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What's the one class at Highland High every student should take?
Community prompt from u/allk12. Replies below.
Enrollment
2,530
High
DISTRICT 1,713 · STATE 838
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·KERN HIGH·NCES 061954002345
Highland High
2900 Royal Scots Way, Bakersfield, CA 93306 · (661) 872-2777 · Kern County
GRADES 09–12HIGH11-CITYTITLE IREGULAR SCHOOL2,530 STUDENTS
B
allk12 Grade
Scored higher than 56% of California public high schools
- C+Test scores Share of students meeting the state standard in reading, math, and other tested subjects, 2023-24 and 2024-25.
- B+Beats expectations How far test scores land above or below what the share of low-income students predicts for a school in this state.
- A-Three-year trend Change in reading and math proficiency over the last three test years.
Grades compare a school only with schools in the same state, because every state gives its own test. How grades work · Top-graded California public high schools
Student : Teacher
23.9:1
106 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 21.9:1 · STATE 18.2:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
87%
2,210 students
DISTRICT 82% · STATE 65%
Community
6
0 members
Enrollment and student:teacher ratio compared against other high schools. Free/Reduced Lunch and demographics compared against all schools.
Enrollment by grade, 2024-25
| Grade | Students | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Grade 9 | 636 | 25% |
| Grade 10 | 607 | 24% |
| Grade 11 | 631 | 25% |
| Grade 12 | 656 | 26% |
Student demographics
42%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 46% · STATE 62% · US 70%
Student head counts by race/ethnicity from federal NCES enrollment data. District, state, and US figures are each group's share of all public school students in that area (US excludes territories). Very small groups may be suppressed in the source, so categories do not always sum exactly to total enrollment.
Gender split
Test scores
CAASPP 2024-25 . % met or exceeded standardEnglish Language Arts
54.9%
CA avg 49.1% . -6.1pp since 2014
Math
15.5%
CA avg 37.7% . -14.5pp since 2014
What this means: On the CAASPP, California's statewide test, about 55 of every 100 students at this school read and write at grade level and about 16 of 100 do math at grade level. Across all California schools, those numbers are about 49 and 38. Reading and writing scores are down about 6 points since 2014, while math scores are down about 14 points.
Performance levels, 2024-25
| Subject | Standard Exceeded | Standard Met | Standard Nearly Met | Standard Not Met |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| English Language Arts | 20.7% | 34.2% | 24.3% | 20.9% |
| Math | 3.7% | 11.9% | 21.8% | 62.6% |
Share of tested students at each CAASPP level. Each student counts in one level, so a row adds to about 100%.
CAASPP results by year
| School year | English Language Arts | Math |
|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 54.9% | 15.5% |
| 2023-24 | 51.1% | 16.1% |
| 2022-23 | 60.6% | 18.6% |
| 2021-22 | 41.4% | 14.2% |
| 2020-21 | 92.9% | N/A |
| 2018-19 | 63.3% | 22.8% |
| 2017-18 | 58.2% | 20.9% |
| 2016-17 | 55.1% | 28.0% |
| 2015-16 | 61.0% | 29.0% |
| 2014-15 | 61.0% | 30.0% |
% met or exceeded standard, all students and all tested grades.
Source: CAASPP. All students, all grades. See all years and grades →
BeatsExpectations
Demographically-adjusted score · methodologyTier
AS EXPECTED
Performing as predicted given the school's student profile
Actual proficiency
34.4%
composite math + reading, all grades
Predicted
28.4%
based on CA schools with similar FRL share
Beats by
+6.0pp
above demographic expectation
What this means: About 34% of students here test proficient in math and reading, compared with the roughly 28% typical for California schools with a similar share of low-income students. BeatsExpectations measures results against demographically similar schools rather than by raw scores, and this school falls within the typical range, neither among California's top nor bottom 10%.
BeatsExpectations runs a per-state regression of proficiency on free/reduced-lunch share, then scores each school by residual. How this is calculated →
Schools most like Highland High
Highland High's state test result (34.4% proficient) is higher than 2 of the 3 schools below with a result.
| School | Students | Low-income | Proficient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Highland High this school | 2,530 | 87.4% | 34.4% |
| Corona High Corona | 2,307 | 86.3% | 42.3% |
| Assurance Learning Academy Lancaster | 3,014 | 84.3% | N/A |
| Options for Youth-Acton Fontana | 2,171 | 82.8% | N/A |
| Ramona High Riverside | 2,142 | 86.3% | 33.1% |
| Fresno High Fresno | 1,867 | 88.5% | 25.0% |
Matched among California high schools on enrollment, the share of students from low-income families (eligible for free or reduced-price lunch), and racial and ethnic makeup. Proficient is the average share of students meeting the state standard across all of the school's state tests in 2023-24 and 2024-25, the same combined score our test-score rankings use. Online schools and schools serving specialized populations are not matched.
Where Highland High ranks
Among high schools| Measure | This school | In California | In Kern County |
|---|---|---|---|
| State test proficiency ranked highest first | 34.4% | #677 of 1,052 | #17 of 34 |
| Math proficiency ranked highest first | 15.5% | #815 of 1,056 ▼ 92 | #20 of 34 ▼ 2 |
| Reading proficiency ranked highest first | 54.9% | #585 of 1,056 ▲ 45 | #15 of 34 ▲ 5 |
| 3-year test score change ranked biggest gain first | +7.4pp | #250 of 1,044 | #9 of 32 |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 2,530 | #97 of 2,093 | #4 of 48 |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 23.9:1 | #1,104 of 1,352 | #23 of 38 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 41.9% | #806 of 1,351 | #20 of 38 |
| Free and reduced lunch ranked highest share first | 87.4% | #396 of 1,575 | #19 of 39 |
| Enrollment change since 2017-18 ranked fastest growth first | +18.9% | #51 of 327 | #3 of 22 |
Ranked against other public high schools. Online schools are left out of every list, and test-score lists leave out schools that serve specialized populations. Each rank links to the full list. Arrows under a test-score rank show places moved since the prior test year, among schools tested both years.
