Mesquite Continuation High

Summary:

Mesquite Continuation High is a small public high school in Ridgecrest, California, serving grades 9-12 and part of the Sierra Sands Unified School District. Unfortunately, this school consistently underperforms academically, with low test scores, graduation rates, and high dropout and chronic absenteeism rates.

Mesquite Continuation High's academic performance is significantly below state and district averages. In 2023-2024, only 13.64% of 11th-grade students were proficient in English Language Arts/Literacy, compared to 55.73% statewide and 49.31% in the district. In Mathematics, the proficiency rate was just 4.65%, far lower than the 27.9% state average and 20.83% district average. The school also struggles with low graduation rates, ranging from 39.1% to 57.1% over the past five years, and high dropout rates of 24.5% to 37.9%. Additionally, Mesquite Continuation High has consistently high chronic absenteeism rates, from 70.2% to 81.7%, indicating that a large proportion of students are missing significant amounts of school.

While Mesquite Continuation High's challenges are concerning, the nearby Burroughs High School, also part of the Sierra Sands Unified School District, performs significantly better academically. In contrast, another nearby school, Trona High, which is part of the Trona Joint Unified School District, faces similar struggles to Mesquite Continuation High. This suggests that the issues at Mesquite Continuation High may be reflective of broader regional challenges. However, the higher-performing Beaumont Middle College High in Banning, California, which serves a student population with a similar socioeconomic profile, demonstrates that these challenges can be addressed through targeted interventions and support.


Detail:

Public 9-12

 140 West Drummond
       Ridgecrest, CA  93555-3118


(760) 499-1810

District: Sierra Sands Unified

SchoolDigger Rank:
1934th of 2,323 California High Schools


Student/teacher ratio:  17.4 Help
Number of students:  102

Racial breakdown:

White:
63.7%
Hispanic:
26.5%
African American:
4.9%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  73.5% Help


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Performance Trends
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Compare Details Mesquite Continuation High ranks worse than 83.3% of high schools in California. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 11.23. (See more...)
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The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at Mesquite Continuation High who earn a standard high school diploma within four years of starting ninth grade.
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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 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: White (63.7%), Hispanic (26.5%), African American (4.9%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 73.5% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Mesquite Continuation High is 17.4. (See more...)
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Compare Mesquite Continuation High employs 5.8 full-time teachers.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Mesquite Continuation High:

SchoolDigger ranks Mesquite Continuation High 1934th of 2323 California public high schools. (See Mesquite Continuation High in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


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


Sierra Sands Unified:

SchoolDigger ranks Sierra Sands Unified 893rd of 1568 California school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Rank History for Mesquite Continuation High

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Rank History for all students at Mesquite Continuation High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2004 24.26 1094th 1653 33.8%
2005 27.27 1122nd 1901 41.0%
2006 17.82 1521st 1968 22.7%
2007 19.70 1512th 2063 26.7%
2008 23.26 1392nd 2117 34.2%
2009 30.13 1382nd 2238 38.2%
2010 21.96 1536th 2281 32.7%
2011 21.63 1583rd 2367 33.1%
2012 19.21 1656th 2354 29.7%
2013 21.25 1599th 2426 34.1%
2015 19.48 1502nd 1994 24.7%
2016 17.05 1567th 2039 23.1%
2017 12.69 1679th 2021 16.9%
2018 10.36 1823rd 2017 9.6%
2019 14.87 1775th 2133 16.8%
2021 9.39 1199th 1290 7.1%
2022 20.29 1644th 2123 22.6%
2023 26.07 1532nd 2348 34.8%
2024 11.23 1934th 2323 16.7%
See the entire list of California High School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Mesquite Continuation High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 10.70 1685th 1862 9.5%
2019 16.09 1599th 1937 17.4%
2021 9.90 1034th 1126 8.2%
2022 8.95 1931st 1943 0.6%
2023 19.96 1665th 2247 25.9%
2024 9.26 2016th 2235 9.8%
See the entire list of Best California High Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Mesquite Continuation High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 7.45 1692nd 1760 3.9%
2019 11.29 1624th 1833 11.4%
2021 6.82 1009th 1054 4.3%
2023 24.89 1470th 2118 30.6%
2024 11.14 1818th 2098 13.3%
See the entire list of Best California High Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at Mesquite Continuation High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 11.42 1582nd 1834 13.7%
2019 10.85 1732nd 1880 7.9%
2021 7.23 1091st 1122 2.8%
2022 22.97 1444th 1916 24.6%
2023 26.67 1429th 2207 35.3%
2024 10.60 1856th 2172 14.5%
See the entire list of Best California High Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Mesquite Continuation High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 8.71 1684th 1742 3.3%
2023 18.18 1645th 2142 23.2%
2024 21.81 1537th 2125 27.7%
See the entire list of Best California High Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Mesquite Continuation High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 3.48 1134th 1173 3.3%
2019 3.78 1192nd 1222 2.5%
2022 7.18 1127th 1204 6.4%
2023 22.22 1057th 1434 26.3%
2024 2.65 1356th 1406 3.6%
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.

