Palmdale High

Summary:

Palmdale High is a public high school located in Palmdale, California, serving grades 9-12 with a total enrollment of 2,443 students. The school is part of the Antelope Valley Union High School District, which is ranked 1067 out of 1568 districts in California and has a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Palmdale High has consistently ranked in the bottom half of California high schools over the past several years, with a ranking between 1317 and 1754 out of over 2,000 schools. The school has maintained a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger for most of this period, indicating below-average performance compared to other schools in the state. Palmdale High's academic performance, as measured by standardized test scores, is significantly below the state and district averages, with proficiency rates in English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science all lower than the Antelope Valley Union High School District and the state of California. The school's four-year graduation rate has been relatively low, ranging from 71.0% to 80.9% over the past five years, and its dropout rate has been high, ranging from 5.5% to 12.1% over the same period.

Interestingly, the nearby schools in the Antelope Valley Union High School District, such as Littlerock High, Eastside High, and William J. (Pete) Knight High, generally perform better than Palmdale High across various metrics, including academic achievement, graduation rates, and chronic absenteeism. The charter schools in the area, such as Desert Sands Charter, Empower Generations, Mission Academy, and Assurance Learning Academy, have mixed performance compared to Palmdale High.


Detail:

Public 9-12

 2137 East Avenue R
       Palmdale, CA  93550-5415


(661) 273-3181

District: Antelope Valley Union High

SchoolDigger Rank:
1673rd of 2,323 California High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $9,055 Help


Feeder schools for Palmdale High:

Elementary:    Barrel Springs Elementary
    Desert Rose Elementary
    Joshua Hills Elementary
    Palm Tree Elementary
    More...
Middle:    Space Aeronautics Gateway to Exploration Magnet Academy

Student/teacher ratio:  23.2 Help
Number of students:  2,443

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:
81.8%
African American:
12.0%
White:
3.4%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  74.2% Help


 See top rated California high schools

 Compare Palmdale High to nearby high schools!

Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details Palmdale High ranks worse than 72% of high schools in California. It also ranks 10th among 13 ranked high schools in the Antelope Valley Union High School District. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 20.18. (See more...)
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The Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate (ACGR) measures the percentage of Palmdale High freshmen who graduate within four years, adjusting for students who transfer in or out.
Help
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 (81.8%), African American (12%), White (3.4%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 74.2% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Palmdale High is 23.2, which is the 5th best among 13 high schools in the Antelope Valley Union High School District. (See more...)
Help
Compare Palmdale High employs 105.2 full-time teachers.
Finance
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Compare Details The average total spent per student at Palmdale High is $9,055, which is the 5th highest among 13 high schools in the Antelope Valley Union High School District.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Palmdale High:

SchoolDigger ranks Palmdale High 1673rd of 2323 California public high schools. (See Palmdale High in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Multi-racial students:
English Language Learner students:
Special Education students:
Low Socio Economic Status students:
Homeless students:
Female students:
Male students:
African American students:
Hispanic students:
White students:


Antelope Valley Union High:

SchoolDigger ranks Antelope Valley Union High 1067th of 1568 California school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Rank History for Palmdale High

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Compare

Rank History for all students at Palmdale High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2004 26.08 1039th 1653 37.1%
2005 26.88 1134th 1901 40.3%
2006 27.66 1163rd 1968 40.9%
2007 27.39 1212th 2063 41.3%
2008 27.03 1254th 2117 40.8%
2009 25.38 1602nd 2238 28.4%
2010 26.71 1367th 2281 40.1%
2011 26.63 1419th 2367 40.1%
2012 27.04 1392nd 2354 40.9%
2013 28.20 1373rd 2426 43.4%
2015 31.37 1317th 1994 34.0%
2016 25.34 1442nd 2039 29.3%
2017 27.14 1418th 2021 29.8%
2018 23.74 1455th 2017 27.9%
2019 21.01 1601st 2133 24.9%
2022 17.17 1728th 2123 18.6%
2023 17.76 1754th 2348 25.3%
2024 20.18 1673rd 2323 28.0%
See the entire list of California High School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Palmdale High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 0.65 364th 366 0.5%
2019 14.54 366th 422 13.3%
2022 7.99 477th 515 7.4%
2023 2.34 775th 786 1.4%
2024 6.37 751st 804 6.6%
See the entire list of Best California High Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Palmdale High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 25.40 739th 938 21.2%
2019 45.74 350th 941 62.8%
2022 31.54 781st 1044 25.2%
2023 27.15 940th 1323 28.9%
2024 27.76 932nd 1350 31.0%
See the entire list of Best California High Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Palmdale High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 22.84 1250th 1547 19.2%
2024 21.65 1302nd 1534 15.1%
See the entire list of Best California High Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Palmdale High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 26.93 1321st 1862 29.1%
2019 24.68 1416th 1937 26.9%
2022 18.89 1583rd 1943 18.5%
2023 20.61 1650th 2247 26.6%
2024 23.68 1570th 2235 29.8%
See the entire list of Best California High Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Homeless students at Palmdale High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2024 41.16 272nd 451 39.7%
See the entire list of Best California High Schools for Homeless Students!