4-year change
SY 2020-21 vs SY 2024-25Enrollment
2,530
-48 (-2%) vs 2020
+41% since 1990-91, when it was 1,797
Student : Teacher
23.9:1
was 25.5:1
Source: NCES Common Core of Data
Enrollment and staffing by year
| School year | Students | Teachers (FTE) | Students per teacher | Free and reduced lunch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 2,530 | 105.7 | 23.9:1 | 87% (2,210) |
| 2023-24 | 2,543 | 106.5 | 23.9:1 | 82% (2,085) |
| 2022-23 | 2,599 | 104 | 25.0:1 | 79% (2,057) |
| 2020-21 | 2,578 | 101 | 25.5:1 | 73% (1,875) |
| 2017-18 | 2,128 | 80.5 | 26.4:1 | 65% (1,386) |
| 2015-16 | 1,962 | 74 | 26.5:1 | 64% (1,247) |
| 2010-11 | 1,897 | N/A | N/A | 62% (1,178) |
| 2000-01 | 1,900 | 79 | 24.1:1 | 46% (882) |
| 1990-91 | 1,797 | 69 | 26.0:1 | N/A |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for Highland High.
Since 2017-18: students up 19% (2,128 to 2,530); teachers up 31% (80.5 to 105.7).
About Highland High
Highland High serves students in Bakersfield, California, as a large high school. It reported 2,530 students in grades 9 through 12 in 2024-25. That compares with an average of about 838 students for high schools in California.
Kern High operates 25 schools. Combined enrollment is 42,814 students.
Federal enrollment data show Highland High is 74% Hispanic. Other groups make up 15% White, 5% Black, and 3% Asian. Kern County as a whole is about 57% Hispanic, so the school's share is higher. A diversity index of 42% means there is a 42% chance two randomly chosen students at Highland High are from different groups.
Highland High has a student-to-teacher ratio of 23.9:1, with 105.7 full-time-equivalent teachers. The average for high schools in California, 18.2:1, is lower. A common income measure, free or reduced-price lunch eligibility, is 87% at Highland High. It compares with 76% for public schools in Kern County.
Among California public high schools, Highland High outscored 56%, which works out to a B on the allk12 Grade.
Schools in California with a similar free or reduced-price lunch share are predicted to score about 28.4%. Highland High scores 34.4%.
The school's county is Kern County. According to Census Bureau estimates, median household income comes to about $70,210, 19% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and about 15% of residents live below the federal poverty line. Kern County's 279 public schools enroll about 197,431 students and include Highland High.
The closest school to Highland High is Chipman Junior High, located about 0.2 miles away. Highland High is one of several public schools in the area, with at least 8 others within five miles. Ranking the closest schools with test data puts Highland High at 1st of 9.
Highland High falls in the City: Large locale category, used for schools inside a principal city with a population of 250,000 or more.
Compared with 2020-21, when it had 2,578 students, enrollment in 2024-25 was about the same at 2,530. In 2020-21, the student-to-teacher ratio was 25.5:1; by 2024-25 it was 23.9:1.
This page is a place to ask questions and share updates about athletics, class schedules, and weather closures at Highland High. Parents, students, alumni, and staff are welcome to post.
Kern County at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
915,075
Census ACS
Median income
$70,210
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
19%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
15%
Below federal line
Schools in county
279
197,431 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in Kern High
- Bakersfield HighHigh · 3,069 students
- Arvin HighHigh · 2,653 students
- Ridgeview HighHigh · 2,575 students
- Stockdale HighHigh · 2,398 students
- Liberty HighHigh · 2,369 students
- East Bakersfield HighHigh · 2,331 students
Other schools in Bakersfield
- Bakersfield HighHigh · 3,069 students
- Ridgeview HighHigh · 2,575 students
- Stockdale HighHigh · 2,398 students
- Liberty HighHigh · 2,369 students
- East Bakersfield HighHigh · 2,331 students
- Independence HighHigh · 2,324 students
Other Highland High schools
15 other US public schools in 14 states are named Highland High. Highland High is the 3rd largest of the 16.
- Highland HighPalmdale, CA · 2,706 students
- Highland High SchoolGILBERT, AZ · 2,992 students
- Highland HighSALT LAKE CITY, UT · 1,973 students
- HIGHLAND HIGH SCHOOLPOCATELLO, ID · 1,456 students
- HIGHLAND HIGHALBUQUERQUE, NM · 1,144 students
Nearby schools
- Chipman Junior High0.2 mi · 708
- Henry Eissler Elementary0.3 mi · 529
- Dr. Juliet Thorner Elementary1.0 mi · 813
- Colonel Howard Nichols Elementary1.2 mi · 960
- Compton Junior High1.2 mi · 586
- Harding Elementary1.3 mi · 542
Frequently asked questions
About Highland HighWhat is the total enrollment at Highland High?
Highland High enrolls approximately 2,530 students in grades 09-12.
What grades does Highland High serve?
Highland High serves grades 09-12.
How many teachers does Highland High have?
Highland High employs 106 FTE teachers, for a student-to-teacher ratio of 23.9:1.
What is the racial breakdown of students at Highland High?
At Highland High, the student body is approximately 15% White, 74% Hispanic, 5% Black, 3% Asian, 2% Two or more.
Is Highland High public or private?
Highland High is a public K-12 school, overseen by Kern High.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.