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Highland High · BakersfieldPublic

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

Highland posts 35% meeting the standard and 12.2% exceeding it, against 36% and 15.8% statewide. The gaps and the bright spots below are the real read.

2900 Royal Scots Way, 93306 (opens in new tab)·Kern High·Bakersfield·Grades 9-12·2,530 students·87% low-income·2024–25 CAASPP·(661) 872-2777·Website
2019–2025 trend · CDE CAASPP
This schoolCA avg
Scope4947
% Exceeded12%16%
% Met+35%36%
Grad rate88.7%86.6%
College readiness62.2%33.9%
Absence16.5%30.2%
Suspension6.8%3.6%
Scope Score
49
🌱 Building Momentum · Developing
ranked #1,011 statewide · #7 of 25 in Kern High

Highland High scores 49 of 100 on SchoolScope's Scope Score — the 53rd percentile of 2,160 California high schools (CDE CAASPP 2025).

Measures test performance, attendance, and climate — not arts, community, or your kid. How we score →

🌱 Building Momentum — This label means the data doesn't clearly sort the school one way or the other — ask what the school is proud of, and what it's working on.

Most rating sites would stop at “35% proficient” and call it done. Highland deserves a closer read. The school sits in Bakersfield, where four in five students qualify for free or reduced lunch — and reading the numbers without that context misreads the school.

Highland's low-income kids hit 50.8% proficiency in ELA — a number the same group reaches at 38.2% statewide. If you're trying to read past zip-code-driven test scores, that's the signal worth weighing.

The seven-year arc

Percentile among 2,160 high schools statewide

Slipped from the 61st to the 53rd percentile since 2019.

ELAGreen(Increased)MathOrange(Maintained)

This school hasn't fully recovered from the pandemic: 35% meet the standard today, versus 43% in 2019 — a gap worth asking about on a visit.

ELA — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 1163%41%61%51%55%
Math — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 1123%14%19%16%16%

The story this school is actually telling

Proficient by 11th grade
35%
State 36%
Graduate
89%
State 87%
Pass an AP exam
62%
State 34%

Of 100 students here: 35 are proficient by 11th grade → 89 graduate → 62 pass an AP exam. The gaps between those bars are the questions to ask.

50.8%
Low-income · ELA · met standard

Highland's most underrated number

50.8% of low-income students met the ELA standard — versus 38.2% for the same group statewide. That's the strongest kind of signal a school can post: it holds across income lines.

Highland low-income: 50.8%State low-income: 38.2%

The 7 things our score weighs

Graduation rate
88.7%
State 86.6%
2.1pp above state avg
Exceeded standard
12.2%
State 15.8%
3.7pp below state avg
College readiness
62.2%
State 33.9%
AP course or exam readiness above state avg
Met or exceeded
35.2%
State 35.7%
0.5pp below state avg
Chronic absenteeism
16.5%
State 30.2%
13.7pp below state avg
Suspension rate
6.8%
State 3.6%
3.2pp above state avg
EL proficiency (ELPAC)
7.8%
State 18.0%
10.2pp below state avg
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 whether extra support — tutoring, counseling, small groups — reaches kids across income lines, not just the students already ahead.
  • 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.

How every group of students does here

At Highland High in Bakersfield, 50.8% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 47.2% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Highland High outperforms its district average for low-income students by 3.7 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (13.1% Math proficient); Hispanic students (52.2% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 44.9 percentage points for disabilities students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 477 students tested.

All students at this school: 35% met or exceeded
All StudentsAll Students: this school 35%, district —, state 36%35%
Socioeconomically DisadvantagedSocioeconomically Disadvantaged: this school 32%, district 30%, state 32%32% · −3 vs school
Hispanic/LatinoHispanic/Latino: this school 32%, district 31%, state 32%32% · −3 vs school
FemaleFemale: this school 37%, district 37%, state 44%37% · +2 vs school
MaleMale: this school 33%, district 32%, state 42%33% · −2 vs school
WhiteWhite: this school 49%, district 44%, state 56%49% · +14 vs school
Students with DisabilitiesStudents with Disabilities: this school 7%, district 8%, state 15%7% · −28 vs school
Black/African AmericanBlack/African American: this school 28%, district 24%, state 26%28% · −7 vs school
English LearnersEnglish Learners: this school 6%, district 5%, state 11%6% · −29 vs school

