Math
38%Grade 11 · Proficient or Advanced
Public high school
Palm Desert High
Most kids here clear the bar, year after year. The question is what happens after that.
69% of tested students are Proficient or Advanced in English and 38% in math. 96.4% graduate in four years. Explore the evidence alongside the opportunities your child would use.
SchoolScope archetype
Building Momentum
What this means for your family
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.
How archetypes are assigned →Data sources · Methodology · State tests: 2025
Contact
Phone(760) 862-4300
DistrictDesert Sands Unified
PrincipalSarit Saig
Grades9-Adult
Enrollment2,079 students
English
69%Grade 11 · Proficient or Advanced
Students
2,079Total enrollment
Graduation
96.4%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 | 34% | 67% |
| 2022 | 37% | 73% |
| 2023 | 34% | 70% |
| 2024 | 39% | 72% |
| 2025 | 38% | 69% |
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
13%ProficientStandard Met
25%DevelopingStandard Nearly Met
26%MinimalStandard Not Met
36%AdvancedStandard Exceeded
34%ProficientStandard Met
36%DevelopingStandard Nearly Met
19%MinimalStandard Not Met
12%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 2019 to 2025
Has held the 71st-percentile line every tested year since 2019.
Most rating sites would stop at “53% proficient” and call it done. Palm Desert deserves a closer read. Three in five of its students qualify for free or reduced lunch (California: 64%) — and reading the numbers without that context misreads the school.
Palm Desert's low-income kids hit 62.3% 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.
488 tested · 1 of 1 grade published
Palm Desert High scores 60 of 100 on SchoolScope's Scope Score — the 71st percentile of 1,647 California high schools (CDE CAASPP 2025).
Proficiency here is back to its pre-pandemic level — 53% meet the standard, about where the school stood in 2019.
Percentile among 1,647 high schools statewide
ELAGreen(Declined)MathYellow(Declined)
ShowHide the by-grade tables, year by year
ELA — % met or exceeded, by grade
| Grade | 2019 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 11 | 67% | 73% | 70% | 72% | 69% |
Math — % met or exceeded, by grade
| Grade | 2019 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 11 | 34% | 37% | 34% | 39% | 38% |
Where students land · CAASPP 2024–25
More than half of students here meet the standard. One in five clear it by a lot.
ELA69% met or exceeded
Exceeded 34%Met 36%Nearly Met 19%Not Met 12%
Math38% met or exceeded
Exceeded 13%Met 25%Nearly Met 26%Not Met 36%
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 rate | College readiness | Absence | Suspension | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| This school | 60 | 23% | 53% | 96.4% | 56.6% | 23.6% | 4.2% |
| CA average · High School | 54 | 20% | 43% | 92.5% | 43.0% | 23.1% | 3.3% |
This schoolCA avg
Scope6054
% Exceeded23%20%
% Met+53%43%
Grad rate96.4%92.5%
College readiness56.6%43.0%
Absence23.6%23.1%
Suspension4.2%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 ahead of the same group statewide.
62.3% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard — versus 38.2% for the same group statewide. This comparison does not tell us what caused the difference.
Met or exceeded · reading and math combined
All students at this school: 53% met or exceeded
All StudentsAll Students: this school 53%, district —, state 43%53%
Socioeconomically DisadvantagedSocioeconomically Disadvantaged: this school 44%, district 28%, state 32%44% · −9 vs school
Hispanic/LatinoHispanic/Latino: this school 43%, district 29%, state 32%43% · −10 vs school
MaleMale: this school 50%, district 33%, state 42%50% · −3 vs school
FemaleFemale: this school 57%, district 36%, state 44%57% · +3 vs school
WhiteWhite: this school 64%, district 55%, state 56%64% · +10 vs school
Students with DisabilitiesStudents with Disabilities: this school 16%, district 8%, state 15%16% · −38 vs school
English LearnersEnglish Learners: this school 3%, district 5%, state 11%3% · −50 vs school
Two or More RacesTwo or More Races: this school 59%, district 40%, state 56%59% · +6 vs school
AsianAsian: this school 80%, district 64%, state 72%80% · +27 vs school
FilipinoFilipino: this school 69%, district 72%, state 65%69% · +16 vs school
Black/African AmericanBlack/African American: this school 41%, district 25%, state 26%41% · −12 vs school
Military-ConnectedMilitary-Connected: too few students to report‹11
American Indian/Alaska NativeAmerican Indian/Alaska Native: too few students to report‹11
Foster YouthFoster Youth: too few students to report‹11
HomelessHomeless: 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 48% of Palm Desert's enrollment but 32% of its AP seats; ask the school what's changed since.
