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Charter high school

Desert Sands Charter

Lancaster, CA · Grades 8-12 · 727 students · Antelope Valley Union High

No single number tells this school's story. Here's the honest picture.

40% of tested students are Proficient or Advanced in English and 7% in math. 22.1% graduate in four years. Explore the evidence alongside the opportunities your child would use.

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Math

7%

Grade 11 · Proficient or Advanced

English

40%

Grade 11 · Proficient or Advanced

Students

727

Total enrollment

Graduation

22.1%

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 →

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

0%25%50%75%100%2019: 3%2022: 5%2023: 3%2024: 4%2025: 7%2019: 43%2022: 35%2023: 31%2024: 32%2025: 40%201920222023202420250%25%50%75%100%2019: 3%2022: 5%2023: 3%2024: 4%2025: 7%2019: 43%2022: 35%2023: 31%2024: 32%2025: 40%20192022202320242025
● Math┄ English

Gaps in the lines mark years without annual results.

Exact annual results
YearMathEnglish
20193%43%
20225%35%
20233%31%
20244%32%
20257%40%

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.

Annual results and the full academic record
Where students land · CAASPP 2024–25

One in five of students here meet the standard. 4% clear it by a lot.

ELA40% met or exceeded
Exceeded 8%Met 32%Nearly Met 29%Not Met 30%
Math7% met or exceeded
Exceeded 0%Met 7%Nearly Met 17%Not Met 76%
Exceeded Met Nearly Met Not Met
California high schools · average20% exceeded · 43% met or exceeded
This school against the California average
2019–2025 trend · CDE CAASPP
Scope% Exceeded% Met+Grad rateCollege readinessAbsenceSuspension
This school144%24%22.1%6.3%58.9%0.9%
CA average · High School5420%43%92.5%43.0%23.1%3.3%
This schoolCA avg
Scope1454
% Exceeded4%20%
% Met+24%43%
Grad rate22.1%92.5%
College readiness6.3%43.0%
Absence58.9%23.1%
Suspension0.9%3.3%

Students & opportunity

Who shares in the school’s results?

Who it works for · CAASPP 2024–25

Low-income students here meet the ELA standard about even with the same group statewide.

At Desert Sands Charter in Lancaster, 37.1% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 34.1% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Desert Sands Charter outperforms its district average for low-income students by 3.0 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (6.2% Math proficient); Hispanic students (40.3% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 23.7 percentage points for disabilities students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 97 students tested.

Met or exceeded · reading and math combined
All students at this school: 24% met or exceeded
All StudentsAll Students: this school 24%, district —, state 43%24%
Socioeconomically DisadvantagedSocioeconomically Disadvantaged: this school 22%, district 22%, state 32%22% · −2 vs school
Hispanic/LatinoHispanic/Latino: this school 24%, district 26%, state 32%24% · +0 vs school
FemaleFemale: this school 23%, district 28%, state 44%23% · −1 vs school
MaleMale: this school 25%, district 25%, state 42%25% · +2 vs school
Students with DisabilitiesStudents with Disabilities: this school 8%, district 6%, state 15%8% · −15 vs school
Two or More RacesTwo or More Races: this school 25%, district 32%, state 56%25% · +1 vs school
WhiteWhite: this school 33%, district 40%, state 56%33% · +10 vs school
Black/African AmericanBlack/African American: this school 4%, district 15%, state 26%4% · −20 vs school
English LearnersEnglish Learners: too few students to report‹11
HomelessHomeless: too few students to report‹11
FilipinoFilipino: too few students to report‹11
Foster YouthFoster Youth: too few students to report‹11
this school district, same group California, same group
ShowHide California's growth model by student group

No student-group growth record is available for this school in this data release.

AP access · 2020-21 federal civil rights snapshot (structural, dated — newest published; biennial)
Shown, never scored

In the 2020-21 federal collection — the newest there is — Hispanic students were 57% of Desert Sands Charter's enrollment and 100% of its AP seats — ahead of their share of the student body.

