School Profile · Bakersfield
West High: No single number tells this school's story. Here's the honest picture.
West posts 33% meeting the standard and 9.2% exceeding it, against 35% and 15.5% statewide. The gaps and the bright spots below are the real read.
1200 New Stine Road, 93309·Kern High·Bakersfield·Grades 9-12·2,159 students·91% low-income·2024–25 CAASPP·(661) 832-2822·Website
Scope Score
44
🌱 Building Momentum · Developing
ranked #1,092 statewide · #14 of 25 in Kern High
West High scores 44 of 100 on SchoolScope's Scope Score — the 37th 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 “33% proficient” and call it done. West 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: 54.8% of low-income students met the ELA standard — versus 38.2% for the same group statewide.
The story this school is actually telling
Proficient by 11th grade
33%
State 35%
Graduate
81%
State 88%
Pass an AP exam
39%
State 36%
Of 100 students here: 33 are proficient by 11th grade → 81 graduate → 39 pass an AP exam. The gaps between those bars are the questions to ask.
54.8%
Low-income · ELA · met standard
West's most underrated number
54.8% 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.
West low-income: 54.8%State low-income: 38.2%
The 7 things our score weighs
Graduation rate
81.0%
State 87.6%
6.6pp below state avg
Exceeded standard
9.2%
State 15.5%
6.3pp below state avg
College readiness
39.0%
State 35.5%
AP exam pass rate above state avg
Met or exceeded
33.2%
State 34.6%
1.4pp below state avg
Chronic absenteeism
23.2%
State 32.1%
8.9pp below state avg
Suspension rate
8.0%
State 4.0%
3.9pp above state avg
EL proficiency (ELPAC)
15.9%
State 17.7%
1.8pp 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.
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 28
Bakersfield High
Kern High · 2.8 mi
Developing
40/100
Kern Workforce 2000 Academy
Kern High · 0.3 mi
Needs Support
23/100
Vista West Continuation High
Kern High · 2.9 mi
Needs Support
22/100
Nearby Elementary Schools
3 within ~3 mi · avg 53
W. A. Kendrick Elementary
Greenfield Union · 3.2 mi
Solid
59/100
Stockdale Elementary
Panama-Buena Vista Union · 1.7 mi
Solid
55/100
Quailwood Elementary
Fruitvale Elementary · 1.6 mi
Developing
46/100
Private alternatives nearby
Private schools within ~10 miles. These schools do not participate in state testing and cannot be scored or ranked.
The community around it
Community Profile
Context — not part of the Scope ScoreStudent demographics
Hispanic75.4%
White6.8%
Asian1.1%
Black10.3%
Other6.4%
GenderFemale 48.1%Male 51.8%Non-binary 0.1%
Resources & Access
Enrollment
2,159
709 above CA avg (~1,450)
Free/Reduced Lunch
91%
27pp above CA avg (64%)
Student-Teacher Ratio
28:1
7 more students per teacher than CA avg
Per-Pupil Spending
$19,026
District avg: $13,940 · CA avg: $14,815 · School-level · CDE ESSA
EL Proficiency (ELPAC)
15.9% Level 4
Share of English Learners reaching full proficiency
Teacher Salary Range
$62,889 – $134,832
District schedule · CA median ~$98K
At West High in Bakersfield, 54.8% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 47.2% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. West High outperforms its district average for low-income students by 7.6 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (11.9% Math proficient); Hispanic students (55.9% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 44.5 percentage points for english learner students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 410 students tested.
Equity Gaps
Absenteeism · Homeless+25.5pp
48.7% vs 23.2% overall · n=76
Suspension · Foster Youth+22.6pp
30.6% vs 8.0% overall · n=36
ELA · English Learner−44.5pp
9.1% vs 53.6% overall · n=36
2 more gaps by subject
ELA Exceeded · English Learner−16.6pp
0.0% vs 16.6% overall · n=36
Math · Black−12.9pp
0.0% vs 12.9% overall · n=50
Subgroups with fewer than 15 students are excluded for privacy. Gaps of less than 3 percentage points are not shown.
