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West High School

Summary:

West High School is a public magnet high school in Anchorage, Alaska, serving 1,763 students in grades 9-12. The school stands out for its diverse student population, but faces challenges with lower academic performance compared to the district and state averages.

West High School's student body is more racially diverse than many nearby schools, with a makeup of 33.75% White, 6.18% African American, 14.86% Hispanic, 11.85% Asian, 9.36% Native American, 10.89% Pacific Islander, and 13.1% two or more races. However, the school's academic performance, as measured by standardized test scores, is generally lower than the Anchorage School District and the state of Alaska. For example, only 25.27% of West High School students were proficient or better in ASA/Science, compared to 29.73% for the district and 29.65% for the state. The school also has a relatively high percentage of students (39.65%) who qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a higher proportion of students from low-income families.

When compared to nearby schools, West High School's performance lags behind. For instance, Steller Secondary School, a magnet school just 0.82 miles away, had significantly higher proficiency rates in ASA/Science (59.7%) and STAR/English Language Arts (53.66%) compared to West High School. Additionally, West High School's statewide ranking and SchoolDigger star rating have declined over the years, from a high of 3 stars out of 5 in 2016-2017 to just 1 star out of 5 in 2022-2023, suggesting a downward trend in academic performance.


Detail:

Public, Magnet 9-12

 1700 Hillcrest Dr
       Anchorage, AK  99517-1399

(907) 742-2500

District: Anchorage School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
35th of 63 Alaska High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $13,328 Help


Student/teacher ratio:  21.3 Help
Number of students:  1,763

Racial breakdown:

White:
33.7%
Hispanic:
14.9%
Two or more races:
13.1%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  39.6% Help


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Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details West High School ranks worse than 55.6% of high schools in Alaska. It also ranks 6th among 9 ranked high schools in the Anchorage School District. (See more...)
Help
Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 45.02. (See more...)
Student Body
Help
Compare Details West High School has the largest high school student body size in the Anchorage School District. Student population at West High School is diverse. Racial makeup is: White (33.7%), Hispanic (14.9%), two or more races (13.1%). (See more...)
Help
Compare Details 39.6% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
Help
Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at West High School is 21.3. 9 high schools in the Anchorage School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)
Help
Compare West High School employs 82.5 full-time teachers.
Finance
Help
Compare Details The average total spent per student at West High School is $13,328. 11 high schools in the Anchorage School District spend more per student.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

West High School:

SchoolDigger ranks West High School 35th of 63 Alaska public high schools. (See West High School in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Multi-racial students:
Low Socio Economic Status students:
Migrant students:
Female students:
Male students:
Asian students:
Hispanic students:
Native American students:
White students:


Anchorage School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Anchorage School District 14th of 24 Alaska school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Rank History for West High School

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Rank History for all students at West High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools AK State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2005 73.75 36th 116 69.0%
2006 70.05 46th 135 65.9%
2007 71.56 44th 139 68.3%
2008 47.86 69th 151 54.3%
2009 53.27 63rd 151 58.3%
2010 42.65 75th 140 46.4%
2011 39.42 74th 142 47.9%
2012 43.69 70th 136 48.5%
2013 50.10 65th 148 56.1%
2014 42.93 76th 139 45.3%
2015 60.09 54th 135 60.0%
2017 50.69 41st 83 50.6%
2018 39.15 46th 74 37.8%
2019 37.13 50th 77 35.1%
2021 29.07 46th 61 24.6%
2022 34.69 36th 62 41.9%
2023 31.51 46th 62 25.8%
2024 45.02 35th 63 44.4%
See the entire list of Alaska High School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at West High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools AK State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2019 18.16 19th 22 13.6%
2021 36.16 12th 19 36.8%
2022 59.47 6th 21 71.4%
2023 27.25 16th 23 30.4%
2024 38.31 16th 24 33.3%
See the entire list of Best Alaska High Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at West High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools AK State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2019 15.19 3rd 3 0.0%
2023 16.83 5th 5 0.0%
See the entire list of Best Alaska High Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at West High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools AK State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2019 28.01 6th 8 25.0%
See the entire list of Best Alaska High Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at West High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools AK State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2019 22.17 49th 55 10.9%
2021 9.67 36th 37 2.7%
2022 17.98 33rd 34 2.9%
2023 17.20 36th 42 14.3%
2024 26.59 31st 41 24.4%
See the entire list of Best Alaska High Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Migrant students at West High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools AK State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2019 29.15 12th 15 20.0%
2022 17.34 10th 10 0.0%
2023 22.06 13th 16 18.8%
2024 24.41 10th 11 9.1%
See the entire list of Best Alaska High Schools for Migrant Students!