Rank History for Female students at Palmdale High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 18.59 1393rd 1760 20.9%
2019 18.55 1470th 1833 19.8%
2022 15.74 1586th 1858 14.6%
2023 15.48 1709th 2118 19.3%
2024 19.18 1608th 2098 23.4%
See the entire list of Best California High Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at Palmdale High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 20.95 929th 1052 11.7%
2019 26.49 842nd 1117 24.6%
2022 28.57 861st 1161 25.8%
See the entire list of Best California High Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Foster Care students at Palmdale High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2022 25.44 2nd 5 60.0%
2023 18.87 12th 15 20.0%
See the entire list of Best California High Schools for Foster Care Students!

Rank History for Male students at Palmdale High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 24.36 1322nd 1834 27.9%
2019 21.76 1416th 1880 24.7%
2022 17.23 1572nd 1916 18.0%
2023 18.20 1654th 2207 25.1%
2024 19.86 1596th 2172 26.5%
See the entire list of Best California High Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for African American students at Palmdale High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 17.63 487th 582 16.3%
2019 20.22 478th 592 19.3%
2022 22.64 426th 522 18.4%
2023 19.64 606th 720 15.8%
2024 21.56 600th 721 16.8%
See the entire list of Best California High Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Palmdale High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 29.89 1223rd 1742 29.8%
2019 27.58 1296th 1814 28.6%
2022 20.32 1489th 1861 20.0%
2023 22.11 1562nd 2142 27.1%
2024 25.76 1457th 2125 31.4%
See the entire list of Best California High Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Palmdale High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 10.29 1032nd 1173 12.0%
2019 22.75 965th 1222 21.0%
2022 11.79 1075th 1204 10.7%
2023 7.12 1297th 1434 9.6%
2024 23.36 1012th 1406 28.0%
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.

Palmdale 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 Palmdale High

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Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1988 2067 256 45 498 8 n/a n/a 0 2874
1989 1972 279 68 584 12 n/a n/a 0 2915
1990 1740 247 102 634 17 n/a n/a 0 2740
1991 1560 207 138 662 15 n/a n/a 0 2582
1992 1542 225 149 714 18 n/a n/a 0 2648
1993 1462 258 166 747 19 n/a n/a 0 2652
1994 1441 326 171 814 18 n/a n/a 0 2770
1995 1407 382 115 938 17 n/a n/a 0 2859
1996 1407 382 115 938 17 n/a n/a 0 2859
1997 1333 424 100 1025 17 n/a n/a 0 2899
1998 1323 448 119 1122 12 n/a n/a 0 3024
1999 1298 472 111 1172 16 n/a n/a 0 3069
2000 1266 512 116 1204 21 n/a n/a 0 3119
2001 1223 599 142 1312 18 n/a n/a 0 3294
2002 1072 698 121 1654 19 n/a n/a 0 3564
2003 1072 698 121 1654 19 n/a n/a 0 3564
2004 891 743 108 1727 20 n/a n/a 0 3489
2005 768 728 106 1869 18 n/a n/a 0 3489
2006 627 733 86 1937 17 n/a n/a 7 3407
2007 515 651 88 2064 18 n/a n/a 4 3340
2008 457 639 83 2081 17 n/a n/a 0 3277
2009 386 600 66 2066 16 5 40 0 3179
2010 352 606 72 2227 16 6 6 0 3285
2011 292 513 61 2046 12 10 89 0 3023
2012 284 465 47 2124 7 11 134 0 3072
2013 255 466 45 2077 7 7 40 0 2897
2014 243 469 39 2012 34 4 52 0 2853
2015 195 452 30 2087 17 3 51 0 2835
2016 156 433 30 1993 8 0 68 0 2688
2017 132 433 22 1996 3 0 78 0 2664
2018 96 390 18 1952 6 0 69 0 2531
2019 101 398 23 1934 9 1 57 0 2523
2020 81 361 20 1988 10 0 70 0 2530
2021 93 343 17 2047 6 1 60 0 2567
2022 87 334 15 2015 4 1 49 0 2505
2023 83 293 11 1999 2 2 53 0 2443