6 of 15 student groups here are too small to report — a privacy protection, not a gap.

this school district, same group California, same group
AP access · 2020-21 federal civil rights snapshot (structural, dated — newest published; biennial)
Shown, never scored
Hispanic74.0% AP · 73.1% enroll.
American Indian/Alaska Native0.3% AP · 0.7% enroll.
Asian3.4% AP · 2.7% enroll.
Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander0.3% AP · 0.3% enroll.
Black2.6% AP · 6.0% enroll.
White19.2% AP · 16.7% enroll.
Two or more races0.2% AP · 0.4% enroll.
English learners0.4% AP · 5.1% enroll.
Students with disabilities0.6% AP · 13.1% 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)

Showing up, and staying in class

Chronic absenteeismChronic absenteeism: this school 16.5%, district 18.7%, state 30.2%16.5% · −13.7pp vs state
Suspension rateSuspension rate: this school 6.8%, district —, state 3.6%6.8% · +3.2pp vs state
Chronic absenteeism by grade band
Grades 9–1216.1%

Where graduates go

Context — never part of the Scope Score
55%
College-going rate, class of 2023

Where they went after graduation

Of Highland's class of 2023, 55% enrolled in college somewhere within a year — a CSU, a community college, a UC, or out of state.

College destination mix, class of 2023

Class of 2023: 543 completers, 55% enrolled somewhere within a year

University of California 23 (4%)California State University 63 (12%)California community college 191 (35%)In-state private 9 (2%)Out-of-state, 4-year 10 (2%)Out-of-state, 2-year 0 (0%)Not enrolled 247 (45%)

Percentages are computed by SchoolScope (count ÷ completers) from CDE-reported counts, not a CDE-native rate.

Data source: California Department of Education, 2023 cohort — the newest published; National Student Clearinghouse match.

UC application funnel — one destination of six, tracked in detail because UC is the only source with 30 years of history

In fall 2025, 10 of Highland's 551 graduates enrolled in the University of California system — Santa Barbara the most common landing, with 3 enrollees.

Applied68fall 2025, universitywide
Admitted46
Enrolled10
Where they landed (fall 2025)

8 of 9 campuses are masked below UC's privacy floor — a protection, not a verdict.

campuses never sum to the universitywide figure — students apply to several

UC enrollees, universitywide, 2014–2025

Peak: 25 enrolled, 2020

UC publishes this trend back to 1994 — no other destination has a comparable multi-year record

UC is one road of many — the full destination mix for the class of 2023 is below. And who applied isn't who the school taught: the ratio between the two reflects the self-selected pool of students who chose to apply, not what happened in the classroom. By the state's 2023 count, 55% of this class's predecessors enrolled in college somewhere within a year. More of the class of 2023 enrolled at community colleges (191) than at UC (23).

Data source: University of California Office of the President (UC Information Center), fall 2025 admissions cycle · college-going rate: California Department of Education, 2023 cohort.

The people teaching here

Context — never part of the Scope Score
Student : teacherStudent to teacher ratio: this school 24:1, district 25:124:1
Teaching staff205 teachers
Avg. experience10.6 years
Fully credentialed82%
First-year teachers5%
Intern / emergency permit2.0%
Salary Schedule
Teacher salary schedule$62,889 – $134,832
Principal salaryUp to $173,913
Superintendent salary$255,200

Pay is set by the district, not the school.

Course Breadth
AP exam qualifiers189 studentsCCI, participation not authorization
CTE pathway completers115 students
Advanced Coursework

Highland's teachers are authorized to teach 19 of the 40 AP subjects the College Board offers — above the 14-subject median among California schools that offer AP at all — including Calculus AB, Physics 1, and Computer Science A.