Hispanic100.0% AP · 56.8% enroll.
American Indian/Alaska Native0.0% AP · 0.5% enroll.
Asian0.0% AP · 0.2% enroll.
Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander0.0% AP · 0.2% enroll.
Black0.0% AP · 18.2% enroll.
White0.0% AP · 17.8% enroll.
Two or more races0.0% AP · 6.2% enroll.
English learners0.0% AP · 7.8% enroll.
Students with disabilities0.0% AP · 19.0% enroll.

● share of AP enrollment vs share of total enrollment, this school only · not part of the Scope Score

Data source: U.S. Dept. of Education Office for Civil Rights, Civil Rights Data Collection, 2020-21 (biennial; newest published)

Where graduates go

What happens after high school?

32%

Enrolled in college within a year

Class of 2023 · 36 of 112 completers · includes community colleges

112Completers
2%
Other colleges2 completers · Outside the California community college system
30%
California community colleges34 completers · Enrolled within a year
68%
Not recorded enrolled76 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
32%enrolled in college within a year
  • California State University1 (1%)
  • California community college34 (30%)
  • Out-of-state, 4-year1 (1%)
  • Not enrolled76 (68%)

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.

The people teaching · CDE staffing 2024–25

The people teaching here

Context — never part of the Scope Score

Teaching staff35 teachers
Avg. experience15.7 years
Fully credentialed53%
First-year teachers3%
Intern / emergency permit0.5%
PrincipalVictor Nardiello
ShowHide what the district pays
Teacher salary schedule$50,398 – $133,882
Principal salaryUp to $181,958
Superintendent salary$336,653

Pay is set by the district, not the school.

Course breadth
AP exam qualifiers2 studentsCCI, participation not authorization
Attendance & discipline · 2024–25

Kids here miss more school, and get suspended less, than the state average.

58.9% of students miss a month or more of school, versus 23.1% statewide. High absence often tracks community stress — worth asking about on a tour.

Chronic absenteeismChronic absenteeism: this school 58.9%, district 24.0%, state 23.1%58.9% · +35.8pp vs state
Suspension rateSuspension rate: this school 0.9%, district —, state 3.3%0.9% · −2.3pp vs state
This schoolDistrictCalifornia

Resources & neighborhood

What sits behind the school experience?

Explore school spending and the district budget
What gets spent · FY 2024–25

Its district spends $13,452 per student, less than the California average.

Context — never part of the Scope Score

The district's current expense of education per student, from CDE's annual SACS filing — the freshest district spending figure the state publishes.

Per-pupil spendingPer-pupil spending: $13,452, CA average $14,491$13,452 · district average
District current expense · FY 2024–25$19,987 per student
District averageCalifornia
Where the district's dollars go · FY 2024–25 · CDE SACS
Instruction 59%Instruction support 12%Student services 12%Administration 5%Buildings & maintenance 11%Other 1%

District-level, from the district's own SACS general-ledger filing — school-by-school breakdowns aren't published by the state.

ShowHide the district's spending year by year
district detail, 2016–2020 — the newest published
2020$13,452 per pupil
2019$13,747 per pupil
2018$13,693 per pupil
2017$13,553 per pupil
2016$12,151 per pupil

Source: NCES F-33 · Full district breakdown →

The neighborhood · ACS 2024

Three in four of students here qualify for free or reduced lunch, versus three in five statewide.

Context — never part of the Scope Score

Worth knowing

At 727 students, this school is much smaller than the typical California high school (≈1450).

On the state's science test (CAST), 32% 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 Latino59.8% · district 67.2% · CA 56.1%
White11.3% · district 8.9% · CA 19.9%
Asian0.3% · district 1.0% · CA 10.2%
Black13.6% · district 16.6% · CA 4.8%
Other15.0% · district 6.2% · CA 9.0%
GenderFemale 49.1% · Male 49.9% · Non-binary 1.0%
Free or reduced lunch78.7% · CA 64%
Median income$62K · CA $85K
Median home value$375K · CA $659K
Bachelor's degree+16% · CA 35%
ZIP population41,430
Median age36 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?”

