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Honest take: what's the hardest part about being a student at Independence High?
Community prompt from u/allk12. Replies below.
Enrollment
2,289
High
DISTRICT 1,234 · STATE 838
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·EAST SIDE UNION HIGH·NCES 061182001302
Independence High
617 North Jackson Ave., San Jose, CA 95133 · (408) 928-9500 · Santa Clara County
GRADES 09–12HIGH11-CITYTITLE IREGULAR SCHOOL2,289 STUDENTS
C+
allk12 Grade
Scored higher than 41% of California public high schools
- BTest scores Share of students meeting the state standard in reading, math, and other tested subjects, 2023-24 and 2024-25.
- CBeats expectations How far test scores land above or below what the share of low-income students predicts for a school in this state.
- DThree-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
22.2:1
103 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 21.0:1 · STATE 18.2:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
47%
1,075 students
DISTRICT 56% · 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 | 538 | 24% |
| Grade 10 | 562 | 25% |
| Grade 11 | 589 | 26% |
| Grade 12 | 600 | 26% |
Student demographics
57%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 59% · 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
62.5%
CA avg 49.1% . +2.5pp since 2014
Math
31.0%
CA avg 37.7% . -5.0pp since 2014
What this means: On the CAASPP, California's statewide test, about 62 of every 100 students at this school read and write at grade level and about 31 of 100 do math at grade level. Across all California schools, those numbers are about 49 and 38. Reading and writing scores are up about 2 points since 2014, while math scores are down about 5 points.
Performance levels, 2024-25
| Subject | Standard Exceeded | Standard Met | Standard Nearly Met | Standard Not Met |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| English Language Arts | 29.1% | 33.3% | 16.8% | 20.8% |
| Math | 12.3% | 18.7% | 21.3% | 47.7% |
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 | 62.5% | 31.0% |
| 2023-24 | 60.1% | 32.8% |
| 2022-23 | 68.5% | 34.9% |
| 2021-22 | 69.2% | 36.4% |
| 2020-21 | 75.3% | 65.8% |
| 2018-19 | 66.9% | 43.6% |
| 2017-18 | 63.1% | 38.8% |
| 2016-17 | 68.1% | 41.3% |
| 2015-16 | 64.0% | 36.0% |
| 2014-15 | 60.0% | 36.0% |
% 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
46.6%
composite math + reading, all grades
Predicted
52.0%
based on CA schools with similar FRL share
Beats by
-5.4pp
below demographic expectation
What this means: About 47% of students here test proficient in math and reading, compared with the roughly 52% 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 Independence High
Independence High's state test result (46.6% proficient) is higher than 0 of the 5 schools below with a result.
| School | Students | Low-income | Proficient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Independence High this school | 2,289 | 47.0% | 46.6% |
| Sunny Hills High Fullerton | 2,337 | 48.5% | 70.2% |
| Silver Creek High San Jose | 2,139 | 44.6% | 57.5% |
| Cerritos High Cerritos | 1,996 | 43.1% | 70.4% |
| James Logan High Union City | 3,096 | 52.8% | 48.3% |
| Troy High Fullerton | 2,504 | 39.7% | 81.2% |
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 Independence High ranks
Among high schools| Measure | This school | In California | In Santa Clara County |
|---|---|---|---|
| State test proficiency ranked highest first | 46.6% | #378 of 1,052 | #28 of 43 |
| Math proficiency ranked highest first | 31.0% | #417 of 1,056 ▼ 91 | #30 of 43 ▼ 2 |
| Reading proficiency ranked highest first | 62.5% | #413 of 1,056 ▲ 23 | #27 of 43 ▲ 1 |
| 3-year test score change ranked biggest drop first | -6.1pp | #94 of 1,044 | #6 of 42 |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 2,289 | #166 of 2,093 | #3 of 76 |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 22.2:1 | #895 of 1,352 | #40 of 57 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 57.3% | #478 of 1,351 | #23 of 57 |
| Free and reduced lunch ranked highest share first | 47.0% | #1,206 of 1,575 | #34 of 67 |
| Enrollment change since 2017-18 ranked steepest decline first | -21.4% | #163 of 802 | #11 of 39 |
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
2,289
-531 (-19%) vs 2020
-43% since 1990-91, when it was 3,986
Student : Teacher
22.2:1
was 23.5:1
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 | 2,289 | 103.1 | 22.2:1 | 47% (1,075) |
| 2023-24 | 2,368 | 112.7 | 21.0:1 | 41% (961) |
| 2022-23 | 2,517 | 114.8 | 21.9:1 | 37% (936) |
| 2020-21 | 2,820 | 120 | 23.5:1 | 44% (1,244) |
| 2017-18 | 2,914 | 124.2 | 23.5:1 | 50% (1,467) |
| 2015-16 | 2,968 | 127 | 23.4:1 | 52% (1,547) |
| 2010-11 | 3,409 | N/A | N/A | 38% (1,308) |
| 2000-01 | 4,341 | 192 | 22.6:1 | 15% (664) |
| 1990-91 | 3,986 | 170 | 23.4:1 | N/A |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for Independence High.
