William J. (Pete) Knight High: Three in four leave college-ready. But suspensions run 3× the state rate.
William J. (Pete) Knight has real strengths and one number that complicates them. Most rating sites show you one or the other. Both belong on the same page.
| Scope | % Exceeded | % Met+ | Grad rate | College readiness | Absence | Suspension | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| This school | 46 | 8% | 27% | 91.9% | 78.3% | 25.1% | 9.1% |
| CA average · High School | 44 | 16% | 36% | 87.6% | 35.4% | 30.2% | 3.6% |
William J. (Pete) Knight High scores 46 of 100 on SchoolScope's Scope Score — the 52nd 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 “27% proficient” and call it done. William J. (Pete) Knight deserves a closer read. The school sits in Palmdale, where more than half of students qualify for free or reduced lunch — and reading the numbers without that context misreads the school.
The headline number: 78.3% of students leave measurably college-ready, versus 35.4% statewide.
The seven-year arc
Slipped from the 63rd to the 52nd percentile since 2019.
This school hasn't fully recovered from the pandemic: 27% meet the standard today, versus 31% in 2019 — a gap worth asking about on a visit.
| Grade | 2019 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 11 | 48% | 37% | 40% | 46% | 42% |
| Grade | 2019 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 11 | 15% | 11% | 10% | 13% | 12% |
The story this school is actually telling
of students leave measurably college-ready, versus 35.4% statewide.
of students were suspended, versus 3.6% statewide — worth asking about on a tour.
Of 100 students here: 27 are proficient by 11th grade → 92 graduate → 78 pass an AP exam. The gaps between those bars are the questions to ask.
The 7 things our score weighs
Ask about the discipline philosophy and what a typical suspension is for. Numbers can't tell you whether a campus feels strict or chaotic — a visit can.
- Ask what typically leads to a suspension, and what happens before it gets there.
- 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 William J. (Pete) Knight High in Palmdale, 40.6% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 34.1% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. William J. (Pete) Knight High outperforms its district average for low-income students by 6.5 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (12.6% Math proficient); Hispanic students (44.8% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 41.9 percentage points for english learner students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 350 students tested.
6 of 16 student groups here are too small to report — a privacy protection, not a gap.
Showing up, and staying in class
Where the path goes
The path below is estimated from nearby schools in the same district — scores shown for each next step.
Estimated K-12 path based on district and proximity. Actual attendance zones may differ. Contact your school district for official feeder information.
The people teaching here
Pay is set by the district, not the school.
What gets spent here
$444 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.
District-level, from the district's own SACS general-ledger filing — school-by-school breakdowns aren't published by the state.
Source: NCES F-33 · Full district breakdown →
The neighborhood it serves
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2024) · ZIP-level
At 2,349 students, this school is well above the typical California high school (≈1450).
On the state's science test (CAST), 16% met or exceeded the standard — science is tested in grades 5 and 8 but never enters the Scope Score.
Frequently asked questions
Is William J. (Pete) Knight High a good high school?
What are William J. (Pete) Knight High's CAASPP test scores?
How does William J. (Pete) Knight High rank in California?
What is the attendance and school culture like at William J. (Pete) Knight High?
How does William J. (Pete) Knight High compare to other schools in Palmdale?
How does William J. (Pete) Knight High serve low-income and underrepresented students?
Your other options
Nearby Elementary Schools
3 within ~3 mi · avg 41
Private alternatives nearby
Private schools within ~10 miles. These schools do not participate in state testing and cannot be scored or ranked.
Every number on this page
Score factors, grade-level breakdowns, subgroup proficiency, and peer comparisons.
| ELA | Tested | EXC | MET | NEAR | NOT | MET+ | +/CA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 11 | 515 | 12% | 30% | 24% | 34% | 42% | −5 |
| Math | Tested | EXC | MET | NEAR | NOT | MET+ | +/CA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 11 | 515 | 4% | 8% | 19% | 69% | 12% | −12 |
| Science (CAST) | Tested | EXC | MET | NEAR | NOT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 5/8/11 | 584 | 1% | 15% | 71% | 13% |
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 | 350 | 40.6% | +6 | +2 |
| Hispanic/Latino | 402 | 44.8% | +6 | +6 |
| Students with Disabilities | 95 | 11.6% | +2 | −5 |
| School | Dist | Scope | EXC | MET+ | Growth | Susp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| William J. (Pete) Knight High ← | — | 46 | 8.0% | 26.9% | — | 9.1% |
| California average | — | 44 | 15.8% | 35.7% | — | 3.6% |
| Year | Scope | Pctile | Rank | Exc | Met+ | Absent | Susp | Growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 52 | 63 | #753 | 8.8% | 31.2% | 10.6% | 5.3% | — |
| 2022 | 47 | 59 | #858 | 6.3% | 23.9% | 26.8% | 6.2% | — |
| 2023 | 46 | 57 | #931 | 8.0% | 24.8% | 24.7% | 11.0% | — |
| 2024 | 47 | 59 | #881 | 8.3% | 29.7% | 24.9% | 10.3% | — |
| 2025 | 46 | 52 | #1043 | 8.0% | 26.9% | 25.1% | 9.1% | — |
| Group | 2019 | 2025 | Δ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Female | 10.9% | 23.9% | +13.0pp |
| Male | 9.4% | 25.8% | +16.4pp |
| Asian | 3.4% | 0.0% | -3.4pp |
| Black/African American | 14.9% | 36.9% | +22.0pp |
| White | 4.2% | 12.5% | +8.3pp |
| Hispanic/Latino | 8.8% | 23.0% | +14.2pp |
| American Indian/Alaska Native | 9.1% | — | — |
| Two or More Races | 19.1% | 28.8% | +9.7pp |
| Students with Disabilities | 18.2% | 39.7% | +21.5pp |
| English Learners | 8.2% | 26.7% | +18.5pp |
| Foster Youth | 23.8% | 36.9% | +13.1pp |
| Homeless | 11.1% | 21.1% | +10.0pp |
| Military-Connected | 0.0% | 0.0% | +0.0pp |
| Socioeconomically Disadvantaged | 10.4% | 28.0% | +17.6pp |
| All Students | 10.2% | 24.9% | +14.7pp |
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