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 Palmdale High

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 2874 108.9 26.3 n/a
1989 2915 102.9 28.3 n/a
1990 2740 96.8 28.3 n/a
1991 2582 93.8 27.5 n/a
1992 2648 95.3 27.7 15.2
1993 2652 82.8 32.0 17.5
1994 2770 85.5 32.4 18.1
1995 2859 91.2 31.3 15.4
1996 2859 91.2 31.3 15.4
1997 2899 94.8 30.6 19.6
1998 3024 102.0 29.6 23
1999 3069 110.0 27.9 21.4
2000 3119 120.8 25.8 14.4
2001 3294 131.6 25.0 22.8
2002 3564 136.8 26.1 34.7
2003 3564 136.8 26.1 34.7
2004 3489 130.8 26.7 39.3
2005 3489 137.7 25.3 39.8
2006 3407 134.3 25.4 54.9
2007 3340 134.8 24.8 65.2
2008 3277 154.4 21.2 78.6
2009 3179 134.2 21.1 62.4
2010 3285 134.0 24.5 74.5
2011 3023 n/a n/a 76.3
2012 3072 130.9 23.4 n/a
2013 2897 126.3 22.9 71.1
2014 2853 124.9 22.8 72.3
2015 2835 123.0 23.0 72.9
2016 2688 122.0 22.0 78.6
2017 2664 122.2 21.7 80.1
2018 2531 115.6 21.8 84
2019 2523 107.8 23.3 81.1
2020 2530 n/a n/a 81.7
2021 2567 114.4 22.4 74.2
2022 2505 115.1 21.7 59.4
2023 2443 105.2 23.2 74.2

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 Palmdale High

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 2874 108.9 26.3 n/a
1989 2915 102.9 28.3 n/a
1990 2740 96.8 28.3 n/a
1991 2582 93.8 27.5 n/a
1992 2648 95.3 27.7 15.2
1993 2652 82.8 32.0 17.5
1994 2770 85.5 32.4 18.1
1995 2859 91.2 31.3 15.4
1996 2859 91.2 31.3 15.4
1997 2899 94.8 30.6 19.6
1998 3024 102.0 29.6 23
1999 3069 110.0 27.9 21.4
2000 3119 120.8 25.8 14.4
2001 3294 131.6 25.0 22.8
2002 3564 136.8 26.1 34.7
2003 3564 136.8 26.1 34.7
2004 3489 130.8 26.7 39.3
2005 3489 137.7 25.3 39.8
2006 3407 134.3 25.4 54.9
2007 3340 134.8 24.8 65.2
2008 3277 154.4 21.2 78.6
2009 3179 134.2 21.1 62.4
2010 3285 134.0 24.5 74.5
2011 3023 n/a n/a 76.3
2012 3072 130.9 23.4 n/a
2013 2897 126.3 22.9 71.1
2014 2853 124.9 22.8 72.3
2015 2835 123.0 23.0 72.9
2016 2688 122.0 22.0 78.6
2017 2664 122.2 21.7 80.1
2018 2531 115.6 21.8 84
2019 2523 107.8 23.3 81.1
2020 2530 n/a n/a 81.7
2021 2567 114.4 22.4 74.2
2022 2505 115.1 21.7 59.4
2023 2443 105.2 23.2 74.2

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 Palmdale High

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YearTotal Expenditures Per Pupil
2018 $9,055

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

Impact of COVID-19 on Palmdale 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 1601st of 2133 High schoolsRanks 1754th of 2348 High schools
 0.4%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
10th Grade Science (Palmdale High)75.8
 1.2%
   10th Grade Science (Antelope Valley Union High)12.111.2
 0.8%
   10th Grade Science (California)23.224.1
 0.9%
11th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Palmdale High)28.430
 1.5%
   11th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Antelope Valley Union High)37.733.4
 4.3%
   11th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (California)57.355.4
 1.9%
11th Grade Mathematics (Palmdale High)5.53.2
 2.3%
   11th Grade Mathematics (Antelope Valley Union High)11.29.1
 2.1%
   11th Grade Mathematics (California)32.227.4
 4.9%
12th Grade Science (Palmdale High)77.2
 0.2%
   12th Grade Science (Antelope Valley Union High)10.413.8
 3.5%
   12th Grade Science (California)25.626.9
 1.3%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students25232443
 3.2%
African American398293
 26.4%
American Indian92
 77.8%
Asian2311
 52.2%
Hispanic19341999
 3.4%
Pacific Islander12
 100%
White10183
 17.8%
Two or More Races5753
 7%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients81.1%74.2%
 6.9%


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Frequently Asked Questions about Palmdale High

In the 2022-23 school year, 2,443 students attended Palmdale High.

Palmdale High ranks 1673rd of 2323 California high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

Students at Palmdale High are 82% Hispanic, 12% African American, 3% White, 2% Two or more races.


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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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