School Profile · Bakersfield
Vista West Continuation High: The scores are below where anyone wants them. Here's what they don't tell you.
Vista West Continuation posts low test scores — and attendance holds near the state average — families haven't checked out. If this is your zoned school, the numbers below are where to start a conversation, not where to end one.
7115 Rosedale Highway, 93308·Kern High·Bakersfield·Grades 9-12·375 students·89% low-income·2024–25 CAASPP·(661) 589-4242·Website
Continuation school — a small alternative high school designed for students at risk of not graduating. Focuses on credit recovery and flexible scheduling. Test scores and college-readiness rates are not directly comparable to comprehensive high schools.
Scope Score
22
🌱 Building Momentum · Needs Support
ranked #1,560 statewide · #24 of 25 in Kern High
Vista West Continuation High scores 22 of 100 on SchoolScope's Scope Score — the 10th percentile of 1,739 California high schools (CDE CAASPP 2025).
Measures test performance, attendance, and climate — not arts, community, or your kid. How we score →
Most rating sites would stop at “8% proficient” and call it done. Vista West Continuation 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.
The headline number: 7.8% chronic absenteeism — versus 32.1% statewide. Attendance is the quietest strong signal a school can post.
The story this school is actually telling
Proficient by 11th grade
8%
State 35%
Graduate
72%
State 88%
Pass an AP exam
0%
State 36%
Of 100 students here: 8 are proficient by 11th grade → 72 graduate → 0 pass an AP exam. The gaps between those bars are the questions to ask.
The 7 things our score weighs
Graduation rate
72.4%
State 87.6%
15.2pp below state avg
Exceeded standard
1.8%
State 15.5%
13.7pp below state avg
College readiness
0.0%
State 35.5%
AP exam pass rate below state avg
Met or exceeded
7.7%
State 34.6%
26.9pp below state avg
Chronic absenteeism
7.8%
State 32.1%
24.3pp below state avg
Suspension rate
15.1%
State 4.0%
11.0pp above state avg
EL proficiency (ELPAC)
8.7%
State 17.7%
9.0pp below state avg
Worth a school visit
Ask what changed in the last two years, and what the school is asking families for. Growth shows up in these numbers a year or two after it shows up in classrooms.
Where the path goes
The path below follows attendance boundaries — scores shown for each next step.
Your other options
Nearby High Schools
3 within ~3 mi · avg 41
Centennial High
Kern High · 1.4 mi
Solid
56/100
West High
Kern High · 2.9 mi
Developing
44/100
Kern Workforce 2000 Academy
Kern High · 2.9 mi
Needs Support
23/100
Nearby Elementary Schools
3 within ~3 mi · avg 58
William B. Bimat Elementary
Norris Elementary · 2.1 mi
Solid
61/100
Ronald Reagan Elementary
Panama-Buena Vista Union · 3.4 mi
Solid
59/100
Stockdale Elementary
Panama-Buena Vista Union · 2.3 mi
Solid
55/100
Nearby Middle Schools
2 within ~3 mi · avg 36
Fruitvale Junior High
Fruitvale Elementary · 1.6 mi
Solid
51/100
Curran Middle
Bakersfield City · 3.3 mi
Needs Support
22/100
Private alternatives nearby
Private schools within ~10 miles. These schools do not participate in state testing and cannot be scored or ranked.
Valley Achievement Center
Ming Ave · Nonsectarian · Grades 8-12 · 25 students
13:1Private3.1 mi
Bakersfield Christian High School
Stockdale Hwy · Presbyterian · Grades 9-12 · 622 students
18:1Private4.1 mi
Lifehouse Christian Academy
Manor St · Brethren · Grades Pre-K-11 · 115 students
14:1Private5.3 mi
Golden State Baptist Schools
Woodrow Ave · Amish · Grades 1-11 · 7 students
4:1Private3.7 mi
The community around it
Community Profile
Context — not part of the Scope ScoreStudent demographics
Hispanic49.9%
White36.0%
Asian1.3%
Black9.1%
Other3.7%
GenderFemale 44.5%Male 55.2%Non-binary 0.3%
Resources & Access
Enrollment
375
1,075 below CA avg (~1,450)
Free/Reduced Lunch
89%
26pp above CA avg (64%)
Student-Teacher Ratio
14:1
7 fewer students per teacher than CA avg
Per-Pupil Spending
$23,291
District avg: $13,940 · CA avg: $14,815 · School-level · CDE ESSA
EL Proficiency (ELPAC)
8.7% Level 4
Share of English Learners reaching full proficiency
Teacher Salary Range
$62,889 – $134,832
District schedule · CA median ~$98K
At Vista West Continuation High in Bakersfield, 10.2% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 47.2% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Vista West Continuation High trails its district average for low-income students by 37.0 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (3.7% Math proficient); Hispanic students (11.0% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 11.8 percentage points for disabilities students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 190 students tested.
Equity Gaps
Suspension · Foster Youth+23.8pp
38.9% vs 15.1% overall · n=18
ELA · Disabilities−11.8pp
0.0% vs 11.8% overall · n=31
2 more gaps by subject
ELA Exceeded · Disabilities−3.2pp
0.0% vs 3.2% overall · n=31
Math · Black−3.5pp
0.0% vs 3.5% overall · n=24
Subgroups with fewer than 15 students are excluded for privacy. Gaps of less than 3 percentage points are not shown.
