Is Highlands Elementary a good school?

Highlands Elementary ranks 1913 th of 5862 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Highlands Elementary?

In the 2022-23 school year, 492 students attended Highlands Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Highlands Elementary?

Students at Highlands Elementary are 33% Two or more races, 29% White, 25% Hispanic, 11% Asian, 2% African American.

What schools do graduates of Highlands Elementary attend?

Students who attend Highlands Elementary usually go on to attend: Middle : Pine Hollow Middle High : Northgate High

Highlands Elementary

Summary:

Highlands Elementary is a public elementary school in Concord, California, serving 492 students in grades K-5 and part of the Mt. Diablo Unified School District. This school consistently outperforms the district and state averages in academic assessments, with 48.76% of students proficient or better in English Language Arts and 50.41% in Mathematics, compared to 45.52% and 37.33% for the district, respectively.

Highlands Elementary has a strong performance across different student subgroups, with Hispanic and Special Education students ranking in the top 40% and 50% of California elementary schools. However, the school's performance for Asian and Multi-racial students is relatively lower, ranking in the bottom 20% and 10% of California elementary schools. The school has also seen a significant increase in chronic absenteeism, from 1.9% in 2020-2021 to 17.6% in 2022-2023, which is higher than the district average. Interestingly, the percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch at Highlands Elementary has decreased from 31.12% in 2021-2022 to 15.04% in 2022-2023, which is lower than the district average.

Compared to nearby schools, Highlands Elementary generally outperforms the other Mt. Diablo Unified schools, particularly in academic performance. For example, Highlands Elementary's ELA and Mathematics proficiency rates are significantly higher than those of El Monte Elementary. However, Walnut Acres Elementary, located about 3.8 miles away, consistently outperforms Highlands Elementary across all academic measures.

Detail:

Public K-5

1326 Pennsylvania Blvd.
Concord, CA 94521-4103

(925) 672-5252

District: Mt. Diablo Unified

SchoolDigger Rank:
1913^th of 5,862 California Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $11,494

Students who attend Highlands Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Pine Hollow Middle
High:	Northgate High

Student/teacher ratio: 27.3

Number of students: 492

Racial breakdown:

Two or more races:

32.5%

White:

29.3%

Hispanic:

24.8%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 15%

See top rated California elementary schools

Compare Highlands Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Highlands Elementary ranks better than 67.4% of elementary schools in California. It also ranks 11^th among 30 ranked elementary schools in the Mt. Diablo Unified School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 63.26. (See more...)

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

Compare Details Student population at Highlands Elementary is diverse. Racial makeup is: two or more races (32.5%), White (29.3%), Hispanic (24.8%). (See more...)

Compare Details 15% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Compare Details (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Highlands Elementary is 27.3. 17 elementary schools in the Mt. Diablo Unified School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Highlands Elementary employs 18 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Highlands Elementary is $11,494. 19 elementary schools in the Mt. Diablo Unified School District spend more per student.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Highlands Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Highlands Elementary 1913^th of 5862 California public elementary schools. (See Highlands Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Multi-racial students:

Special Education students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

Asian students:

Hispanic students:

White students:

Mt. Diablo Unified:

SchoolDigger ranks Mt. Diablo Unified 789^th of 1568 California school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

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Rank History for Highlands Elementary

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Rank History for all students at Highlands Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2004	72.52	1208^th	4809	74.9%
2005	73.21	1199^th	4822	75.1%
2006	74.55	1157^th	4818	76.0%
2007	76.71	1107^th	5113	78.3%
2008	72.57	1303^rd	5113	74.5%
2009	65.74	1649^th	5193	68.2%
2010	75.27	1217^th	5314	77.1%
2011	81.36	924^th	5377	82.8%
2012	79.56	1055^th	5390	80.4%
2013	83.13	880^th	5530	84.1%
2015	67.34	1601^st	5611	71.5%
2016	63.73	1824^th	5614	67.5%
2017	55.52	2251^st	5692	60.5%
2018	61.97	1952^nd	5662	65.5%
2019	67.91	1698^th	5789	70.7%
2021	79.75	278^th	1417	80.4%
2022	82.38	1074^th	5883	81.7%
2023	75.75	1341^st	5874	77.2%
2024	63.26	1913^th	5862	67.4%

See the entire list of California Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Highlands Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	27.72	275^th	339	18.9%
2019	26.99	357^th	445	19.8%
2022	47.51	366^th	610	40.0%
2023	21.27	561^st	669	16.1%
2024	22.50	564^th	669	15.7%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Highlands Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	65.40	553^rd	2420	77.1%
2024	45.60	1104^th	2634	58.1%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Highlands Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	66.43	1373^rd	5084	73.0%
2019	76.58	865^th	5173	83.3%
2021	86.47	92^nd	1110	91.7%
2022	83.36	621^st	5264	88.2%
2023	45.75	2654^th	5374	50.6%
2024	44.71	2762^nd	5511	49.9%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Highlands Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	59.92	1981^st	5413	63.4%
2019	60.52	1946^th	5492	64.6%
2021	78.04	255^th	1267	79.9%
2022	84.15	904^th	5635	84.0%
2023	75.51	1267^th	5617	77.4%
2024	54.21	2202^nd	5605	60.7%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at Highlands Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	46.19	873^rd	2128	59.0%
2019	63.05	650^th	2585	74.9%
2022	56.85	665^th	2227	70.1%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Male students at Highlands Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	62.12	1844^th	5431	66.0%
2019	72.46	1410^th	5510	74.4%
2021	77.50	272^nd	1272	78.6%
2022	75.48	1306^th	5663	76.9%
2023	71.93	1414^th	5650	75.0%
2024	69.04	1556^th	5636	72.4%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Asian students at Highlands Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	35.41	893^rd	1203	25.8%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Asian Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Highlands Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	49.69	2246^th	4830	53.5%
2019	57.52	1819^th	4963	63.3%
2022	80.99	700^th	5084	86.2%
2023	74.51	983^rd	5098	80.7%
2024	64.13	1468^th	5102	71.2%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Highlands Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	37.15	1888^th	2737	31.0%
2019	48.50	1599^th	2834	43.6%
2022	58.55	1203^rd	2726	55.9%
2023	61.31	1069^th	2662	59.8%
2024	40.51	1694^th	2647	36.0%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary 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.

