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La Sierra High (Alternative) · Fullerton

La Sierra High (Alternative): This school runs ahead of the state average. The bar itself is the harder conversation.

La Sierra High (Alternative) posts 44% meeting the standard against 36% statewide — ahead of most, with real headroom above the bar.

Alternative school — serves students who benefit from a non-traditional educational setting. Scores are not directly comparable to comprehensive schools.
2019–2025 trend · CDE CAASPP
This schoolCA avg
Scope4544
% Exceeded19%16%
% Met+44%36%
Grad rate87.5%87.6%
College readiness33.3%35.4%
Absence41.9%30.2%
Suspension4.0%3.6%
Scope Score
45
🌱 Building Momentum · Developing
ranked #1,108 statewide · #7 of 8 in Fullerton Joint Union High

La Sierra High (Alternative) scores 45 of 100 on SchoolScope's Scope Score — the 49th 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 “44% proficient” and call it done. La Sierra High (Alternative) deserves a closer read. The school sits in Fullerton, where two-thirds of students qualify for free or reduced lunch — and reading the numbers without that context misreads the school.

The seven-year arc

Percentile among 2,160 high schools statewide

Climbed from the 29th to the 49th percentile since 2019 — past roughly 300 high schools.

CA Dashboard
ELARedMathRed

The pandemic drop is behind this school: 44% of students meet the standard today, above the 8% who did in 2019.

ELA — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 1115%39%67%50%56%
Math — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 111%25%28%36%33%

The story this school is actually telling

Proficient by 11th grade
44%
State 36%
Graduate
88%
State 88%
Pass an AP exam
33%
State 35%

Of 100 students here: 44 are proficient by 11th grade → 88 graduate → 33 pass an AP exam. The gaps between those bars are the questions to ask.

The 7 things our score weighs

Graduation rate
87.5%
State 87.6%
0.1pp below state avg
Exceeded standard
19.4%
State 15.8%
3.6pp above state avg
College readiness
33.3%
State 35.4%
AP exam pass rate below state avg
Met or exceeded
44.5%
State 35.7%
8.7pp above state avg
Chronic absenteeism
41.9%
State 30.2%
11.7pp above state avg
Suspension rate
4.0%
State 3.6%
0.3pp above state avg
EL proficiency (ELPAC)
15.0%
State 18.0%
3.0pp below state avg
Worth a school visit

Ask how the school challenges kids who clear the standard early. The gap between meeting and exceeding is where pacing shows.

  • 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.

How every group of students does here

All students at this school: 44% met or exceeded
All StudentsAll Students: this school 44%, district —, state 36%44%
Hispanic/LatinoHispanic/Latino: this school 29%, district 39%, state 32%29% · −15 vs school
Socioeconomically DisadvantagedSocioeconomically Disadvantaged: this school 45%, district 41%, state 32%45% · +1 vs school

7 of 10 student groups here are too small to report — a privacy protection, not a gap.

this school district, same group California, same group

Showing up, and staying in class

Chronic absenteeismChronic absenteeism: this school 41.9%, district 24.4%, state 30.2%41.9% · +11.7pp vs state
Suspension rateSuspension rate: this school 4.0%, district —, state 3.6%4.0% · +0.3pp vs state
Chronic absenteeism by grade band
Grades 9–1250.4%

The people teaching here

Context — never part of the Scope Score
Student : teacherStudent to teacher ratio: this school 11:1, district 24:111:1
Teaching staff29 teachers
Avg. experience17.0 years
Fully credentialed84%
Salary Schedule
Teacher salary schedule$64,405 – $138,566
Principal salary$0 – $192,785
Superintendent salary$357,179

Pay is set by the district, not the school.

Course Breadth
AP courses offered6
AP exam qualifiers3 students
CTE pathway completers2 students

What gets spent here

Per-pupil spendingPer-pupil spending: $31,926, CA average $14,815$31,926 · spent at this school
Federal share$3,011 per student

$3,011 per student arrives as federal Title funding — a measure of concentrated need, not school quality.

District current expense · FY 2024–25$18,258 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
Instruction57%
Instruction support12%
Student services12%
Administration7%
Buildings & maintenance10%
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$13,487 per pupil
2019$12,294 per pupil
2018$12,063 per pupil
2017$11,514 per pupil
2016$11,827 per pupil

Source: NCES F-33 · Full district breakdown →

The neighborhood it serves

Hispanic75.8%
District 59.7% · CA 56.1%
White12.3%
District 11.0% · CA 19.9%
Asian6.4%
District 20.3% · CA 10.2%
Other5.1%
District 7.6% · CA 9.0%
Black0.4%
District 1.4% · CA 4.8%
Low IncomeFree/reduced lunch eligible 70.3% (7pp above CA avg)
Neighborhood — American Community Survey
Median income$89K · CA $85K
Median home value$877K · CA $659K
Bachelor's degree+45% · CA 35%
ZIP population35,618
Median age32 years

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

Worth Knowing

At 236 students, this school is much smaller than the typical California high school (≈1450).