Hispanic32.2% AP · 48.4% enroll.
American Indian/Alaska Native0.0% AP · 0.0% enroll.
Asian13.2% AP · 6.6% enroll.
Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander0.1% AP · 0.2% enroll.
Black0.9% AP · 1.7% enroll.
White48.0% AP · 39.1% enroll.
Two or more races5.6% AP · 3.9% enroll.
English learners0.6% AP · 6.8% enroll.
Students with disabilities0.4% AP · 9.3% 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?
79%
Enrolled in college within a year
Class of 2023 · 368 of 466 completers · includes community colleges
466Completers
38%
Other colleges178 completers · Outside the California community college system
41%
California community colleges190 completers · Enrolled within a year
21%
Not recorded enrolled98 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
Where graduates go · 2024–25
Where graduates go
Context — never part of the Scope Score
79%
College-going rate, class of 2023
Where they went after graduation
Of Palm Desert's class of 2023, 79% 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: 466 completers, 79% enrolled somewhere within a year
10%
9%
41%
13%
21%
University of California 48 (10%)California State University 41 (9%)California community college 190 (41%)In-state private 28 (6%)Out-of-state, 4-year 60 (13%)Out-of-state, 2-year 1 (0%)Not enrolled 98 (21%)
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, 46 of Palm Desert's 450 graduates enrolled in the University of California system — Riverside the most common landing, with 10 enrollees.
Applied131fall 2025, universitywide
Admitted96
Enrolled46
ShowHide the UC campus list and the 2014–2025 trend
Where they landed (fall 2025)
Riverside 10San Diego 10Irvine 8Santa Cruz 6Berkeley 5Los Angeles 3Davis ‹3Merced ‹3Santa Barbara ‹3
Campuses never sum to the universitywide figure — students apply to several.
UC enrollees, universitywide, 2014–2025
Peak: 49 enrolled, 2023
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, 79% of this class's predecessors enrolled in college somewhere within a year. More of the class of 2023 enrolled at community colleges (190) than at UC (48).
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 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.
AP subjects authorized
Authorization does not mean every course runs every year. Ask about current offerings, prerequisites, scheduling and support.
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 26 students for every teacher here.
Context — never part of the Scope Score
Palm Desert'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 BC, Calculus AB, and Statistics.
Students per teacher26 · district 24
Teaching staff85 teachers
Avg. experience15.4 years
Fully credentialed90%
First-year teachers14%
Intern / emergency permit0.7%
PrincipalSarit Saig
ShowHide what the district pays
Teacher salary schedule$63,775 – $132,451
Principal salary$167,765 – $193,176
Superintendent salary$327,601
Pay is set by the district, not the school.
Course breadth
AP exam qualifiers189 studentsCCI, participation not authorization
CTE pathway completers106 students
Advanced coursework
AP subjects taught19
ShowHide the 19 AP courses by discipline
Math & Computer Science (4)Calculus AB · Calculus BC · Precalculus · Statistics
Sciences (2)Biology · Environmental Science
English (2)English Language and Composition · English Literature and Composition
History & Social Science (6)Human Geography · Microeconomics · Psychology · U.S. Government and Politics · United States History · World History: Modern
World Languages & Cultures (1)Spanish Language and Culture
Arts (2)2-D Art and Design · Drawing
AP Capstone (2)Research · Seminar
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
Attendance & discipline · 2024–25
Kids here miss more school, and get suspended more, than the state average.
