Polytechnic High

Summary:

Polytechnic High is a large public high school in Long Beach, California, serving 3,952 students in grades 9-12. While the school has some areas of strength, it faces significant challenges in addressing achievement gaps, declining graduation rates, and high chronic absenteeism.

Polytechnic High's performance varies greatly across different student subgroups, with White and Pacific Islander students performing significantly better than Asian, African American, Hispanic, and Multi-racial students. The school's English Language Learner and Special Education student subgroups also perform below average. This suggests the school may need to focus on addressing these achievement gaps and providing more targeted support for its underperforming student subgroups.

Polytechnic High's graduation rates have declined from 93.5% in 2018-2019 to 85.4% in 2022-2023, while its dropout rates have increased from 4.7% to 10.6% during the same period. Additionally, the school has seen a significant increase in chronic absenteeism, rising from 16.4% in 2017-2018 to 36.0% in 2022-2023. These trends are concerning and may indicate a need for intervention and support to help students stay on track and graduate. Compared to nearby schools in the Long Beach Unified District, Polytechnic High generally performs better, but its performance is still below the state averages in many areas.


Detail:

Public 9-12

 1600 Atlantic Ave.
       Long Beach, CA  90813-2017


(562) 591-0581

District: Long Beach Unified

SchoolDigger Rank:
716th of 2,323 California High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $8,352 Help


Feeder schools for Polytechnic High:

Elementary:    Birney Elementary
    Bobbie Smith Elementary
    Jenny Oropeza Elementary
    Lincoln Elementary
    More...
Middle:    Franklin Classical Middle
    Hughes Middle
    Jessie Nelson Academy

Student/teacher ratio:  23.5 Help
Number of students:  3,954

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:
54.6%
Asian:
18.0%
African American:
14.6%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  57.7% Help


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 Compare Polytechnic High to nearby high schools!

Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details Polytechnic High ranks better than 69.2% of high schools in California. It also ranks 5th among 13 ranked high schools in the Long Beach Unified School District. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 56.08. (See more...)
Help
The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at Polytechnic High who earn a standard high school diploma within four years of starting ninth grade.
Help
The high school dropout rate measures the percentage of students who do not complete their high school education.
Help
Chronic absenteeism in a 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
Help
Compare Details Polytechnic High has the largest high school student body size in the Long Beach Unified School District. Student population at Polytechnic High is diverse. Racial makeup is: Hispanic (54.6%), Asian (18%), African American (14.6%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 57.7% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
Help
Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Polytechnic High is 23.5. 8 high schools in the Long Beach Unified School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)
Help
Compare Polytechnic High employs 168.1 full-time teachers.
Finance
Help
Compare Details The average total spent per student at Polytechnic High is $8,352. 11 high schools in the Long Beach Unified School District spend more per student.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Polytechnic High:

SchoolDigger ranks Polytechnic High 716th of 2323 California public high schools. (See Polytechnic 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:
Asian students:
African American students:
Hispanic students:
Pacific Islander students:
White students:


Long Beach Unified:

SchoolDigger ranks Long Beach Unified 654th of 1568 California school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Your rating for Polytechnic High?

Rank History for Polytechnic High

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Compare

Rank History for all students at Polytechnic High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2004 65.57 256th 1653 84.5%
2005 66.10 315th 1901 83.4%
2006 61.23 449th 1968 77.2%
2007 67.03 313th 2063 84.8%
2008 64.33 384th 2117 81.9%
2009 65.16 334th 2238 85.1%
2010 57.93 560th 2281 75.4%
2011 57.04 617th 2367 73.9%
2012 51.32 758th 2354 67.8%
2013 50.98 763rd 2426 68.5%
2015 69.15 559th 1994 72.0%
2016 62.92 717th 2039 64.8%
2017 63.72 709th 2021 64.9%
2018 60.01 799th 2017 60.4%
2019 66.93 604th 2133 71.7%
2021 84.35 198th 1290 84.7%
2022 61.38 683rd 2123 67.8%
2023 61.41 626th 2348 73.3%
2024 56.08 716th 2323 69.2%
See the entire list of California High School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Polytechnic High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 21.78 296th 366 19.1%
2019 30.05 312th 422 26.1%
2022 38.50 327th 515 36.5%
2023 57.22 279th 786 64.5%
2024 49.24 344th 804 57.2%
See the entire list of Best California High Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Polytechnic High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 31.36 608th 938 35.2%
2019 35.49 582nd 941 38.2%
2021 43.52 225th 467 51.8%
2022 36.19 636th 1044 39.1%
2023 48.73 280th 1323 78.8%
2024 39.70 473rd 1350 65.0%
See the entire list of Best California High Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Polytechnic High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 31.28 938th 1547 39.4%
2024 33.29 877th 1534 42.8%
See the entire list of Best California High Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Polytechnic High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 48.04 1009th 1862 45.8%
2019 60.53 667th 1937 65.6%
2021 81.91 164th 1126 85.4%
2022 49.49 864th 1943 55.5%
2023 57.16 696th 2247 69.0%
2024 47.78 914th 2235 59.1%
See the entire list of Best California High Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Homeless students at Polytechnic High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2022 60.67 96th 290 66.9%
2023 57.76 140th 417 66.4%
2024 71.26 93rd 451 79.4%
See the entire list of Best California High Schools for Homeless Students!

