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Teachers: what resource would make the biggest difference at La Costa Canyon High this year?
Community prompt from u/allk12. Replies below.
Enrollment
1,774
High
DISTRICT 1,677 · STATE 838
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·SAN DIEGUITO UNION HIGH·NCES 063438006516
La Costa Canyon High
1 Maverick Way, Carlsbad, CA 92009 · (760) 436-6136 · San Diego County
GRADES 09–12HIGH12-CITYREGULAR SCHOOL1,774 STUDENTS
B+
allk12 Grade
Scored higher than 65% 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.
- C-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
22.1:1
80 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 22.0:1 · STATE 18.2:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
18%
324 students
DISTRICT 19% · 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 | 486 | 27% |
| Grade 10 | 448 | 25% |
| Grade 11 | 432 | 24% |
| Grade 12 | 408 | 23% |
Student demographics
48%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 64% · 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
73.7%
CA avg 49.1% . +12.7pp since 2014
Math
50.6%
CA avg 37.7% . -3.4pp 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 51 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 13 points since 2014, while math scores are down about 3 points.
Performance levels, 2024-25
| Subject | Standard Exceeded | Standard Met | Standard Nearly Met | Standard Not Met |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| English Language Arts | 42.3% | 31.4% | 15.9% | 10.4% |
| Math | 23.2% | 27.4% | 23.2% | 26.1% |
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 | 73.7% | 50.6% |
| 2023-24 | 69.7% | 40.0% |
| 2022-23 | 81.8% | 49.6% |
| 2021-22 | 57.1% | 38.5% |
| 2018-19 | 70.6% | 52.1% |
| 2017-18 | 64.8% | 49.0% |
| 2016-17 | 77.9% | 56.0% |
| 2015-16 | 69.0% | 55.0% |
| 2014-15 | 61.0% | 54.0% |
% 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
58.5%
composite math + reading, all grades
Predicted
68.8%
based on CA schools with similar FRL share
Beats by
-10.3pp
below demographic expectation
What this means: About 59% of students here test proficient in math and reading, compared with the roughly 69% 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 La Costa Canyon High
La Costa Canyon High's state test result (58.5% proficient) is higher than 1 of the 4 schools below with a result.
| School | Students | Low-income | Proficient |
|---|---|---|---|
| La Costa Canyon High this school | 1,774 | 18.3% | 58.5% |
| Ponderosa High Shingle Springs | 1,675 | 17.8% | 60.3% |
| Classical Academy High Escondido | 1,336 | 22.0% | N/A |
| Del Oro High Loomis | 1,634 | 12.9% | 66.4% |
| Calabasas High Calabasas | 1,707 | 24.9% | 56.1% |
| Tamalpais High Mill Valley | 1,470 | 11.8% | 64.3% |
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 La Costa Canyon High ranks
Among high schools| Measure | This school | In California | In San Diego County |
|---|---|---|---|
| State test proficiency ranked highest first | 58.5% | #196 of 1,052 | #19 of 70 |
| Math proficiency ranked highest first | 50.6% | #166 of 1,056 ▲ 89 | #17 of 70 ▲ 3 |
| Reading proficiency ranked highest first | 73.7% | #185 of 1,056 ▲ 58 | #18 of 70 ▲ 5 |
| 3-year test score change ranked biggest gain first | +14.3pp | #50 of 1,044 | #4 of 70 |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 1,774 | #407 of 2,093 | #35 of 135 |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 22.1:1 | #880 of 1,352 | #46 of 96 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 47.8% | #719 of 1,351 | #73 of 97 |
| Free and reduced lunch ranked highest share first | 18.3% | #1,499 of 1,575 | #105 of 112 |
| Enrollment change since 2017-18 ranked steepest decline first | -8.3% | #521 of 802 | #36 of 57 |
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
1,774
-60 (-3%) vs 2020
-32% since 2000-01, when it was 2,604
Student : Teacher
22.1:1
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 | 1,774 | 80.2 | 22.1:1 | 18% (324) |
| 2023-24 | 1,768 | 79.5 | 22.3:1 | 19% (330) |
| 2022-23 | 1,642 | 73 | 22.5:1 | 17% (284) |
| 2020-21 | 1,834 | 78 | 23.5:1 | 11% (199) |
| 2017-18 | 1,935 | 82.4 | 23.5:1 | 11% (216) |
| 2015-16 | 1,894 | 75 | 25.3:1 | 8% (150) |
| 2010-11 | 2,365 | N/A | N/A | 11% (259) |
| 2000-01 | 2,604 | 113 | 23.0:1 | 5% (135) |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for La Costa Canyon High.