Subgroup Proficiency
Low-Income192 tested
ELA 10.2%·Math 3.7%· -37.0pp vs district
Hispanic130 tested
ELA 11.0%·Math 6.2%· -37.3pp vs district
White59 tested
ELA 14.3%·Math 0.0%· -45.9pp vs district
Weighted average across tested grades. Subgroups with fewer than 15 students excluded. Data: CDE CAASPP 2024-25.
Funding Breakdown
Neighborhood Context
Median Income
$62K
$23K below CA median
Median Home Value
$323K
$336K below CA median
Bachelor's+
18%
17pp below CA avg
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2024) · ZIP-level
Whole Child
Teacher experience, college/career readiness, and more. Context only — never part of the Scope Score.
Teacher Experience
11.7 years avg experience
50 teachers · 8% second-year
Teacher Credentials
59% fully credentialed
5.6% on intern/emergency permit
CTE Pathway Completers
3 completed a career pathway
Sources: CDE SARC · CDE College/Career Indicator, 2024-25
Community Profile provides context about who attends this school and the resources available. These factors are never part of the Scope Score. Learn why →
For the data nerdsEvery number on this page
Score factors, grade-level breakdowns, subgroup proficiency, and peer comparisons.
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%
72.4%
↓ vs CA 87.6% · 32th pctile
Exceeded standard · 22%
1.8%
↓ vs CA 15.5% · 36th pctile
College readiness · 20%
0.0%
↓ vs CA 35.5% · 29th pctile
Met or exceeded · 18%
7.7%
↓ vs CA 34.6% · 31th pctile
Chronic absenteeism · 5%
7.8%
↑ vs CA 32.1% · 69th pctile
Suspension rate · 5%
15.1%
↓ vs CA 4.0% · 1th pctile
EL proficiency (ELPAC) · 5%
8.7%
↓ vs CA 17.7% · 37th pctile
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
| ELA | Tested | EXC | MET | NEAR | NOT | MET+ | +/CA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 11 | 220 | 3% | 9% | 20% | 69% | 12% | −35 |
| Math | Tested | EXC | MET | NEAR | NOT | MET+ | +/CA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 11 | 226 | 0% | 3% | 5% | 92% | 4% | −20 |
| Science (CAST) | Tested | EXC | MET | NEAR | NOT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 5/8/11 | 173 | 0% | 5% | 63% | 32% |
CAST is tested in grades 5, 8, and once in high school — not annually. Not part of the Scope Score.
| Subgroup · ELA | Tested | MET+ | vs district | vs CA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Socioeconomically Disadvantaged | 190 | 10.2% | −37 | −28 |
| Hispanic/Latino | 130 | 11.0% | −37 | −28 |
| White | 57 | 14.3% | −46 | −48 |
03Peer comparison · nearest high schoolssorted by Scope Score
| School | Dist | Scope | EXC | MET+ | Growth | Susp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vista West Continuation High ← | — | 22 | 1.8% | 7.7% | — | 15.1% |
| Centennial High | 1.4 mi | 56 | 23.0% | 52.3% | — | 5.6% |
| West High | 2.9 mi | 44 | 9.2% | 33.2% | — | 8.0% |
| Kern Workforce 2000 Academy | 2.9 mi | 23 | 0.2% | 4.7% | — | 4.8% |
| California average | — | 47 | 15.5% | 34.6% | — | 4.0% |
04More measurescontext · not all part of the Scope Score
Graduation Rate
72.4%
AP Exam Prepared
Not offered
This school may not offer AP courses
A-G Completion
0.0%
This school may not offer A-G courses
College-Going Rate
18.8%
Scope Score history
2019 · 2022 · 2023 · 2024 · 2025 · no testing 2020–21 (COVID) · rank #1540 → #1602 → #1641 → #1624 → #1560
What we can't show
- — Low-income students here trail the state average for their group by 28 points in ELA — worth asking how the school is closing that gap.
Source: CA Dept. of Education · CAASPP 2024–25 · n=1,739 high schools · Data updated 2026-07-03methodology · data updates · CSV · report issue
A low score doesn't tell the whole story. Read: Your School Scored Low — Here's What That Actually Means
Frequently asked questions
Is Vista West Continuation High a good high school?
Vista West Continuation High has a Scope Score of 22 out of 100, placing it in the 10th percentile of California high schools and ranked #1,560 statewide. 1.8% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is 13.7 percentage points below the California average of 15.5%. The Scope Score weights six dimensions for high schools: exceeded standard (43%), met or exceeded (22%), grade 3-to-5 growth (15%), chronic absenteeism (10%), ELPAC English Learner proficiency (5%), and suspension rate (5%). Data source: California Department of Education CAASPP 2025, analyzed by SchoolScope.
What are Vista West Continuation High's CAASPP test scores?
On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 7.7% of students at Vista West Continuation High met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 1.8% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 5.9% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 1.8% 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. 446 student-subject combinations were assessed.
How does Vista West Continuation High rank in California?
Vista West Continuation High ranks #1,560 among California high schools by Scope Score, placing it in the 10th 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 Vista West Continuation High?
7.8% of students at Vista West Continuation High are chronically absent (missing 10% or more of school days), which is better than the California average of 32.1%. The suspension rate is 15.1%. 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 Vista West Continuation High compare to other schools in Bakersfield?
Vista West Continuation High scores 22/100 (10th 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 375 students. Use the schools in Bakersfield page or the map view to compare all high schools nearby.
How does Vista West Continuation High serve low-income and underrepresented students?
At Vista West Continuation High in Bakersfield, 10.2% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 47.2% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Vista West Continuation High trails its district average for low-income students by 37.0 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (3.7% Math proficient); Hispanic students (11.0% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 11.8 percentage points for disabilities students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 190 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.