On the state's science test (CAST), 35% met or exceeded the standard — science is tested in grades 5 and 8 but never enters the Scope Score.

Frequently asked questions

Is La Sierra High (Alternative) a good high school?

La Sierra High (Alternative) has a Scope Score of 45 out of 100, placing it in the 49th percentile of California high schools and ranked #1,108 statewide. 19.4% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is 3.6 percentage points above 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 La Sierra High (Alternative)'s CAASPP test scores?

On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 44.5% of students at La Sierra High (Alternative) met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 19.4% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 25.0% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 19.4% 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. 36 student-subject combinations were assessed.

How does La Sierra High (Alternative) rank in California?

La Sierra High (Alternative) ranks #1,108 among California high schools by Scope Score, placing it in the 49th 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 La Sierra High (Alternative)?

41.9% of students at La Sierra High (Alternative) are chronically absent (missing 10% or more of school days), compared to the California average of 30.2%. The suspension rate is 4.0%. 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 La Sierra High (Alternative) compare to other schools in Fullerton?

La Sierra High (Alternative) scores 45/100 (49th 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 236 students. Use the schools in Fullerton page or the map view to compare all high schools nearby.

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 peer comparisons.

01Score factorsWeighted composite · 2024–25
Graduation rate · 25%
87.5%
↓ vs CA 87.6% · 50th pctile
Exceeded standard · 22%
19.4%
↑ vs CA 15.8% · 54th pctile
College readiness · 20%
33.3%
↓ vs CA 35.4% · 49th pctile
Met or exceeded · 18%
44.5%
↑ vs CA 35.7% · 56th pctile
Chronic absenteeism · 5%
41.9%
↓ vs CA 30.2% · 40th pctile
Suspension rate · 5%
4.0%
↓ vs CA 3.6% · 48th pctile
EL proficiency (ELPAC) · 5%
15.0%
↓ vs CA 18.0% · 49th pctile
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
ELATestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 111817%39%22%22%56%+8
MathTestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 111822%11%22%44%33%+10
Science (CAST)TestedEXCMETNEARNOT
Grade 5/8/111712%24%53%12%

CAST is tested in grades 5, 8, and once in high school — not annually. Not part of the Scope Score.

03Peer comparison · nearest high schoolssorted by Scope Score
SchoolDistScopeEXCMET+GrowthSusp
La Sierra High (Alternative) ←4519.4%44.5%4.0%
Troy High0.1 mi7964.8%82.6%1.1%
El Dorado High2.1 mi6535.1%65.1%1.0%
Valencia High1.2 mi6232.8%57.1%2.1%
California average4415.8%35.7%3.6%
04More measurescontext · not all part of the Scope Score
Graduation Rate
87.5%
AP Exam Prepared
33.3%
A-G Completion
42.9%
A-G are the 15 courses (across 7 subjects) required for UC/CSU eligibility
College-Going Rate
48.0%
YearScopePctileRankExcMet+AbsentSuspGrowth
20193429#14492.2%8.3%46.2%5.4%
20224244#117117.2%32.0%50.5%5.0%
20234554#99720.7%47.3%48.4%6.1%
20244451#105218.2%43.2%42.7%4.2%
20254549#110819.4%44.5%41.9%4.0%
NO STATEWIDE TESTING 2020–21 (COVID) · SCORE AND PERCENTILE ARE RELATIVE TO EACH YEAR'S FIELD
What we can't show
  • — Subgroup results are suppressed for small student counts (fewer than 15 tested), following CDE privacy rules.
05Climate by student groupchronic absenteeism · 2019 vs 2025 — the two years CDE publishes at subgroup level
Group20192025Δ
Female66.3%51.4%-14.9pp
Male40.9%49.7%+8.8pp
Asian42.5%41.2%-1.3pp
Black/African American87.5%
Hispanic/Latino49.5%48.5%-1.0pp
Students with Disabilities48.6%45.0%-3.6pp
English Learners28.6%55.4%+26.8pp
Foster Youth92.1%
Homeless82.9%71.4%-11.5pp
Socioeconomically Disadvantaged50.2%51.5%+1.3pp
All Students51.4%50.4%-1.0pp
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 · 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