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What's the biggest difference between John F. Kennedy High and what you expected?
Community prompt from u/allk12. Replies below.
Enrollment
1,983
High
DISTRICT 1,433 · STATE 838
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·ANAHEIM UNION HIGH·NCES 060263000177
John F. Kennedy High
8281 Walker St., La Palma, CA 90623 · (714) 220-4101 · Orange County
GRADES 09–12HIGH21-SUBURBTITLE IREGULAR SCHOOL1,983 STUDENTS
A
allk12 Grade
Scored higher than 87% of California public high schools
- A-Test scores Share of students meeting the state standard in reading, math, and other tested subjects, 2023-24 and 2024-25.
- ABeats expectations How far test scores land above or below what the share of low-income students predicts for a school in this state.
- CThree-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
23.8:1
83 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 20.8:1 · STATE 18.2:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
69%
1,378 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 | 481 | 24% |
| Grade 10 | 470 | 24% |
| Grade 11 | 505 | 25% |
| Grade 12 | 527 | 27% |
Student demographics
68%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 49% · 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
73.5%
CA avg 49.1% . -1.5pp since 2014
Math
39.8%
CA avg 37.7% . -5.2pp since 2014
What this means: On the CAASPP, California's statewide test, about 74 of every 100 students at this school read and write at grade level and about 40 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 1 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 | 41.4% | 32.1% | 15.2% | 11.3% |
| Math | 21.7% | 18.1% | 22.7% | 37.5% |
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 | 73.5% | 39.8% |
| 2023-24 | 71.4% | 46.1% |
| 2022-23 | 72.7% | 39.6% |
| 2021-22 | 76.2% | 39.0% |
| 2020-21 | 81.0% | 51.0% |
| 2018-19 | 80.8% | 46.4% |
| 2017-18 | 70.9% | 37.7% |
| 2016-17 | 78.1% | 49.1% |
| 2015-16 | 73.0% | 46.0% |
| 2014-15 | 75.0% | 45.0% |
% 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
OUTPERFORMING
Top 10% of CA schools after controlling for student poverty
Actual proficiency
57.7%
composite math + reading, all grades
Predicted
38.8%
based on CA schools with similar FRL share
Beats by
+18.9pp
above demographic expectation
What this means: About 58% of students here test proficient in math and reading, well above the roughly 39% typical for California schools with a similar share of low-income students. BeatsExpectations ranks schools against others at the same poverty level, not by raw scores, so a school can post high scores and still fall short of its prediction, or post lower scores and still beat it. This school clears its prediction by about 19 points, placing it in California's top 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 John F. Kennedy High
John F. Kennedy High's state test result (57.7% proficient) is higher than 5 of the 5 schools below with a result.
| School | Students | Low-income | Proficient |
|---|---|---|---|
| John F. Kennedy High this school | 1,983 | 69.5% | 57.7% |
| River Valley High Yuba City | 1,695 | 68.9% | 34.1% |
| Arroyo High San Lorenzo | 1,499 | 64.6% | 43.3% |
| Sanger West High Fresno | 1,438 | 65.6% | 39.4% |
| Andrew P. Hill High San Jose | 1,564 | 67.6% | 31.9% |
| Lathrop High Lathrop | 1,486 | 62.2% | 42.6% |
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 John F. Kennedy High ranks
Among high schools| Measure | This school | In California | In Orange County |
|---|---|---|---|
| State test proficiency ranked highest first | 57.7% | #207 of 1,052 | #34 of 68 |
| Math proficiency ranked highest first | 39.8% | #274 of 1,056 ▼ 88 | #41 of 69 ▼ 10 |
| Reading proficiency ranked highest first | 73.5% | #187 of 1,056 ▲ 22 | #23 of 69 ▲ 3 |
| 3-year test score change ranked biggest drop first | -0.9pp | #328 of 1,044 | #24 of 68 |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 1,983 | #300 of 2,093 | #35 of 105 |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 23.8:1 | #1,083 of 1,352 | #62 of 85 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 67.5% | #187 of 1,351 | #15 of 85 |
| Free and reduced lunch ranked highest share first | 69.5% | #883 of 1,575 | #47 of 95 |
| Enrollment change since 2017-18 ranked steepest decline first | -19.7% | #180 of 802 | #18 of 71 |
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
1,983
-239 (-11%) vs 2020
+22% since 1990-91, when it was 1,630
Student : Teacher
23.8:1
was 25.0:1
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 | 1,983 | 83.3 | 23.8:1 | 69% (1,378) |
| 2023-24 | 2,024 | 84.3 | 24.0:1 | 63% (1,269) |
| 2022-23 | 2,080 | 94.3 | 22.1:1 | 59% (1,235) |
| 2020-21 | 2,222 | 89 | 25.0:1 | 62% (1,372) |
| 2017-18 | 2,471 | 87.1 | 28.4:1 | 50% (1,238) |
| 2015-16 | 2,433 | 84 | 29.0:1 | 45% (1,105) |
| 2010-11 | 2,357 | N/A | N/A | 28% (668) |
| 2000-01 | 2,086 | 77 | 27.1:1 | 17% (362) |
| 1990-91 | 1,630 | 61 | 26.7:1 | N/A |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for John F. Kennedy High.