Data source: California Department of Education

Review counts

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Enrollment information for Highlands Elementary

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
1988	648	11	50	28	1	n/a	n/a	738
1989	648	13	56	34	1	n/a	n/a	752
1990	664	12	84	35	0	n/a	n/a	795
1991	650	13	110	50	1	n/a	n/a	824
1992	635	13	111	59	3	n/a	n/a	821
1993	647	12	107	60	1	n/a	n/a	827
1994	590	12	91	63	1	n/a	n/a	757
1995	579	15	81	72	0	n/a	n/a	747
1996	579	15	81	72	0	n/a	n/a	747
1997	602	19	82	73	0	n/a	n/a	776
1998	596	21	79	72	4	n/a	n/a	772
1999	597	17	77	75	3	n/a	n/a	769
2000	612	17	80	83	4	n/a	n/a	796
2001	589	11	78	72	2	n/a	n/a	752
2002	535	22	93	88	1	n/a	n/a	739
2003	535	22	93	88	1	n/a	n/a	739
2004	485	25	95	99	1	n/a	n/a	705
2005	470	24	93	89	2	n/a	n/a	678
2006	449	21	100	95	4	n/a	n/a	669
2007	428	20	109	106	3	n/a	n/a	666
2008	439	25	118	122	5	n/a	n/a	709
2009	421	32	103	117	3	5	21	702
2010	404	20	107	110	3	5	21	670
2011	372	18	89	103	2	5	40	629
2012	349	22	87	106	2	5	52	623
2013	364	21	95	114	3	4	88	689
2014	341	16	92	115	2	1	87	654
2015	311	14	90	121	1	2	102	641
2016	315	13	83	132	1	4	91	639
2017	279	9	77	131	0	2	99	597
2018	257	11	78	131	0	2	104	583
2019	207	6	55	121	0	2	151	542
2020	231	13	63	119	0	2	101	529
2021	209	10	66	115	0	1	111	512
2022	158	10	65	111	0	1	137	482
2023	144	11	54	122	0	1	160	492

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 Highlands Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	738	29.0	25.4	n/a
1989	752	29.5	25.4	n/a
1990	795	30.5	26.0	n/a
1991	824	30.5	27.0	n/a
1992	821	31.0	26.4	7.9
1993	827	28.5	29.0	13.2
1994	757	28.4	26.7	14.4
1995	747	29.0	25.8	14.9
1996	747	29.0	25.8	14.9
1997	776	31.0	25.0	14.9
1998	772	36.0	21.4	15.7
1999	769	37.8	20.3	12.5
2000	796	35.8	22.2	11.7
2001	752	36.0	20.9	10.9
2002	739	34.8	21.2	11
2003	739	34.8	21.2	11
2004	705	36.0	19.6	11.3
2005	678	30.0	22.6	11.4
2006	669	30.5	21.9	0
2007	666	32.5	20.5	13.7
2008	709	36.0	19.7	12.6
2009	702	32.0	20.6	15.2
2010	670	27.0	24.8	16.4
2011	629	n/a	n/a	16.2
2012	623	24.0	25.9	n/a
2013	689	25.9	26.6	19.7
2014	654	23.0	28.4	19
2015	641	24.0	26.7	18.1
2016	639	24.0	26.6	15
2017	597	24.0	24.8	15.9
2018	583	24.5	23.7	18.9
2019	542	22.0	24.6	19.2
2020	529	n/a	n/a	16.1
2021	512	20.0	25.6	19.5
2022	482	17.2	27.9	31.1
2023	492	18.0	27.3	15

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 Highlands Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	738	29.0	25.4	n/a
1989	752	29.5	25.4	n/a
1990	795	30.5	26.0	n/a
1991	824	30.5	27.0	n/a
1992	821	31.0	26.4	7.9
1993	827	28.5	29.0	13.2
1994	757	28.4	26.7	14.4
1995	747	29.0	25.8	14.9
1996	747	29.0	25.8	14.9
1997	776	31.0	25.0	14.9
1998	772	36.0	21.4	15.7
1999	769	37.8	20.3	12.5
2000	796	35.8	22.2	11.7
2001	752	36.0	20.9	10.9
2002	739	34.8	21.2	11
2003	739	34.8	21.2	11
2004	705	36.0	19.6	11.3
2005	678	30.0	22.6	11.4
2006	669	30.5	21.9	0
2007	666	32.5	20.5	13.7
2008	709	36.0	19.7	12.6
2009	702	32.0	20.6	15.2
2010	670	27.0	24.8	16.4
2011	629	n/a	n/a	16.2
2012	623	24.0	25.9	n/a
2013	689	25.9	26.6	19.7
2014	654	23.0	28.4	19
2015	641	24.0	26.7	18.1
2016	639	24.0	26.6	15
2017	597	24.0	24.8	15.9
2018	583	24.5	23.7	18.9
2019	542	22.0	24.6	19.2
2020	529	n/a	n/a	16.1
2021	512	20.0	25.6	19.5
2022	482	17.2	27.9	31.1
2023	492	18.0	27.3	15

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.

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