Met+ | Absent | Susp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 44 | 25 | #1193 | 18.7% | 42.7% | 45.1% | 1.9% |
| 2023 | 48 | 35 | #1066 | 22.5% | 52.6% | 30.7% | 2.1% |
| 2024 | 39 | 14 | #1411 | 6.3% | 38.1% | 26.5% | 2.7% |
| 2025 | 41 | 16 | #1389 | 16.7% | 33.3% | 32.0% | 2.3% |
What we can't show
- — No subgroup comparison could be shown for this school this year — either its group sizes fall under CDE's 15-student reporting floor, or district/state comparison data wasn't available for its groups.
05Climate by student groupchronic absenteeism · 2019 vs 2025 — the two years CDE publishes at subgroup level
ShowHide table 05 — Climate by student group
| Group | 2019 | 2025 | Δ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Female | 50.0% | 26.4% | -23.6pp |
| Male | 59.3% | 40.0% | -19.3pp |
| Hispanic/Latino | 71.8% | 35.6% | -36.2pp |
| White | 35.1% | 24.4% | -10.7pp |
| Students with Disabilities | 66.7% | 46.2% | -20.5pp |
| Socioeconomically Disadvantaged | 65.0% | 38.2% | -26.8pp |
| All Students | 53.2% | 32.3% | -20.9pp |
| English Learners | — | 64.3% | — |
06Advanced coursework — 2020-21 federal civil-rights snapshotstructural, dated — newest published; biennial
ShowHide table 06 — Advanced coursework — 2020-21 federal civil-rights snapshot
| Measure | This school |
|---|---|
| AP offered | not offered |
| AP course count | not reported |
| AP enrollment | not reported |
| IB participation | not offered |
| Dual enrollment | offered · 1 enrolled |
| Algebra I in grade 8 | not reported |
| Calculus sections | 1 |
| Physics sections | 1 |
| Chemistry sections | 1 |
| Total enrollment (CRDC) | 76 |
Shown, never scored — no entry to any composite. NULL/reserve codes render "not reported," never a fabricated zero. The equity block above this table (§4) is the per-subgroup view of this same collection.
07College destinationsclass of 2023 · CDE 12-mo College-Going Rate
ShowHide table 07 — College destinations
| Destination | Completers | % (derived) |
|---|---|---|
| University of California | 0 | 0.0% |
| California State University | 1 | 3.5% |
| California community college | 12 | 41.4% |
| In-state private | 1 | 3.5% |
| Out-of-state, 4-year | 1 | 3.5% |
| Out-of-state, 2-year | 1 | 3.5% |
| Not enrolled | 13 | 44.8% |
29 completers, class of 2023 · state-reported college-going rate 55% · % column is computed by SchoolScope (count ÷ completers), not a CDE-native rate · a missing cell is CDE suppression, never a fabricated zero · source: CDE 12-mo CGR, 2023 cohort (the newest published), National Student Clearinghouse match — a different, older vintage than the fall 2025 UC admissions rows in tables 06-07 above.
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EXC = exceeded standard · MET+ = met or exceeded ("proficient") · Source: CA Dept. of Education · CAASPP 2024–25 · n=1,647 high schools · Vintages: climate subgroups 2019+2025 · district finance per its label · ACS 2022 · CRDC 2020-21 (biennial; next expected 2021-22) · CDE 12-mo CGR 2023 cohort, National Student Clearinghouse match · Data updated 2026-09-27
SchoolScope scores and verdicts are our interpretation of public California Department of Education data — independent analysis, not an official rating. How we analyze · Request a correction