Chronic absenteeismChronic absenteeism: this school 23.6%, district 27.3%, state 23.1%23.6% · +0.6pp vs state
Suspension rateSuspension rate: this school 4.2%, district —, state 3.3%4.2% · +0.9pp vs state
This schoolDistrictCalifornia
ShowHide attendance by student group and by grade
Chronic absenteeism by grade band
Grades 9–1223.4%
Resources & neighborhood
What sits behind the school experience?
Explore school spending and the district budget
What gets spent · FY 2024–25
It spends $20,762 per student, more than the California average.
Context — never part of the Scope Score
$344 per student arrives as federal Title funding — a measure of concentrated need, not school quality.
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: $20,762, CA average $14,491$20,762 · spent at this school
Federal share$344 per student
District current expense · FY 2024–25$22,375 per student
This schoolDistrictCalifornia
Where the district's dollars go · FY 2024–25 · CDE SACS
Instruction 57%Instruction support 13%Student services 10%Administration 5%Buildings & maintenance 11%Other 4%
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$13,985 per pupil
2019$13,292 per pupil
2018$13,157 per pupil
2017$12,561 per pupil
2016$12,166 per pupil
Source: NCES F-33 · Full district breakdown →
The neighborhood · ACS 2024
Three 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
On the state's science test (CAST), 43% 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 Latino48.5% · district 76.8% · CA 56.1%
White35.3% · district 14.4% · CA 19.9%
Asian5.8% · district 2.2% · CA 10.2%
Black1.9% · district 1.3% · CA 4.8%
Other8.5% · district 5.4% · CA 9.0%
Free or reduced lunch60.2% · CA 64%
Median income$70K · CA $85K
Median home value$490K · CA $659K
Bachelor's degree+38% · CA 35%
ZIP population30,523
Median age59 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Palm Desert High | Public | Solid | 23% | 53% | 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 Desert Sands Unified.
District information →School website →Schools across the K–12 journey
Elementary · K–5
James Monroe ElementaryPublished boundary overlapScope Score 47/100
James Earl Carter ElementaryPublished boundary overlapScope Score 46/100
Benjamin Franklin ElementaryPublished boundary overlapScope Score 36/100
Harry S. Truman ElementaryPublished boundary overlapScope Score 28/100
Gerald R. Ford ElementaryPublished boundary overlapScope Score 59/100
Abraham Lincoln ElementaryPublished boundary overlapScope Score 33/100
Carrillo Ranch ElementaryAlternative · verify enrollment routeScope Score 29/100
Ronald Reagan ElementaryAlternative · verify enrollment routeScope Score 30/100
George Washington CharterAlternative · verify enrollment routeScope Score 54/100
Middle · 6–8
High school · 9–12
Source: sabs_2016. 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 how the school challenges kids who clear the standard early. The gap between meeting and exceeding is where pacing shows.
- 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.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
Is Palm Desert High a good high school?
Palm Desert High has a Scope Score of 60 out of 100, placing it in the 71st percentile of California high schools and ranked #474 statewide. 23.1% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is 3.3 percentage points above 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 Palm Desert High's CAASPP test scores?
On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 53.4% of students at Palm Desert High met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 23.1% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 30.3% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 23.1% 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. 981 student-subject combinations were assessed.
How does Palm Desert High rank in California?
Palm Desert High ranks #474 among California high schools by Scope Score, placing it in the 71st 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 Palm Desert High?
23.6% of students at Palm Desert High are chronically absent (missing 10% or more of school days), compared to the California average of 23.1%. The suspension rate is 4.2%. 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 Palm Desert High compare to other schools in Palm Desert?
Palm Desert High scores 60/100 (71st 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 2,079 students. Use the schools in Palm Desert page or the map view to compare all high schools nearby.
How does Palm Desert High serve low-income and underrepresented students?
At Palm Desert High in Palm Desert, 62.3% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 35.1% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Palm Desert High outperforms its district average for low-income students by 27.2 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (26.5% Math proficient); Hispanic students (60.2% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 65.8 percentage points for english learner students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 297 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 Palm Desert High?