Rank History for Female students at West High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools AK State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2019 40.17 38th 54 29.6%
2021 12.69 34th 37 8.1%
2022 32.01 29th 43 32.6%
2023 35.22 35th 54 35.2%
2024 37.27 32nd 45 28.9%
See the entire list of Best Alaska High Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Military Connected students at West High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools AK State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2019 47.97 8th 16 50.0%
2022 85.07 2nd 14 85.7%
See the entire list of Best Alaska High Schools for Military Connected Students!

Rank History for Male students at West High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools AK State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2019 27.06 50th 58 13.8%
2021 42.05 25th 42 40.5%
2022 34.27 29th 46 37.0%
2023 21.23 40th 47 14.9%
2024 52.74 23rd 48 52.1%
See the entire list of Best Alaska High Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Asian students at West High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools AK State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2019 9.26 15th 15 0.0%
2021 4.65 12th 12 0.0%
2022 15.14 14th 15 6.7%
2023 32.22 11th 15 26.7%
2024 24.66 9th 12 25.0%
See the entire list of Best Alaska High Schools for Asian Students!

Rank History for African American students at West High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools AK State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2019 27.69 5th 6 16.7%
2021 16.15 1st 1 0.0%
See the entire list of Best Alaska High Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at West High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools AK State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2019 23.83 14th 15 6.7%
2021 3.97 10th 10 0.0%
2022 28.87 9th 12 25.0%
2023 14.39 16th 17 5.9%
2024 47.13 6th 14 57.1%
See the entire list of Best Alaska High Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for Native American students at West High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools AK State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2019 26.70 26th 31 16.1%
2022 16.01 15th 16 6.3%
2023 21.79 15th 20 25.0%
2024 30.94 11th 18 38.9%
See the entire list of Best Alaska High Schools for Native American Students!

Rank History for White students at West High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools AK State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2019 73.55 15th 56 73.2%
2021 67.92 13th 43 69.8%
2022 64.81 17th 47 63.8%
2023 55.68 20th 47 57.4%
2024 77.32 7th 46 84.8%
See the entire list of Best Alaska High Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Alaska Department of Education and Early Developmenr, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

West High School Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 
Help





Data source: Alaska Department of Education and Early Development

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Enrollment information for West High School

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Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1989 880 101 156 72 149 n/a n/a 0 1358
1990 844 109 198 55 150 n/a n/a 0 1356
1991 789 100 212 82 155 n/a n/a 0 1338
1992 795 115 215 79 179 n/a n/a 0 1383
1993 726 139 204 79 184 n/a n/a 0 1332
1994 752 169 188 103 193 n/a n/a 0 1405
1995 802 158 226 122 219 n/a n/a 0 1527
1996 802 158 226 122 219 n/a n/a 0 1527
1997 863 181 228 116 212 n/a n/a 0 1600
1998 858 163 235 110 208 n/a n/a 0 1574
1999 883 167 254 122 222 n/a n/a 0 1648
2000 932 174 264 118 203 n/a n/a 0 1691
2001 920 139 326 131 213 n/a n/a 0 1729
2002 917 179 352 159 290 n/a n/a 0 1897
2003 917 179 352 159 290 n/a n/a 0 1897
2004 859 151 372 161 276 n/a n/a 0 1819
2005 894 173 357 165 304 n/a n/a 0 1893
2006 940 175 332 172 299 n/a n/a 0 1918
2007 922 140 350 175 317 n/a n/a 0 1904
2008 816 125 300 244 154 n/a n/a 210 1849
2009 744 125 217 231 147 118 219 0 1801
2010 694 133 279 230 180 115 204 0 1835
2011 705 129 264 249 176 111 202 0 1836
2012 693 138 269 239 179 120 202 0 1840
2013 694 136 253 253 163 135 207 0 1841
2014 657 134 265 268 166 136 216 0 1842
2015 702 140 262 283 167 136 209 0 1899
2016 699 136 266 276 155 145 203 0 1880
2017 691 132 263 301 120 171 214 0 1892
2018 665 125 239 285 118 161 212 0 1805
2019 618 105 230 288 108 190 221 0 1760
2020 610 111 223 269 122 193 240 0 1768
2021 591 115 224 259 121 200 242 0 1752
2022 607 103 214 263 158 206 233 0 1784
2023 595 109 209 262 165 192 231 0 1763