AP subjects taught19
Math & Computer Science (4)Calculus AB · Computer Science A · Computer Science Principles · Statistics
Sciences (3)Biology · Chemistry · Physics 1
English (2)English Language and Composition · English Literature and Composition
History & Social Science (5)Macroeconomics · Psychology · U.S. Government and Politics · United States History · World History: Modern
World Languages & Cultures (3)French Language and Culture · Spanish Language and Culture · Spanish Literature and Culture
Arts (2)2-D Art and Design · 3-D Art and Design

Data source: College Board AP Course Audit, 2025 - 2026 audit year (authorization, not enrollment) · IB World Schools directory, name-matched · structural depth: 2020-21 federal snapshot, table 09

What gets spent here

Context — never part of the Scope Score
Per-pupil spendingPer-pupil spending: $18,507, CA average $14,491$18,507 · spent at this school
Federal share$1,115 per student

$1,115 per student arrives as federal Title funding — a measure of concentrated need, not school quality.

District current expense · FY 2024–25$20,278 per student

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

Where the district's dollars go · FY 2024–25 · CDE SACS
Instruction48%
Instruction support16%
Student services15%
Administration6%
Buildings & maintenance13%
Other2%

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

district detail, 2016–2020 — the newest published
2020$13,940 per pupil
2019$13,737 per pupil
2018$14,008 per pupil
2017$12,847 per pupil
2016$12,132 per pupil

Source: NCES F-33 · Full district breakdown →

The neighborhood it serves

Context — never part of the Scope Score
Hispanic74.4%
District 71.9% · CA 56.1%
White15.1%
District 14.2% · CA 19.9%
Black5.0%
District 5.0% · CA 4.8%
Other3.2%
District 6.3% · CA 9.0%
Asian2.3%
District 2.5% · CA 10.2%
Low IncomeFree/reduced lunch eligible 87.3% (24pp above CA avg)
Neighborhood — American Community Survey
Median income$70K · CA $85K
Median home value$321K · CA $659K
Bachelor's degree+18% · CA 35%
ZIP population74,116
Median age33 years

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2024) · ZIP-level

Worth Knowing

At 2,530 students, this school is well above the typical California high school (≈1450).

On the state's science test (CAST), 28% 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.

Frequently asked questions

Is Highland High a good high school?

Highland High has a Scope Score of 49 out of 100, placing it in the 53rd percentile of California high schools and ranked #1,011 statewide. 12.2% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is 3.7 percentage points below the California average of 15.8%. 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 Highland High's CAASPP test scores?

On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 35.2% of students at Highland High met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 12.2% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 23.0% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 12.2% pushed past it. Most rating sites report only the combined "proficient" number. SchoolScope surfaces the exceeded-vs-met split because it reveals whether a school's curriculum challenges students beyond minimum proficiency or paces toward it. 1,138 student-subject combinations were assessed.

How does Highland High rank in California?

Highland High ranks #1,011 among California high schools by Scope Score, placing it in the 53rd 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 Highland High?

16.5% of students at Highland High are chronically absent (missing 10% or more of school days), which is better than the California average of 30.2%. The suspension rate is 6.8%. 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 Highland High compare to other schools in Bakersfield?

Highland High scores 49/100 (53rd 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 2,530 students. Use the schools in Bakersfield page or the map view to compare all high schools nearby.

How does Highland High serve low-income and underrepresented students?

At Highland High in Bakersfield, 50.8% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 47.2% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Highland High outperforms its district average for low-income students by 3.7 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (13.1% Math proficient); Hispanic students (52.2% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 44.9 percentage points for disabilities students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 477 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.

What AP courses are offered at Highland High?

Highland High's teachers are authorized to teach 19 of the 40 AP subjects the College Board offers, per the 2025 - 2026 AP Course Audit: 2-D Art and Design, 3-D Art and Design, Biology, Calculus AB, Chemistry, Computer Science A, Computer Science Principles, English Language and Composition, English Literature and Composition, French Language and Culture, Macroeconomics, Physics 1, Psychology, Spanish Language and Culture, Spanish Literature and Culture, Statistics, U.S. Government and Politics, United States History, World History: Modern. Authorization means the school may teach a course, not that a section is running this year, and it's separate from AP exam pass rates. Data source: College Board AP Course Audit, analyzed by SchoolScope.

How many students from Highland High go to UC?

In fall 2025, 10 Highland High graduates enrolled at University of California campuses, universitywide. That figure can't be split into a per-campus sum — students apply to several UC campuses at once, so campus-level counts don't add up to the universitywide total. UC is one destination among many: this says nothing about graduates who chose a CSU, a private college, a community college, or work, and it is a count, not a rate or a ranking. Data source: University of California Office of the President (UC Information Center), fall 2025 admissions cycle.