Palm Desert 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, Biology, Calculus AB, Calculus BC, Drawing, English Language and Composition, English Literature and Composition, Environmental Science, Human Geography, Microeconomics, Precalculus, Psychology, Research, Seminar, Spanish Language 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 Palm Desert High go to UC?
In fall 2025, 46 Palm Desert 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.
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 7 things our score weighs
| What we weigh | Here | State | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Graduation rate | 96.4% | 92.5% | 25% |
| Exceeded standard | 23.1% | 19.8% | 22% |
| College readiness | 56.6% | 43.0% | 20% |
| Met or exceeded | 53.4% | 43.2% | 18% |
| Chronic absenteeism | 23.6% | 23.1% | 5% |
| Suspension rate | 4.2% | 3.3% | 5% |
| EL proficiency (ELPAC) | 13.3% | 18.0% | 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
Palm Desert High: reading the evidence
Palm Desert posts 53% meeting the standard, and 23.1% going well past it. Most kids here keep up. Fewer get pushed further. Ask the school what it does for a child who already finds the work easy.
Subject proficiency describes tested students, while graduation describes a graduating cohort. These figures are not successive stages followed by the same students.
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.
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.
Palm Desert High is ranked #474 statewide · #1 of 5 in Desert Sands Unified.
01Score factorsWeighted composite · 2024–25
| Factor | School | State | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Graduation rate | 96.4% | 92.5% | 25% |
| Exceeded standard | 23.1% | 19.8% | 22% |
| College readiness | 56.6% | 43.0% | 20% |
| Met or exceeded | 53.4% | 43.2% | 18% |
| Chronic absenteeism | 23.6% | 23.1% | 5% |
| Suspension rate | 4.2% | 3.3% | 5% |
| EL proficiency (ELPAC) | 13.3% | 18.0% | 5% |
- Graduation rate
- ↑ vs CA 92.5% · index 61 · 50 = CA high-school midpoint
- Exceeded standard
- ↑ vs CA 19.8% · index 58 · 50 = CA high-school midpoint
- College readiness
- ↑ vs CA 43.0% · index 63 · 50 = CA high-school midpoint
- Met or exceeded
- ↑ vs CA 43.2% · index 63 · 50 = CA high-school midpoint
- Chronic absenteeism
- ↓ vs CA 23.1% · index 55 · 50 = CA high-school midpoint · ▼ 1.0pp lower vs 2024
- Suspension rate
- ↓ vs CA 3.3% · index 48 · 50 = CA high-school midpoint · ▼ 1.6pp lower vs 2024
- EL proficiency (ELPAC)
- ↓ vs CA 18.0% · index 45 · 50 = CA high-school midpoint
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
ShowHide table 02 — By grade & subgroup
| ELA | Tested | EXC | MET | NEAR | NOT | MET+ | +/CA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 11 | 488 | 34% | 36% | 19% | 12% | 69% | +21 |
| Math | Tested | EXC | MET | NEAR | NOT | MET+ | +/CA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 11 | 493 | 13% | 25% | 26% | 36% | 38% | +14 |
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 | 494 | 12% | 32% | 52% | 5% |
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 · ELA | Tested | MET+ | vs district | vs CA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Socioeconomically Disadvantaged | 297 | 62.3% | +27 | +24 |
| Hispanic/Latino | 249 | 60.2% | +24 | +21 |