Bring these questions on a visit →

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.

Private options →
SchoolTypePerformance bandAdvancedProficient or AdvancedDistanceSelect
Desert Sands Charteralternative comparison groupCharterDeveloping4%24%School being viewed
SOAR High (Students On Academic Rise)PublicStrong33%68%1.3 mi
Lancaster HighPublicDeveloping7%23%1.5 mi
Antelope Valley HighPublicNeeds Support6%22%2.2 mi
Open the comparison tool →
More nearby public and private options
Your other options

Your other options

Nearby public schools across grade levels, plus private options within 10 miles.

All schools in Lancaster →

Private schools do not receive a Scope Score or statewide ranking on SchoolScope.

4 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 enrollment with this charter school

Ask the school about applications, priorities and deadlines for your child’s grade.

School website →

Schools across the K–12 journey

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.

Charter enrollment details

Plan your next step

What should I do next?

Worth a school visit

Ask what the school is working on next. Strong numbers tell you where a school is, not where it's going.

  • Ask how the school follows up when a student starts missing days — chronic absence often starts outside the classroom, not inside 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 Desert Sands Charter a good high school?
Desert Sands Charter has a Scope Score of 14 out of 100, placing it in the 26th percentile of California alternative high schools and ranked #83 in that group. This is a rank inside that group, not a statewide one: SchoolScope compares alternative schools with one another rather than with California's comprehensive campuses, so it cannot be read against a statewide figure. Why these schools are ranked separately. 4.2% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is 15.6 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 Desert Sands Charter's CAASPP test scores?
On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 23.5% of students at Desert Sands Charter met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 4.2% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 19.3% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 4.2% 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. 238 student-subject combinations were assessed.
How does Desert Sands Charter rank among California alternative schools?
Desert Sands Charter ranks #83 among California alternative high schools by Scope Score, placing it in the 26th percentile. This is a rank inside that group, not a statewide one: SchoolScope compares alternative schools with one another rather than with California's comprehensive campuses, so it cannot be read against a statewide figure. Why these schools are ranked separately. 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 Desert Sands Charter?
58.9% of students at Desert Sands Charter are chronically absent (missing 10% or more of school days), compared to the California average of 23.1%. The suspension rate is 0.9%, indicating a low-discipline-incident environment. 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 Desert Sands Charter compare to other schools in Lancaster?
Desert Sands Charter scores 14/100 (26th percentile) among California alternative high schools. This is a rank inside that group, not a statewide one: SchoolScope compares alternative schools with one another rather than with California's comprehensive campuses, so it cannot be read against a statewide figure. Why these schools are ranked separately. 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 727 students. Use the schools in Lancaster page or the map view to compare all high schools nearby.
How does Desert Sands Charter serve low-income and underrepresented students?
At Desert Sands Charter in Lancaster, 37.1% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 34.1% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Desert Sands Charter outperforms its district average for low-income students by 3.0 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (6.2% Math proficient); Hispanic students (40.3% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 23.7 percentage points for disabilities students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 97 students tested. SchoolScope shows disaggregated test scores by demographic subgroup so you can see how a school performs for your child's specific group — not just the school-wide average. Subgroup data is context, not part of the Scope Score: we don't penalize schools for who they serve. See our equity approach.

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 the score weighs
What we weighHereStateWeight
Graduation rate22.1%92.5%25%
Exceeded standard4.2%19.8%22%
College readiness6.3%43.0%20%
Met or exceeded23.5%43.2%18%
Chronic absenteeism58.9%23.1%5%
Suspension rate0.9%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

Desert Sands Charter: reading the evidence

Desert Sands Charter posts 24% meeting the standard and 4.2% exceeding it, against 43% and 19.8% statewide. The gaps and the bright spots below are the real read.