Rank History for Female students at Polytechnic High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 64.58 629th 1760 64.3%
2019 63.66 569th 1833 69.0%
2021 80.87 182nd 1054 82.7%
2022 61.78 588th 1858 68.4%
2023 65.65 512th 2118 75.8%
2024 57.73 647th 2098 69.2%
See the entire list of Best California High Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at Polytechnic High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 29.62 711th 1052 32.4%
2019 42.40 515th 1117 53.9%
2021 56.89 159th 555 71.4%
2022 34.46 703rd 1161 39.4%
See the entire list of Best California High Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Male students at Polytechnic High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 48.56 943rd 1834 48.6%
2019 63.33 607th 1880 67.7%
2021 83.29 185th 1122 83.5%
2022 56.04 720th 1916 62.4%
2023 53.19 742nd 2207 66.4%
2024 50.37 796th 2172 63.4%
See the entire list of Best California High Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Asian students at Polytechnic High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 28.91 434th 581 25.3%
2019 34.09 420th 582 27.8%
2022 32.96 421st 581 27.5%
2023 33.63 505th 731 30.9%
2024 31.90 496th 712 30.3%
See the entire list of Best California High Schools for Asian Students!

Rank History for African American students at Polytechnic High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 48.46 271st 582 53.4%
2019 51.69 248th 592 58.1%
2022 45.40 238th 522 54.4%
2023 51.96 287th 720 60.1%
2024 49.77 291st 721 59.6%
See the entire list of Best California High Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Polytechnic High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 43.26 1044th 1742 40.1%
2019 53.59 788th 1814 56.6%
2022 54.44 736th 1861 60.5%
2023 55.90 694th 2142 67.6%
2024 49.19 852nd 2125 59.9%
See the entire list of Best California High Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for Pacific Islander students at Polytechnic High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 78.05 4th 20 80.0%
2022 50.32 7th 14 50.0%
2023 38.74 22nd 35 37.1%
2024 70.18 8th 35 77.1%
See the entire list of Best California High Schools for Pacific Islander Students!

Rank History for White students at Polytechnic High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 86.21 122nd 1173 89.6%
2019 92.32 59th 1222 95.2%
2022 89.59 87th 1204 92.8%
2023 93.02 40th 1434 97.2%
2024 91.82 46th 1406 96.7%
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.

Polytechnic 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 Polytechnic High

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Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1988 910 827 711 404 6 n/a n/a 0 2858
1989 865 783 748 377 9 n/a n/a 0 2782
1990 1023 984 1071 553 19 n/a n/a 0 3650
1991 957 993 1115 553 21 n/a n/a 0 3639
1992 910 1112 1130 555 15 n/a n/a 0 3722
1993 935 1126 1273 612 16 n/a n/a 0 3962
1994 890 1126 1425 565 16 n/a n/a 0 4022
1995 807 1073 1813 456 13 n/a n/a 0 4162
1996 807 1073 1813 456 13 n/a n/a 0 4162
1997 740 1063 1990 496 10 n/a n/a 0 4299
1998 675 1041 2128 535 12 n/a n/a 0 4391
1999 653 1197 2064 584 11 n/a n/a 0 4509
2000 624 1291 2033 666 18 n/a n/a 0 4632
2001 613 1300 1907 700 14 n/a n/a 0 4534
2002 598 1375 1811 883 15 n/a n/a 2 4684
2003 598 1375 1811 883 15 n/a n/a 2 4684
2004 582 1426 1794 961 12 n/a n/a 4 4779
2005 572 1382 1771 1038 10 n/a n/a 3 4776
2006 570 1399 1711 1147 4 n/a n/a 4 4835
2007 545 1302 485 1172 8 n/a n/a 1192 4704
2008 526 1288 1606 1236 10 n/a n/a 0 4666
2009 548 1319 1437 1283 9 117 43 0 4756
2010 557 1347 1434 1396 13 124 28 0 4899
2011 549 1282 1387 1444 13 117 43 0 4835
2012 489 1227 1386 1467 8 104 64 0 4745
2013 492 1176 1283 1493 10 105 75 0 4634
2014 467 1062 1176 1585 6 110 91 0 4497
2015 518 1036 1076 1634 3 101 96 0 4464
2016 512 915 993 1749 3 86 112 0 4370
2017 464 798 956 1805 3 75 119 0 4220
2018 417 703 953 1878 3 60 128 0 4142
2019 348 653 888 1937 2 49 149 0 4026
2020 329 621 824 1967 3 62 159 0 3965
2021 305 625 819 2045 3 71 134 0 4002
2022 310 610 786 2158 5 64 149 1 4083
2023 276 575 737 2111 3 62 187 1 3952
2024 245 579 710 2158 3 56 203 0 3954