Your other options

Private alternatives nearby

Private schools within ~10 miles. These schools do not participate in state testing and cannot be scored or ranked.


For the data nerds

Every number on this page

Score factors, grade-level breakdowns, subgroup proficiency, and nearest schools.

01Score factorsWeighted composite · 2024–25
Graduation rate · 25%
88.7%
↑ vs CA 86.6% · 52th pctile
Exceeded standard · 22%
12.2%
↓ vs CA 15.8% · 46th pctile
College readiness · 20%
62.2%
↑ vs CA 33.9% · 66th pctile
Met or exceeded · 18%
35.2%
↓ vs CA 35.7% · 49th pctile
Chronic absenteeism · 5%
16.5%
↑ vs CA 30.2% · 61th pctile
▲ 3.5pp higher vs 2024
Suspension rate · 5%
6.8%
↓ vs CA 3.6% · 36th pctile
▲ 1.3pp higher vs 2024
EL proficiency (ELPAC) · 5%
7.8%
↓ vs CA 18.0% · 36th pctile
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
ELATestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 1156521%34%24%21%55%+6
MathTestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 115734%12%22%63%16%−8

We show the grade rows CDE publishes for this school. A missing grade or dash can mean the school does not serve that grade, no valid result was published, or the tested group was too small to report. It does not mean zero.

Science (CAST)TestedEXCMETNEARNOT
Schoolwide5876%23%65%6%

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 Disadvantaged47750.8%+4+13
Hispanic/Latino43652.2%+4+13
White8767.8%+8+6
03Nearest high schoolssorted by Scope Score · Grade gap = grade 3 vs grade 5, this year, different students; Cohort growth = the same students tracked across grades, in scale-score points — that's the measurement the Scope Score weights
SchoolDistScopeEXCMET+Grade gapCohort growthSusp
Highland High ←4912.2%35.2%6.8%
Foothill High2.4 mi459.9%31.0%9.7%
East Bakersfield High2.4 mi4211.3%32.3%11.7%
California average4715.8%35.7%3.6%
04More measurescontext · not all part of the Scope Score
Graduation Rate
88.7%
AP Exam Prepared
62.2%
A-G Completion
49.2%
A-G are the 15 courses (across 7 subjects) required for UC/CSU eligibility
College-Going Rate
54.5%
YearScopePctileRankExcMet+AbsentSuspGrade gap
20195361#79014.7%43.1%14.4%8.5%
20224854#97010.2%27.8%36.1%5.2%
20235467#71117.0%39.6%23.4%6.6%
20245261#84112.5%33.6%13.0%5.6%
20254953#101112.2%35.2%16.5%6.8%
Grade gap = this year's grade 3 vs grade 5 result, two different sets of students, not a trend for any one child — it is not the measurement the Scope Score's growth dimension uses. See §01 above and /methodology#verdicts for the school's actual scored (cohort) growth.
NO STATEWIDE TESTING 2020–21 (COVID) · SCORE AND PERCENTILE ARE RELATIVE TO EACH YEAR'S FIELD
05Climate by student groupchronic absenteeism · 2019 vs 2025 — the two years CDE publishes at subgroup level
Group20192025Δ
Female15.1%17.2%+2.1pp
Male12.8%14.8%+2.0pp
Asian3.8%20.3%+16.5pp
Black/African American23.8%20.3%-3.5pp
Filipino15.8%20.0%+4.2pp
White0.0%17.4%+17.4pp
Hispanic/Latino13.3%15.5%+2.2pp
American Indian/Alaska Native5.3%26.3%+21.0pp
Two or More Races21.4%36.4%+15.0pp
Students with Disabilities20.6%25.9%+5.3pp
English Learners17.1%20.8%+3.7pp
Foster Youth4.5%47.6%+43.1pp
Homeless30.8%53.3%+22.5pp
Military-Connected4.8%14.6%+9.8pp
Socioeconomically Disadvantaged15.5%17.1%+1.6pp
All Students14.0%16.1%+2.1pp
06UC admissions, universitywide2014–2025 · summed across CEEB codes at query time
YearAppliedAdmittedEnrolledGPA (applied)GPA (admitted)GPA (enrolled)
20256846103.713.883.94
20248464243.873.984.04
20237445233.853.974.05
20226644143.934.064.16
20216843183.783.974.07
20206143253.803.954.11
20194425143.793.943.98
20186232163.723.993.99
20175736163.703.934.01
20165232213.803.994.08
20153721113.814.004.01
20145534133.793.954.01