Since 2017-18: students down 21% (2,914 to 2,289); teachers down 17% (124.2 to 103.1).
About Independence High
Independence High is a high school in San Jose, California, and it is part of East Side Union High. The school had 2,289 students in grades 9 through 12 in 2024-25. Average enrollment for high schools in California is about 838, so this school runs 173% larger than that.
Independence High belongs to East Side Union High, a district of 16 schools and 19,736 students.
Asian students are the majority at Independence High, with 52% of enrollment. Other groups include 39% Hispanic, 3% White, and 3% multiracial. The county population is about 41% Asian. Independence High's diversity index is 57%, against a US figure of 70%.
The school reported 103.1 full-time-equivalent teachers in 2024-25 and a ratio of 22.2:1. The school has more students per teacher than the 18.2:1 average for high schools in California. Eligible students account for 47% of enrollment in the free or reduced-price lunch program. Across public schools in Santa Clara County, the average is 37%.
The allk12 Grade for Independence High is C+. Compared with California public high schools, the school scored higher than 41% on a mix of test scores, poverty-adjusted results, and recent trend.
On a poverty-adjusted basis, Independence High falls in the middle 80% of California schools: 46.6% actual against 52.0% predicted.
Within Santa Clara County, the median household income is $164,281, the share of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher is 57%, and about 4% of people live in poverty. Besides Independence High, Santa Clara County has 411 other public schools.
KIPP San Jose Collegiate is the closest public school, about 0.1 miles away in a straight line. In all, at least 8 other public schools sit within five miles of Independence High. Of the 4 nearby schools with scores, including this one, Independence High is 1st on average proficiency.
Independence High falls in the City: Large locale category, used for schools inside a principal city with a population of 250,000 or more.
Enrollment at Independence High dropped 19% between 2020-21 and 2024-25, from 2,820 to 2,289 students. There were fewer students per teacher in 2024-25 (22.2:1) than in 2020-21 (23.5:1).
The Independence High community page is open for posts about sports tryouts, band and choir, and theater. Posting is open to anyone connected to the school.
Santa Clara County at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
1,902,047
Census ACS
Median income
$164,281
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
57%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
4%
Below federal line
Schools in county
412
230,059 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in East Side Union High
- Evergreen Valley HighHigh · 2,703 students
- Silver Creek HighHigh · 2,139 students
- Santa Teresa HighHigh · 2,134 students
- Piedmont Hills HighHigh · 1,918 students
- Yerba Buena HighHigh · 1,612 students
- Andrew P. Hill HighHigh · 1,564 students
Other schools in San Jose
- Evergreen Valley HighHigh · 2,703 students
- Silver Creek HighHigh · 2,139 students
- Santa Teresa HighHigh · 2,134 students
- Piedmont Hills HighHigh · 1,918 students
- Leigh HighHigh · 1,884 students
- Branham HighHigh · 1,820 students
Other Independence High schools
19 other US public schools in 15 states are named Independence High. Independence High is the 2nd largest of the 20.
- Independence HighBakersfield, CA · 2,324 students
- Independence HighSan Francisco, CA · 235 students
- Independence HighBrentwood, CA · 163 students
- Independence HighPaso Robles, CA · 137 students
- Independence HighAshburn, VA · 2,166 students
Nearby schools
- KIPP San Jose Collegiate0.1 mi · 512
- Downtown College Prep - Alum Rock0.1 mi · 202
- ACE Charter High0.1 mi · 313
- Pegasus High0.2 mi · 128
- William Sheppard Middle0.9 mi · 451
- Ben Painter Elementary0.9 mi · 362
Frequently asked questions
About Independence HighWhat is the total enrollment at Independence High?
Independence High enrolls approximately 2,289 students in grades 09-12.
What age range does Independence High serve?
Independence High serves students from grade 09 through grade 12.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Independence High?
The student-to-teacher ratio at Independence High is approximately 22.2:1 (103 FTE teachers).
What is the student diversity at Independence High?
Student demographics at Independence High are roughly 3% White, 39% Hispanic, 2% Black, 52% Asian, 3% Two or more.
What district is Independence High in?
Independence High is part of East Side Union High.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.