Since 2017-18: students down 8% (1,935 to 1,774); teachers down 3% (82.4 to 80.2).
About La Costa Canyon High
Carlsbad, California, is home to La Costa Canyon High, a large high school. A federal count lists 1,774 students at the school, in grades 9 through 12. An average school in this group (high schools in California) has about 838 students.
La Costa Canyon High reports to San Dieguito Union High, which has 10 schools and 12,026 students.
White students make up a majority at La Costa Canyon High, at 69%. The remaining students are 18% Hispanic, 7% multiracial, and 4% Asian. Census figures show San Diego County is about 48% White. Pick two students at random and there is a 48% chance they belong to different racial or ethnic groups; that figure is the school's diversity index.
Teacher staffing is 80.2 full-time equivalents, or about 22.1 students per teacher. This ratio sits 3.9 above the 18.2:1 average for high schools in California. Eligibility for subsidized school meals is 18%. The average for public schools in San Diego County is 54%.
allk12 grades La Costa Canyon High a B+. The grade compares the school only with California public high schools, because each state gives its own test.
La Costa Canyon High is 10.3 points below its predicted average proficiency rate on state tests (58.5% versus 68.8%), which places it in neither the top nor the bottom 10% in California.
In the county around the school, San Diego County, the median household income is $106,268, roughly 43% of adults have a four-year degree or more, and about 7% of residents live below the federal poverty line. There are 766 public schools in San Diego County, enrolling about 467,437 students in all.
The nearest other public school, Mission Estancia Elementary, is about 0.7 miles away. There are at least 8 more public schools inside five miles. Among the 9 closest schools with test data, this one included, La Costa Canyon High ranks 9th on average proficiency.
Locale data from NCES put La Costa Canyon High inside a principal city with a population between 100,000 and 250,000 (City: Mid-size).
Federal data show a 3% enrollment decrease, from 1,834 in 2020-21 to 1,774 in 2024-25. Staffing shifted too: the ratio moved from 23.5:1 to 22.1:1.
Topics for discussion here include science fairs, picture day, and bus routes. Anyone with firsthand experience at this school can post or comment.
San Diego County at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
3,288,774
Census ACS
Median income
$106,268
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
43%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
7%
Below federal line
Schools in county
766
467,437 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in San Dieguito Union High
- Torrey Pines HighHigh · 2,536 students
- Canyon Crest AcademyHigh · 2,147 students
- San Dieguito HS AcademyHigh · 1,843 students
- Pacific Trails MiddleMiddle · 971 students
- Oak Crest MiddleMiddle · 758 students
- Diegueno MiddleMiddle · 737 students
Other schools in Carlsbad
- Carlsbad HighHigh · 2,336 students
- Sage Creek HighHigh · 1,289 students
- Aviara Oaks MiddleMiddle · 991 students
- Valley MiddleMiddle · 807 students
- Carrillo ElementaryElementary · 725 students
- La Costa Meadows ElementaryElementary · 725 students
Nearby schools
- Mission Estancia Elementary0.7 mi · 355
- Olivenhain Pioneer Elementary1.0 mi · 520
- La Costa Heights Elementary1.0 mi · 552
- Diegueno Middle1.3 mi · 737
- Flora Vista Elementary1.9 mi · 377
- El Camino Creek Elementary1.9 mi · 409
Frequently asked questions
About La Costa Canyon HighWhat is the total enrollment at La Costa Canyon High?
La Costa Canyon High enrolls approximately 1,774 students in grades 09-12.
What age range does La Costa Canyon High serve?
La Costa Canyon High serves students from grade 09 through grade 12.
How many teachers does La Costa Canyon High have?
La Costa Canyon High employs 80 FTE teachers, for a student-to-teacher ratio of 22.1:1.
How diverse is La Costa Canyon High?
La Costa Canyon High reports a student body of 69% White, 18% Hispanic, 1% Black, 4% Asian, 7% Two or more.
Who oversees La Costa Canyon High?
La Costa Canyon High is overseen by San Dieguito Union High in San Diego County.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.