Mesquite Continuation 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 Mesquite Continuation High

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Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1988 136 5 0 12 0 n/a n/a 0 153
1989 117 3 0 10 0 n/a n/a 0 130
1990 120 3 0 9 0 n/a n/a 0 132
1991 140 3 1 12 0 n/a n/a 0 156
1992 117 8 3 18 2 n/a n/a 0 148
1993 142 6 3 14 0 n/a n/a 0 165
1994 148 8 0 18 2 n/a n/a 0 176
1995 138 9 0 11 0 n/a n/a 0 158
1996 138 9 0 11 0 n/a n/a 0 158
1997 158 9 3 9 1 n/a n/a 0 180
1998 188 15 5 31 5 n/a n/a 0 244
1999 167 12 3 33 3 n/a n/a 2 220
2000 94 26 6 24 2 n/a n/a 0 152
2001 105 7 1 33 3 n/a n/a 2 151
2002 119 5 3 17 1 n/a n/a 2 147
2003 119 5 3 17 1 n/a n/a 2 147
2004 106 6 4 21 1 n/a n/a 5 143
2005 100 5 2 22 5 n/a n/a 5 139
2006 80 7 3 33 4 n/a n/a 9 136
2007 84 12 2 30 8 n/a n/a 7 143
2008 87 20 n/a 25 2 n/a n/a 0 134
2009 101 10 0 22 3 1 7 0 144
2010 107 8 0 32 4 1 0 0 152
2011 90 15 3 23 6 0 0 0 137
2012 83 5 2 22 2 1 0 0 115
2013 67 4 2 37 0 1 2 0 113
2014 65 6 2 25 2 3 5 0 108
2015 58 6 1 24 1 2 5 0 97
2016 59 4 2 18 2 1 2 0 88
2017 60 10 0 16 3 2 2 0 93
2018 45 9 0 25 3 0 2 0 84
2019 34 6 1 27 0 1 0 0 69
2020 47 4 1 23 1 1 0 0 77
2021 39 8 2 18 3 1 1 0 72
2022 49 7 0 32 3 1 5 1 98
2023 65 5 0 27 2 0 3 0 102

