Alta Vista Alternative High

Summary:

Alta Vista Alternative High is a public virtual high school located in Santa Barbara, California, serving grades 9-12 with a total enrollment of 117 students. It is part of the Santa Barbara Unified School District, which is ranked 696 out of 1,568 districts in California and has a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Despite being located very close to Santa Barbara Senior High and La Cuesta Continuation High, Alta Vista Alternative High has significantly different performance metrics, suggesting that the alternative school model and student population may be a key factor in its outcomes. The school has had fluctuating four-year graduation rates, ranging from 67.7% to 88.5% over the past few years, which is significantly lower than the nearby Dos Pueblos Senior High (96.4%) and San Marcos Senior High (93.0%). Additionally, Alta Vista Alternative High has had higher dropout rates, ranging from 4.1% to 17.7%, much higher than the dropout rates at Dos Pueblos Senior High (2.8%) and San Marcos Senior High (4.2%).

The school's performance on test scores and other metrics is particularly low for Hispanic students and students from low socioeconomic backgrounds, ranking in the bottom 10-20% of California high schools for these subgroups. Furthermore, Alta Vista Alternative High's statewide ranking has declined from a high of 444 out of 2,426 California high schools in 2012-2013 to a low of 1,110 out of 2,348 in 2022-2023, indicating a concerning trend of decreasing performance over time. These challenges suggest that the alternative school model may not be as effective in this district context, and addressing the needs of vulnerable student subgroups should be a priority for the school and Santa Barbara Unified School District.


Detail:

Public, Virtual 9-12

 215 East Ortega St.
       Santa Barbara, CA  93101-1661


(805) 966-0883

District: Santa Barbara Unified

SchoolDigger Rank:
904th of 2,323 California High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $17,768 Help


Student/teacher ratio:  12.7 Help
Number of students:  117

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:
68.4%
White:
22.2%
Two or more races:
6.8%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  67.5% Help


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Performance Trends
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Compare Details Alta Vista Alternative High ranks better than 61.1% of high schools in California. It also ranks 3rd among 5 ranked high schools in the Santa Barbara Unified School District. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 48.34. (See more...)
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The Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate (ACGR) measures the percentage of Alta Vista Alternative High freshmen who graduate within four years, adjusting for students who transfer in or out.
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The high school dropout rate measures the percentage of students who do not complete their high school education.
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Chronic absenteeism in a high school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.
Student Body
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Compare Details Racial makeup is: Hispanic (68.4%), White (22.2%), two or more races (6.8%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 67.5% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Alta Vista Alternative High is 12.7, which is the 2nd best among 5 high schools in the Santa Barbara Unified School District. (See more...)
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Compare Alta Vista Alternative High employs 9.1 full-time teachers.
Finance
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Compare Details The average total spent per student at Alta Vista Alternative High is $17,768, which is the 2nd highest among 5 high schools in the Santa Barbara Unified School District.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Alta Vista Alternative High:

SchoolDigger ranks Alta Vista Alternative High 904th of 2323 California public high schools. (See Alta Vista Alternative High in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Low Socio Economic Status students:
Female students:
Hispanic students:


Santa Barbara Unified:

SchoolDigger ranks Santa Barbara Unified 696th of 1568 California school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Rank History for Alta Vista Alternative High

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Compare

Rank History for all students at Alta Vista Alternative High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2013 64.11 444th 2426 81.7%
2015 33.73 1288th 1994 35.4%
2016 53.54 934th 2039 54.2%
2017 42.64 1188th 2021 41.2%
2018 60.20 796th 2017 60.5%
2019 55.56 842nd 2133 60.5%
2022 58.57 747th 2123 64.8%
2023 40.90 1110th 2348 52.7%
2024 48.34 904th 2323 61.1%
See the entire list of California High School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Alta Vista Alternative High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 60.51 707th 1862 62.0%
2019 60.24 679th 1937 64.9%
2022 30.63 1342nd 1943 30.9%
2024 23.67 1571st 2235 29.7%
See the entire list of Best California High Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Alta Vista Alternative High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 43.47 1036th 1760 41.1%
2019 56.21 711th 1833 61.2%
2024 38.17 1124th 2098 46.4%
See the entire list of Best California High Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at Alta Vista Alternative High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 74.69 462nd 1834 74.8%
See the entire list of Best California High Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Alta Vista Alternative High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 23.39 1272nd 1742 27.0%
2019 40.83 1076th 1814 40.7%
2024 7.23 2024th 2125 4.8%
See the entire list of Best California High Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Alta Vista Alternative High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 60.25 533rd 1173 54.6%
2019 51.18 602nd 1222 50.7%
See the entire list of Best California High Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: California Department of Education, 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.