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.

Desert Sands Charter is ranked #83 of California alternative high schools.

01Score factorsWeighted composite · 2024–25
Score factors
FactorSchoolStateWeight
Graduation rate22.1%92.5%25%
Exceeded standard4.2%19.8%22%
College readiness6.3%43.0%20%
Met or exceeded23.5%43.2%18%
Chronic absenteeism58.9%23.1%5%
Suspension rate0.9%3.3%5%
Graduation rate
↓ vs CA 92.5% · index 0 · 50 = CA high-school midpoint
Exceeded standard
↓ vs CA 19.8% · index 37 · 50 = CA high-school midpoint
College readiness
↓ vs CA 43.0% · index 34 · 50 = CA high-school midpoint
Met or exceeded
↓ vs CA 43.2% · index 41 · 50 = CA high-school midpoint
Chronic absenteeism
↓ vs CA 23.1% · index 27 · 50 = CA high-school midpoint · ▲ 6.8pp higher vs 2024
Suspension rate
↑ vs CA 3.3% · index 62 · 50 = CA high-school midpoint · ▲ 0.4pp higher vs 2024
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
ShowHide table 02 — By grade & subgroup
ELATestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 111198%32%29%30%40%−8
MathTestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 111190%7%17%76%7%−17

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)TestedEXCMETNEARNOT
Schoolwide258%24%68%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.

Subgroup · ELATestedMET+vs districtvs CA
Socioeconomically Disadvantaged9737.1%+3−1
Hispanic/Latino6740.3%+1+1
Students with Disabilities2416.7%+7−0
03Nearest high schoolssorted by Scope Score
SchoolDistScopeEXCMET+Susp
Desert Sands Charter ←144.2%23.5%0.9%
SOAR High (Students On Academic Rise)1.3 mi6433.2%68.3%0.3%
Lancaster High1.5 mi466.8%23.5%10.3%
Antelope Valley High2.2 mi425.8%21.9%14.9%
California average5419.8%43.2%3.3%
04More measurescontext · not all part of the Scope Score
ShowHide table 04 — More measures
Graduation Rate
22.1%
AP Exam Prepared
6.3%
A-G Completion
9.1%
A-G are the 15 courses (across 7 subjects) required for UC/CSU eligibility
College-Going Rate
32.1%
YearScopePctileRankExcMet+AbsentSusp
20191235#723.9%23.0%52.9%1.1%
20221536#686.9%19.9%48.8%0.4%
20231424#823.3%17.0%49.1%0.8%
20241324#842.9%17.6%52.1%0.5%
20251426#834.2%23.5%58.9%0.9%
NO STATEWIDE TESTING 2020–21 (COVID) · SCORE AND PERCENTILE ARE RELATIVE TO EACH YEAR'S FIELD
What we can't show
  • — This school's rank and percentile are computed against California alternative high schools, not California's comprehensive campuses — see the Enrollment Axiom at /methodology#peer-class.
05Advanced coursework — 2020-21 federal civil-rights snapshotstructural, dated — newest published; biennial
ShowHide table 05 — Advanced coursework — 2020-21 federal civil-rights snapshot
MeasureThis school
AP offeredoffered
AP course count1
AP enrollment1
IB participationnot offered
Dual enrollmentoffered · 10 enrolled
Algebra I in grade 8not reported
Calculus sections0
Physics sections0
Chemistry sections0
Total enrollment (CRDC)804

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.

06College destinationsclass of 2023 · CDE 12-mo College-Going Rate
ShowHide table 06 — College destinations
DestinationCompleters% (derived)
University of California00.0%
California State University10.9%
California community college3430.4%
In-state private00.0%
Out-of-state, 4-year10.9%
Out-of-state, 2-year00.0%
Not enrolled7667.9%

112 completers, class of 2023 · state-reported college-going rate 32% · % 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 2026-09-18

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

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