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 Polytechnic High

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 2858 116.8 24.4 n/a
1989 2782 115.4 24.1 n/a
1990 3650 132.3 27.5 n/a
1991 3639 139.1 26.1 n/a
1992 3722 141.4 26.3 27.8
1993 3962 147.1 26.9 44.3
1994 4022 147.5 27.3 30.2
1995 4162 151.0 27.6 36.6
1996 4162 151.0 27.6 36.6
1997 4299 157.3 27.3 41
1998 4391 157.3 27.9 42.5
1999 4509 157.7 28.6 49.8
2000 4632 163.4 28.3 54.3
2001 4534 172.9 26.2 54.3
2002 4684 179.8 26.1 48
2003 4684 179.8 26.1 48
2004 4779 175.2 27.3 45.2
2005 4776 179.1 26.7 52.7
2006 4835 179.6 26.9 59.8
2007 4704 180.4 26.1 78.3
2008 4666 209.3 22.3 58.3
2009 4756 181.9 22.8 60.1
2010 4899 186.6 26.2 57.9
2011 4835 n/a n/a 64
2012 4745 174.6 27.1 n/a
2013 4634 170.9 27.1 56.2
2014 4497 173.1 25.9 58
2015 4464 168.0 26.5 57.5
2016 4370 170.0 25.7 58.1
2017 4220 167.3 25.2 65.4
2018 4142 160.8 25.7 60.9
2019 4026 161.2 24.9 68.4
2020 3965 n/a n/a 60.3
2021 4002 160.9 24.8 64.4
2022 4083 166.6 24.5 54.2
2023 3952 167.5 23.5 53.5
2024 3954 168.1 23.5 57.7

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 Polytechnic High

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 2858 116.8 24.4 n/a
1989 2782 115.4 24.1 n/a
1990 3650 132.3 27.5 n/a
1991 3639 139.1 26.1 n/a
1992 3722 141.4 26.3 27.8
1993 3962 147.1 26.9 44.3
1994 4022 147.5 27.3 30.2
1995 4162 151.0 27.6 36.6
1996 4162 151.0 27.6 36.6
1997 4299 157.3 27.3 41
1998 4391 157.3 27.9 42.5
1999 4509 157.7 28.6 49.8
2000 4632 163.4 28.3 54.3
2001 4534 172.9 26.2 54.3
2002 4684 179.8 26.1 48
2003 4684 179.8 26.1 48
2004 4779 175.2 27.3 45.2
2005 4776 179.1 26.7 52.7
2006 4835 179.6 26.9 59.8
2007 4704 180.4 26.1 78.3
2008 4666 209.3 22.3 58.3
2009 4756 181.9 22.8 60.1
2010 4899 186.6 26.2 57.9
2011 4835 n/a n/a 64
2012 4745 174.6 27.1 n/a
2013 4634 170.9 27.1 56.2
2014 4497 173.1 25.9 58
2015 4464 168.0 26.5 57.5
2016 4370 170.0 25.7 58.1
2017 4220 167.3 25.2 65.4
2018 4142 160.8 25.7 60.9
2019 4026 161.2 24.9 68.4
2020 3965 n/a n/a 60.3
2021 4002 160.9 24.8 64.4
2022 4083 166.6 24.5 54.2
2023 3952 167.5 23.5 53.5
2024 3954 168.1 23.5 57.7

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 Polytechnic High

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YearTotal Expenditures Per Pupil
2018 $8,352

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

Impact of COVID-19 on Polytechnic 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 604th of 2133 High schoolsRanks 626th of 2348 High schools
 1.7%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
11th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Polytechnic High)63.551.8
 11.8%
   11th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Long Beach Unified)52.651.4
 1.2%
   11th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (California)57.355.4
 1.9%
11th Grade Mathematics (Polytechnic High)34.130.7
 3.4%
   11th Grade Mathematics (Long Beach Unified)27.325.4
 1.9%
   11th Grade Mathematics (California)32.227.4
 4.9%
12th Grade Science (Polytechnic High)21.930.3
 8.4%
   12th Grade Science (Long Beach Unified)19.324.4
 5.1%
   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 Students40263952
 1.8%
African American653575
 11.9%
American Indian23
 50%
Asian888737
 17%
Hispanic19372111
 9%
Pacific Islander4962
 26.5%
White348276
 20.7%
Two or More Races149187
 25.5%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients68.4%53.5%
 14.9%


Schools Near Polytechnic High









Frequently Asked Questions about Polytechnic High

Students at Polytechnic High are 55% Hispanic, 18% Asian, 15% African American, 6% White, 5% Two or more races, 1% Pacific Islander.

In the 2023-24 school year, 3,954 students attended Polytechnic High.

Polytechnic High ranks 716th of 2323 California high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Polytechnic High is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Birney Elementary
Elementary : Bobbie Smith Elementary
Elementary : Jenny Oropeza Elementary
Elementary : Lincoln Elementary
Elementary : Longfellow Elementary
Elementary : Los Cerritos Elementary
Elementary : Robinson Academy
Elementary : Roosevelt Elementary
Elementary : Signal Hill Elementary
Elementary : Stevenson Elementary
Elementary : Whittier Elementary
Middle : Franklin Classical Middle
Middle : Hughes Middle
Middle : Jessie Nelson Academy


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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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