| White | 160 | 81.3% | +19 | +19 |
03Nearest high schoolssorted by Scope Score
| School | Dist | Scope | EXC | MET+ | Susp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Palm Desert High ← | — | 60 | 23.1% | 53.4% | 4.2% |
| California average | — | 54 | 19.8% | 43.2% | 3.3% |
04More measurescontext · not all part of the Scope Score
ShowHide table 04 — More measures
Graduation Rate
96.4%
AP Exam Prepared
56.6%
A-G Completion
80.2%
A-G are the 15 courses (across 7 subjects) required for UC/CSU eligibility
College-Going Rate
79.0%
| Year | Scope | Pctile | Rank | Exc | Met+ | Absent | Susp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 62 | 71 | #432 | 24.1% | 50.6% | 16.4% | 3.6% |
| 2022 | 62 | 76 | #384 | 23.7% | 55.0% | 40.0% | 4.3% |
| 2023 | 62 | 74 | #419 | 23.3% | 52.1% | 30.8% | 4.2% |
| 2024 | 63 | 76 | #391 | 24.6% | 55.5% | 24.6% | 5.8% |
| 2025 | 60 | 71 | #474 | 23.1% | 53.4% | 23.6% | 4.2% |
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
ShowHide table 05 — Climate by student group
| Group | 2019 | 2025 | Δ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Female | 17.3% | 23.1% | +5.8pp |
| Male | 15.0% | 23.7% | +8.7pp |
| Asian | 7.0% | 13.1% | +6.1pp |
| Black/African American | 21.6% | 23.3% | +1.7pp |
| Filipino | 7.5% | 8.9% | +1.4pp |
| Hispanic/Latino | 15.0% | 24.3% | +9.3pp |
| Two or More Races | 5.5% | 21.3% | +15.8pp |
| White | 19.2% | 24.9% | +5.7pp |
| Students with Disabilities | 21.3% | 34.4% | +13.1pp |
| English Learners | 21.1% | 26.3% | +5.2pp |
| Homeless | 50.0% | 58.8% | +8.8pp |
| Socioeconomically Disadvantaged | 15.9% | 26.9% | +11.0pp |
| All Students | 16.1% | 23.4% | +7.3pp |
| American Indian/Alaska Native | — | 9.1% | — |
06UC admissions, universitywide2014–2025 · summed across CEEB codes at query time
ShowHide table 06 — UC admissions, universitywide
| Year | Applied | Admitted | Enrolled | GPA (applied) | GPA (admitted) | GPA (enrolled) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 131 | 96 | 46 | 3.85 | 3.96 | 4.04 |
| 2024 | 134 | 105 | 48 | 3.92 | 4.00 | 4.05 |
| 2023 | 130 | 93 | 49 | 3.88 | 3.98 | 4.06 |
| 2022 | 128 | 80 | 40 | 3.84 | 4.06 | 4.17 |
| 2021 | 103 | 65 | 32 | 3.77 | 3.88 | 3.94 |
| 2020 | 78 | 55 | 30 | 3.78 | 3.91 | 3.95 |
| 2019 | 80 | 46 | 23 | 3.70 | 3.90 | 3.95 |
| 2018 | 88 | 50 | 33 | 3.68 | 3.97 | 4.00 |
| 2017 | 110 | 64 | 32 | 3.66 | 3.84 | 3.85 |
| 2016 | 98 | 58 | 32 | 3.67 | 3.91 | 4.06 |
| 2015 | 100 | 61 | 34 | 3.70 | 3.91 | 3.99 |
| 2014 | 102 | 62 | 36 | 3.63 | 3.84 | 3.93 |
‹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
ShowHide table 07 — UC admissions by campus
| Campus | Year | Applied | Admitted | Enrolled |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Berkeley | 2025 | 54 | 11 | 5 |
| Berkeley | 2024 | 59 | ‹3 | ‹3 |
| Berkeley | 2023 | 59 | 10 | 4 |
| Berkeley | 2022 | 44 | 5 | 4 |
| Berkeley | 2021 | 36 | ‹3 | ‹3 |
| Davis | 2025 | 50 | 25 | ‹3 |
| Davis | 2024 | 52 | 32 | 5 |
| Davis | 2023 | 49 | 19 | 4 |
| Davis | 2022 | 41 | 17 | 4 |
| Davis | 2021 | 29 | 9 | ‹3 |
| Irvine | 2025 | 85 | 31 | 8 |
| Irvine | 2024 | 96 | 30 | 7 |
| Irvine | 2023 | 80 | 21 | 4 |
| Irvine | 2022 | 88 | 24 | ‹3 |
| Irvine | 2021 | 65 | 11 | ‹3 |
| Los Angeles | 2025 | 77 | 9 | 3 |
| Los Angeles | 2024 | 85 | 10 | 6 |
| Los Angeles | 2023 | 79 | 6 | 4 |