Since 2017-18: students down 20% (2,471 to 1,983); teachers down 4% (87.1 to 83.3).
About John F. Kennedy High
John F. Kennedy High is a large high school in La Palma, California. It reported 1,983 students in grades 9 through 12 in 2024-25. High schools in California average about 838 students, which makes this school 137% larger than average.
Anaheim Union High (21 schools, 26,076 students) runs John F. Kennedy High.
The largest group at John F. Kennedy High is Hispanic students, at 45%. It is also 31% Asian, 14% White, 5% multiracial, and 4% Black. For comparison, the population of Orange County is roughly 34% Hispanic. On the diversity index, which measures the chance that two random students are from different groups, John F. Kennedy High scores 68%.
The school's 83.3 full-time-equivalent teachers translate to a student-to-teacher ratio of 23.8:1. Statewide, high schools in California average 18.2:1. Income data for the school show 69% of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch. Public schools in Orange County average 55%.
On the allk12 Grade, John F. Kennedy High lands at A, ahead of 87% of California public high schools.
John F. Kennedy High posts an average proficiency rate across its state test results of 57.7%. Schools with its free or reduced-price lunch share in California are predicted to post 38.8%, so the school is 18.9 points ahead and in the state's top 10%.
The county, Orange County, is where the school is located. Median household income comes to about $116,289, a bachelor's degree or higher is held by about 44% of adults, and the share of residents below the poverty line is 7%. The county's public schools total 649, with about 430,458 students.
Walker Junior High sits about 0.1 miles from John F. Kennedy High. There are at least 8 other public schools within five miles. By average proficiency, John F. Kennedy High is 5th among 9 schools close by.
For locale, NCES codes John F. Kennedy High as Suburb: Large.
Between 2020-21 and 2024-25, John F. Kennedy High had a net loss of 239 students, or 11%. The number of students per teacher dropped from 25.0 to 23.8 over 4 years.
People can post here about homework, tutoring, and testing dates and other school topics. Members of the school community can share what they know.
Orange County at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
3,165,820
Census ACS
Median income
$116,289
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
44%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
7%
Below federal line
Schools in county
649
430,458 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in Anaheim Union High
- Cypress HighHigh · 2,685 students
- Anaheim HighHigh · 2,667 students
- Katella HighHigh · 2,326 students
- Magnolia HighHigh · 1,608 students
- Loara HighHigh · 1,539 students
- Savanna HighHigh · 1,466 students
Other schools in La Palma
- Walker Junior HighMiddle · 890 students
- Los Coyotes ElementaryElementary · 568 students
- George B. Miller ElementaryElementary · 502 students
- Steve Luther ElementaryElementary · 403 students
Other John F. Kennedy High schools
10 other US public schools in 6 states are named John F. Kennedy High. John F. Kennedy High is the 2nd largest of the 11.
- John F. Kennedy HighGranada Hills, CA · 2,152 students
- John F. Kennedy HighSacramento, CA · 1,652 students
- John F. Kennedy HighFremont, CA · 1,273 students
- John F. Kennedy HighRichmond, CA · 740 students
- John F. Kennedy HighNorco, CA · 694 students
Nearby schools
- Walker Junior High0.1 mi · 890
- Los Coyotes Elementary0.5 mi · 568
- Clara J. King Elementary0.6 mi · 431
- George B. Miller Elementary0.6 mi · 502
- San Marino Elementary0.8 mi · 465
- Steve Luther Elementary0.9 mi · 403
Frequently asked questions
About John F. Kennedy HighWhat is the total enrollment at John F. Kennedy High?
John F. Kennedy High enrolls approximately 1,983 students in grades 09-12.
What age range does John F. Kennedy High serve?
John F. Kennedy High serves students from grade 09 through grade 12.
How many students per teacher at John F. Kennedy High?
Approximately 23.8:1 students per teacher at John F. Kennedy High.
What is the racial breakdown of students at John F. Kennedy High?
At John F. Kennedy High, the student body is approximately 14% White, 45% Hispanic, 4% Black, 31% Asian, 5% Two or more.
Is John F. Kennedy High public or private?
John F. Kennedy High is a public K-12 school, overseen by Anaheim Union High.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.