Subgroup Proficiency
Low-Income410 tested
ELA 54.8%·Math 11.9%· +7.6pp vs district
Hispanic344 tested
ELA 55.9%·Math 13.3%· +7.5pp vs district
Disabilities61 tested
ELA 14.6%·Math 3.8%· +1.5pp 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
$60K
$25K below CA median
Median Home Value
$269K
$390K below CA median
Bachelor's+
21%
14pp below CA avg
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2022) · ZIP-level
Whole Child
Teacher experience, college/career readiness, and more. Context only — never part of the Scope Score.
Teacher Experience
11.0 years avg experience
186 teachers · 5% first-year · 11% second-year
Teacher Credentials
88% fully credentialed
0.5% on intern/emergency permit
AP Courses Offered
11 AP courses
67 students qualified via AP exam
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%
81.0%
↓ vs CA 87.6% · 42th pctile
Exceeded standard · 22%
9.2%
↓ vs CA 15.5% · 44th pctile
College readiness · 20%
39.0%
↑ vs CA 35.5% · 52th pctile
Met or exceeded · 18%
33.2%
↓ vs CA 34.6% · 49th pctile
Chronic absenteeism · 5%
23.2%
↑ vs CA 32.1% · 57th pctile
Suspension rate · 5%
8.0%
↓ vs CA 4.0% · 33th pctile
EL proficiency (ELPAC) · 5%
15.9%
↓ vs CA 17.7% · 73th pctile
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
| ELA | Tested | EXC | MET | NEAR | NOT | MET+ | +/CA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 11 | 446 | 17% | 37% | 25% | 22% | 54% | +6 |
| Math | Tested | EXC | MET | NEAR | NOT | MET+ | +/CA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 11 | 443 | 2% | 11% | 18% | 69% | 13% | −10 |
| Science (CAST) | Tested | EXC | MET | NEAR | NOT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 5/8/11 | 490 | 2% | 17% | 67% | 14% |
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 | 410 | 54.8% | +8 | +17 |
| Hispanic/Latino | 343 | 55.9% | +8 | +17 |
| Students with Disabilities | 61 | 14.6% | +2 | −2 |
03Peer comparison · nearest high schoolssorted by Scope Score
| School | Dist | Scope | EXC | MET+ | Growth | Susp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| West High ← | — | 44 | 9.2% | 33.2% | — | 8.0% |
| Bakersfield High | 2.8 mi | 40 | 8.8% | 29.7% | — | 9.7% |
| Kern Workforce 2000 Academy | 0.3 mi | 23 | 0.2% | 4.7% | — | 4.8% |
| Vista West Continuation High | 2.9 mi | 22 | 1.8% | 7.7% | — | 15.1% |
| California average | — | 47 | 15.5% | 34.6% | — | 4.0% |
04More measurescontext · not all part of the Scope Score
Graduation Rate
81.0%
AP Exam Prepared
39.0%
A-G Completion
38.9%
A-G are the 15 courses (across 7 subjects) required for UC/CSU eligibility
College-Going Rate
52.5%
Scope Score history
2019 · 2022 · 2023 · 2024 · 2025 · no testing 2020–21 (COVID) · rank #1141 → #1222 → #1161 → #1157 → #1092
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 West High a good high school?
West High has a Scope Score of 44 out of 100, placing it in the 37th percentile of California high schools and ranked #1,092 statewide. 9.2% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is 6.3 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 West High's CAASPP test scores?
On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 33.2% of students at West High met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 9.2% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 24.0% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 9.2% 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. 889 student-subject combinations were assessed.
How does West High rank in California?
West High ranks #1,092 among California high schools by Scope Score, placing it in the 37th 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 West High?
23.2% of students at West 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 8.0%. 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 West High compare to other schools in Bakersfield?
West High scores 44/100 (37th 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 2,159 students. Use the schools in Bakersfield page or the map view to compare all high schools nearby.
How does West High serve low-income and underrepresented students?
At West High in Bakersfield, 54.8% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 47.2% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. West High outperforms its district average for low-income students by 7.6 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (11.9% Math proficient); Hispanic students (55.9% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 44.5 percentage points for english learner students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 410 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.