How does Ark Independent Studies compare to other high schools in Santa Cruz?

Ark Independent Studies has a Scope Score of 40.6/100, ranked #1149 among California high schools. 17% of students exceed standard, with a total of 30 students tested across grades and subjects.

What percentage of students exceed standards at Ark Independent Studies?

16.7% of students at Ark Independent Studies exceed the state standard on CAASPP assessments, while 33.3% meet or exceed it. The gap between these two numbers reveals whether the school pushes students beyond basic proficiency.

What is the chronic absenteeism rate at Ark Independent Studies?

32.3% of students at Ark Independent Studies are chronically absent (missing 10% or more of school days). This metric reflects school culture and family engagement, and is weighted at 15% in the Scope Score.

Ark Independent Studies

High School

Santa Cruz City High Santa CruzSanta Cruz County95062

📍 840 North Branciforte Avenue

Scope Score

out of 100

State Rank

of 1,649 California high schools

🌱

Building Momentum

Every school has strengths the data doesn’t fully capture. Visit and see for yourself.

Scope Scores are SchoolScope's analysis of public data from the California Dept. of Education (CAASPP, chronic absenteeism, suspension rates). They are not official CDE ratings and should not be the sole basis for school decisions. See methodology.

School overview

Enrollment

52 students

Student-Teacher Ratio

26:1

Free/Reduced Lunch

37%

Teachers

2 full-time

College & career readiness

Graduation Rate

88.6%

AP Exam Prepared

Not offered

This school may not offer AP courses

A-G Completion

16.1%

College-Going Rate

55.2%

Data source: California Department of Education — ACGR, CCI, CGR reports

Dashboard indicators

How this school's scores changed from last year to this year

ELA Year-over-Year

Increased Significantly

+86.9 pts DFS change

Math Year-over-Year

Increased Significantly

+30.6 pts DFS change

Data source: California School Dashboard 2025, ELPAC 2024

Student demographics

Hispanic44.2%

White46.1%

Black1.9%

Other7.7%

Performance breakdown

Performance breakdown for Ark Independent Studies
Category	Percentage
Exceeded Standard	16.7%
Met Standard	16.7%
Below Standard	66.7%

Score Factors

Helping

✓Graduation rate: 88.6%

1.2pp above state avg (state avg 87.4%)

25% weight

✓Exceeded standard: 16.7%

1.0pp above state avg (state avg 15.7%)

20% weight

✓Chronic absenteeism: 32.3%

2.0pp below state avg (state avg 34.3%)

10% weight

✓Suspension rate: 1.0%

3.1pp below state avg (state avg 4.1%)

5% weight

Holding Back

▼College readiness: 0.0%

AP exam pass rate below state avg (state avg 35.3%)

20% weight

▼Met or exceeded: 33.3%

1.4pp below state avg (state avg 34.8%)

15% weight

▼Baseline proficiency: 33.3%

Below state baseline (state avg 34.8%)

5% weight

Unlike traditional school ratings, we show our work. Every factor, its weight, and how this school compares to the state average — so you can decide what matters most to your family. The high school Scope Score is weighted across 7 dimensions. See full methodology →

What other rankings don't show you

Most rating sites report "33% proficient" for Ark Independent Studies and stop there. Here's what that number hides:

16.7% of students exceeded standard while 16.7% met it. That exceeded rate is near the state average of 15.7%. That's near the Santa Cruz City High district average of 18.6%. Nearby schools (within ~3 miles) average 15.8% exceeded — about the same. The gap between "met" and "exceeded" can reveal how much a school's curriculum challenges students beyond proficiency.

The graduation rate is 88.6%. 16.1% of students complete A-G requirements for UC/CSU eligibility. 55.2% of graduates go on to college within a year.

Chronic absenteeism is 32.3%, better than the state average of 34.3%.

Why the exceeded vs. met split matters →

A low score doesn't tell the whole story. Read: Your School Scored Low — Here's What That Actually Means

Key metrics

% Exceeded Standard

16.7%

Students scoring above proficient

% Met or Above

33.3%

Students meeting standard

Chronic Absenteeism

32.3%

Students missing 10%+ of days

Suspension Rate

1.0%

Students suspended at least once

Total Tested

Across all grades & subjects

ELA scores by grade

Grade	Tested	Exceeded	Met	Nearly Met	Not Met	Met+Above
4th	0	—	—	—	—	—
11th	15	26.7%	26.7%	26.7%	20.0%	53.3%

Math scores by grade

Grade	Tested	Exceeded	Met	Nearly Met	Not Met	Met+Above
4th	0	—	—	—	—	—
11th	15	6.7%	6.7%	40.0%	46.7%	13.3%

Estimated K-12 PathEstimate

Elementary

Alternative Family Educat…

No score

→

Middle

Alternative Family Educat…

No score

→

High

Ark Independent Studies

40.6

This school

Estimated K-12 path based on district and proximity. Actual attendance zones may differ. Contact your school district for official feeder information.