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at West High School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1989 1358 59.0 23.0 0
1990 1356 56.3 24.0 n/a
1991 1338 59.0 22.6 n/a
1992 1383 59.0 23.4 0.4
1993 1332 59.0 22.6 0.4
1994 1405 59.0 23.8 0.4
1995 1527 65.9 23.2 0
1996 1527 65.9 23.2 0
1997 1600 66.1 24.2 0
1998 1574 70.7 22.3 0
1999 1648 76.5 21.5 n/a
2000 1691 83.1 20.3 n/a
2001 1729 87.2 19.8 n/a
2002 1897 90.5 21.0 n/a
2003 1897 90.5 21.0 n/a
2004 1819 89.8 20.3 n/a
2005 1893 87.0 21.8 n/a
2006 1918 86.1 22.3 n/a
2007 1904 89.6 21.3 28.3
2008 1849 87.0 21.3 32.9
2009 1801 86.8 20.7 32.8
2010 1835 89.2 20.5 39
2011 1836 85.5 21.4 44.8
2012 1840 85.1 21.6 46.5
2013 1841 84.6 21.7 42
2014 1842 88.1 20.9 56.1
2015 1899 84.0 22.6 46.6
2016 1880 88.0 21.3 39.9
2017 1892 89.5 21.1 38.7
2018 1805 83.9 21.5 46.5
2019 1760 83.7 21.0 n/a
2020 1768 81.6 21.6 46.4
2021 1752 78.7 22.2 n/a
2022 1784 79.9 22.3 n/a
2023 1763 82.5 21.3 39.6

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio West High School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1989 1358 59.0 23.0 0
1990 1356 56.3 24.0 n/a
1991 1338 59.0 22.6 n/a
1992 1383 59.0 23.4 0.4
1993 1332 59.0 22.6 0.4
1994 1405 59.0 23.8 0.4
1995 1527 65.9 23.2 0
1996 1527 65.9 23.2 0
1997 1600 66.1 24.2 0
1998 1574 70.7 22.3 0
1999 1648 76.5 21.5 n/a
2000 1691 83.1 20.3 n/a
2001 1729 87.2 19.8 n/a
2002 1897 90.5 21.0 n/a
2003 1897 90.5 21.0 n/a
2004 1819 89.8 20.3 n/a
2005 1893 87.0 21.8 n/a
2006 1918 86.1 22.3 n/a
2007 1904 89.6 21.3 28.3
2008 1849 87.0 21.3 32.9
2009 1801 86.8 20.7 32.8
2010 1835 89.2 20.5 39
2011 1836 85.5 21.4 44.8
2012 1840 85.1 21.6 46.5
2013 1841 84.6 21.7 42
2014 1842 88.1 20.9 56.1
2015 1899 84.0 22.6 46.6
2016 1880 88.0 21.3 39.9
2017 1892 89.5 21.1 38.7
2018 1805 83.9 21.5 46.5
2019 1760 83.7 21.0 n/a
2020 1768 81.6 21.6 46.4
2021 1752 78.7 22.2 n/a
2022 1784 79.9 22.3 n/a
2023 1763 82.5 21.3 39.6

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.
Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for West High School

Help

YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $926 (6.9%) $12,401 (93.0%) $13,328

Data source: Alaska Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on West High School

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)		 Rank
Post pandemic (2022-2023)		 Change (%)
Ranks 50th of 77 High schoolsRanks 46th of 62 High schools
 9.3%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)		 % proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)		 Change (%)
10th Grade Science (West High School)48.729.9
 18.8%
   10th Grade Science (Anchorage School District)5734.9
 22.1%
   10th Grade Science (Alaska)53.633
 20.6%
All Grades Science (West High School)48.729.9
 18.8%
   All Grades Science (Anchorage School District)46.639.4
 7.2%
   All Grades Science (Alaska)44.736.9
 7.7%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)		 Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)		 Change (%)
Total Students17601763
 0.2%
African American105109
 3.8%
American Indian108165
 52.8%
Asian230209
 9.1%
Hispanic288262
 9%
Pacific Islander190192
 1.1%
White618595
 3.7%
Two or More Races221231
 4.5%

Schools Near West High School








Frequently Asked Questions about West High School

Students at West High School are 34% White, 15% Hispanic, 13% Two or more races, 12% Asian, 11% Pacific Islander, 9% American Indian, 6% African American.

West High School is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Campbell STEM Elementary
Elementary : Denali Montessori Elementary
Elementary : Dr. Etheldra Davis - Fairview Elementary School
Elementary : Government Hill Elementary
Elementary : Inlet View Elementary
Elementary : Lake Hood Elementary
Elementary : North Star Elementary
Elementary : Northwood ABC
Elementary : Turnagain Elementary
Elementary : Willow Crest Elementary
Middle : Central Middle School of Science
Middle : Romig Middle School

In the 2022-23 school year, 1,763 students attended West High School.

West High School ranks 35th of 63 Alaska high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.


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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Alaska Department of Education and Early Developmenr.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.




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