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 Mesquite Continuation High

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 153 7.6 20.1 n/a
1989 130 6.6 19.6 n/a
1990 132 8.0 16.5 n/a
1991 156 8.8 17.7 n/a
1992 148 8.9 16.6 26.4
1993 165 8.6 19.2 21.2
1994 176 7.7 22.9 27.8
1995 158 7.0 22.6 48.1
1996 158 7.0 22.6 48.1
1997 180 7.0 25.7 38.9
1998 244 7.0 34.9 36.5
1999 220 10.0 22.0 39
2000 152 10.0 15.2 44.7
2001 151 9.0 16.8 52.3
2002 147 9.2 16.0 22.1
2003 147 9.2 16.0 22.1
2004 143 9.0 15.9 30.4
2005 139 7.2 19.3 48.5
2006 136 5.4 25.2 46.5
2007 143 7.2 19.9 33.1
2008 134 9.0 14.9 41
2009 144 7.0 16.0 36.8
2010 152 7.0 21.7 16.4
2011 137 n/a n/a 32.8
2012 115 6.2 18.5 n/a
2013 113 6.6 17.1 62.8
2014 108 6.2 17.4 66.7
2015 97 6.0 16.1 70.1
2016 88 5.0 17.6 62.5
2017 93 5.2 17.6 52.7
2018 84 5.6 14.9 90.5
2019 69 5.3 13.0 89.9
2020 77 n/a n/a 81.8
2021 72 5.2 13.7 68.1
2022 98 5.6 17.3 58.2
2023 102 5.8 17.4 73.5

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 Mesquite Continuation High

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 153 7.6 20.1 n/a
1989 130 6.6 19.6 n/a
1990 132 8.0 16.5 n/a
1991 156 8.8 17.7 n/a
1992 148 8.9 16.6 26.4
1993 165 8.6 19.2 21.2
1994 176 7.7 22.9 27.8
1995 158 7.0 22.6 48.1
1996 158 7.0 22.6 48.1
1997 180 7.0 25.7 38.9
1998 244 7.0 34.9 36.5
1999 220 10.0 22.0 39
2000 152 10.0 15.2 44.7
2001 151 9.0 16.8 52.3
2002 147 9.2 16.0 22.1
2003 147 9.2 16.0 22.1
2004 143 9.0 15.9 30.4
2005 139 7.2 19.3 48.5
2006 136 5.4 25.2 46.5
2007 143 7.2 19.9 33.1
2008 134 9.0 14.9 41
2009 144 7.0 16.0 36.8
2010 152 7.0 21.7 16.4
2011 137 n/a n/a 32.8
2012 115 6.2 18.5 n/a
2013 113 6.6 17.1 62.8
2014 108 6.2 17.4 66.7
2015 97 6.0 16.1 70.1
2016 88 5.0 17.6 62.5
2017 93 5.2 17.6 52.7
2018 84 5.6 14.9 90.5
2019 69 5.3 13.0 89.9
2020 77 n/a n/a 81.8
2021 72 5.2 13.7 68.1
2022 98 5.6 17.3 58.2
2023 102 5.8 17.4 73.5

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.
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Mesquite Continuation 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 1775th of 2133 High schoolsRanks 1532nd of 2348 High schools
 18%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
11th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Mesquite Continuation High)28.639.4
 10.8%
   11th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Sierra Sands Unified)70.764.1
 6.5%
   11th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (California)57.355.4
 1.9%
11th Grade Mathematics (Mesquite Continuation High)06.9
 6.9%
   11th Grade Mathematics (Sierra Sands Unified)32.428.9
 3.5%
   11th Grade Mathematics (California)32.227.4
 4.9%
11th Grade Science (Mesquite Continuation High)010.7
 10.7%
   11th Grade Science (Sierra Sands Unified)3733.7
 3.3%
   11th Grade Science (California)30.431.7
 1.3%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students69102
 47.8%
African American65
 16.7%
American Indian02
Asian10
 100%
Hispanic2727
Pacific Islander10
 100%
White3465
 91.2%
Two or More Races03
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients89.9%73.5%
 16.3%


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Frequently Asked Questions about Mesquite Continuation High

Students at Mesquite Continuation High are 64% White, 26% Hispanic, 5% African American, 3% Two or more races, 2% American Indian.

Mesquite Continuation High ranks in the bottom 16.7% of California high schools.

In the 2022-23 school year, 102 students attended Mesquite Continuation High.


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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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