Alta Vista Alternative High Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 





Data source: California Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Alta Vista Alternative High

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Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
2012 58 3 3 32 2 0 4 0 102
2013 76 3 1 51 1 0 2 0 134
2014 72 2 0 70 1 1 9 0 155
2015 62 2 0 79 0 0 5 0 148
2016 71 0 6 73 2 1 1 0 154
2017 70 2 4 62 1 1 2 0 142
2018 57 3 6 74 1 0 4 0 145
2019 45 2 5 59 1 0 5 0 117
2020 41 1 4 70 0 0 6 0 122
2021 45 0 5 54 1 0 4 0 109
2022 37 1 1 78 1 0 8 0 126
2023 26 1 2 80 0 0 8 0 117

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 Alta Vista Alternative High

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
2012 102 3.9 25.6 97.1
2013 134 5.4 24.8 24.6
2014 155 9.6 16.1 11
2015 148 3.0 49.3 41.2
2016 154 9.0 17.1 33.1
2017 142 2.2 64.5 24.6
2018 145 7.5 19.3 37.9
2019 117 8.4 13.9 41
2020 122 n/a n/a 43.4
2021 109 9.7 11.2 45
2022 126 11.1 11.2 68.3
2023 117 9.1 12.7 67.5

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 Alta Vista Alternative High

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
2012 102 3.9 25.6 97.1
2013 134 5.4 24.8 24.6
2014 155 9.6 16.1 11
2015 148 3.0 49.3 41.2
2016 154 9.0 17.1 33.1
2017 142 2.2 64.5 24.6
2018 145 7.5 19.3 37.9
2019 117 8.4 13.9 41
2020 122 n/a n/a 43.4
2021 109 9.7 11.2 45
2022 126 11.1 11.2 68.3
2023 117 9.1 12.7 67.5

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 Alta Vista Alternative High

Help

YearTotal Expenditures Per Pupil
2018 $17,768

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

Impact of COVID-19 on Alta Vista Alternative High

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 842nd of 2133 High schoolsRanks 1110th of 2348 High schools
 7.8%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
11th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Alta Vista Alternative High)69.246.7
 22.6%
   11th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Santa Barbara Unified)6055.3
 4.7%
   11th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (California)57.355.4
 1.9%
11th Grade Mathematics (Alta Vista Alternative High)25.67.1
 18.5%
   11th Grade Mathematics (Santa Barbara Unified)40.531.7
 8.8%
   11th Grade Mathematics (California)32.227.4
 4.9%
11th Grade Science (Alta Vista Alternative High)2927.3
 1.7%
   11th Grade Science (Santa Barbara Unified)40.635.1
 5.5%
   11th Grade Science (California)30.431.7
 1.3%
12th Grade Science (Alta Vista Alternative High)13.850
 36.2%
   12th Grade Science (Santa Barbara Unified)18.529.5
 11%
   12th Grade Science (California)25.626.8
 1.2%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students117117
African American21
 50%
American Indian10
 100%
Asian52
 60%
Hispanic5980
 35.6%
Pacific Islander00
White4526
 42.2%
Two or More Races58
 60%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients41%67.5%
 26.5%


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Frequently Asked Questions about Alta Vista Alternative High

Alta Vista Alternative High ranks 904th of 2323 California high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

In the 2022-23 school year, 117 students attended Alta Vista Alternative High.

Students at Alta Vista Alternative High are 68% Hispanic, 22% White, 7% Two or more races, 2% Asian.


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

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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