‹n = UC masks counts below n · a missing year means zero or masked — never assume zero · GPA cells blank for years with more than one contributing CEEB code (a summed GPA would be fabricated math) · GPAs live here and nowhere else on this page · Applied/Admitted/Enrolled reflect who applied, not what the school taught — no admit rate is computed or implied by this table. Series shown from 2014; full record to 1994 at the UC Infocenter.

07UC admissions by campuslatest falls on file
CampusYearAppliedAdmittedEnrolled
Berkeley202527‹3‹3
Berkeley202436106
Berkeley20233895
Berkeley2022344‹3
Berkeley202127‹3‹3
Davis20253212‹3
Davis202431177
Davis20233612‹3
Davis202225113
Davis20213112‹3
Irvine20253610‹3
Irvine2024374‹3
Irvine2023427‹3
Irvine2022375‹3
Irvine20213710‹3
Los Angeles2025394‹3
Los Angeles20245044
Los Angeles20234644
Los Angeles20224943
Los Angeles20213354
Merced20251614‹3
Merced20242423‹3
Merced20231311‹3
Merced20221918‹3
Merced20212219‹3
Riverside20252118‹3
Riverside20241210‹3
Riverside2023117‹3
Riverside20221212‹3
Riverside20211510‹3
San Diego2025308‹3
San Diego20244421‹3
San Diego20234411‹3
San Diego2022358‹3
San Diego202138143
Santa Barbara202539183
Santa Barbara20245320‹3
Santa Barbara202334156
Santa Barbara202231143
Santa Barbara20213513‹3
Santa Cruz2025168‹3
Santa Cruz202433223
Santa Cruz20232919‹3
Santa Cruz2022259‹3
Santa Cruz202126193
Universitywide2025684610
Universitywide2024846424
Universitywide2023744523
Universitywide2022664414
Universitywide2021684318

Σ campuses ≠ universitywide — students apply to several campuses; the Universitywide row (muted) is its own independent count, never a sum of the rows above it.

08AP course catalog2025 - 2026
SubjectTaught by
2-D Art and Designthis school
3-D Art and Designthis school
Biologythis school
Calculus ABthis school
Chemistrythis school
Computer Science Athis school
Computer Science Principlesthis school
English Language and Compositionthis school
English Literature and Compositionthis school
French Language and Culturethis school
Macroeconomicsthis school
Physics 1this school
Psychologythis school
Spanish Language and Culturethis school
Spanish Literature and Culturethis school
Statisticsthis school
U.S. Government and Politicsthis school
United States Historythis school
World History: Modernthis school

Authorization ≠ a section running this year — the Ledger records what the school may teach, not seat counts.

09Advanced coursework — 2020-21 federal civil-rights snapshotstructural, dated — newest published; biennial
MeasureThis school
AP offeredoffered
AP course count14
AP enrollment991
IB participationnot offered
Dual enrollmentoffered · 202 enrolled
Algebra I in grade 8not reported
Calculus sections2
Physics sections5
Chemistry sections13
Total enrollment (CRDC)2,624

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.

10College destinationsclass of 2023 · CDE 12-mo College-Going Rate
DestinationCompleters% (derived)
University of California234.2%
California State University6311.6%
California community college19135.2%
In-state private91.7%
Out-of-state, 4-year101.8%
Out-of-state, 2-year00.0%
Not enrolled24745.5%

543 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=2,160 high schools · Vintages: climate subgroups 2019+2025 · district finance per its label · ACS 2022 · UC Infocenter (annual refresh, summer) — ‹5/‹3 = masked, never summed across campuses · AP Course Ledger 2025 - 2026 (November refresh; authorization not enrollment) · CRDC 2020-21 (biennial; next expected 2021-22) · CDE 12-mo CGR 2023 cohort, National Student Clearinghouse match · Data updated 2026-07-03methodology · data updates · CSV · report issue

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