| Los Angeles | 2022 | 82 | 7 | 4 |
| Los Angeles | 2021 | 68 | 7 | 5 |
| Merced | 2025 | 27 | 27 | ‹3 |
| Merced | 2024 | 14 | 14 | ‹3 |
| Merced | 2023 | 14 | 13 | ‹3 |
| Merced | 2022 | 19 | 16 | ‹3 |
| Merced | 2021 | 12 | 12 | ‹3 |
| Riverside | 2025 | 63 | 55 | 10 |
| Riverside | 2024 | 57 | 48 | 7 |
| Riverside | 2023 | 52 | 43 | 11 |
| Riverside | 2022 | 60 | 47 | 10 |
| Riverside | 2021 | 45 | 33 | 11 |
| San Diego | 2025 | 101 | 33 | 10 |
| San Diego | 2024 | 103 | 38 | 14 |
| San Diego | 2023 | 90 | 27 | 10 |
| San Diego | 2022 | 88 | 21 | 9 |
| San Diego | 2021 | 75 | 16 | 4 |
| Santa Barbara | 2025 | 83 | 27 | ‹3 |
| Santa Barbara | 2024 | 80 | 34 | 5 |
| Santa Barbara | 2023 | 83 | 29 | 5 |
| Santa Barbara | 2022 | 75 | 20 | 5 |
| Santa Barbara | 2021 | 60 | 15 | 9 |
| Santa Cruz | 2025 | 50 | 37 | 6 |
| Santa Cruz | 2024 | 56 | 42 | ‹3 |
| Santa Cruz | 2023 | 59 | 32 | 6 |
| Santa Cruz | 2022 | 34 | 15 | ‹3 |
| Santa Cruz | 2021 | 29 | 10 | ‹3 |
| Universitywide | 2025 | 131 | 96 | 46 |
| Universitywide | 2024 | 134 | 105 | 48 |
| Universitywide | 2023 | 130 | 93 | 49 |
| Universitywide | 2022 | 128 | 80 | 40 |
| Universitywide | 2021 | 103 | 65 | 32 |
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
ShowHide table 08 — AP course catalog
| Subject | Taught by |
|---|---|
| 2-D Art and Design | this school |
| Biology | this school |
| Calculus AB | this school |
| Calculus BC | this school |
| Drawing | this school |
| English Language and Composition | this school |
| English Literature and Composition | this school |
| Environmental Science | this school |
| Human Geography | this school |
| Microeconomics | this school |
| Precalculus | this school |
| Psychology | this school |
| Research | this school |
| Seminar | this school |
| Spanish Language and Culture | this school |
| Statistics | this school |
| U.S. Government and Politics | this school |
| United States History | this school |
| World History: Modern | this 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
ShowHide table 09 — Advanced coursework — 2020-21 federal civil-rights snapshot
| Measure | This school |
|---|---|
| AP offered | offered |
| AP course count | 21 |
| AP enrollment | 698 |
| IB participation | not offered |
| Dual enrollment | offered · 151 enrolled |
| Algebra I in grade 8 | not reported |
| Calculus sections | 4 |
| Physics sections | 20 |
| Chemistry sections | 19 |
| Total enrollment (CRDC) | 2,113 |
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
ShowHide table 10 — College destinations
| Destination | Completers | % (derived) |
|---|---|---|
| University of California | 48 | 10.3% |
| California State University | 41 | 8.8% |
| California community college | 190 | 40.8% |
| In-state private | 28 | 6.0% |
| Out-of-state, 4-year | 60 | 12.9% |
| Out-of-state, 2-year | 1 | 0.2% |
| Not enrolled | 98 | 21.0% |
466 completers, class of 2023 · state-reported college-going rate 79% · % 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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title="Palm Desert High — SchoolScope scorecard">
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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 · 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 2026-09-18
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