Is Sierra Vista High (Alternative) a good school?

Sierra Vista High (Alternative) ranks 1542 nd of 2323 California high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Sierra Vista High (Alternative)?

In the 2023-24 school year, 338 students attended Sierra Vista High (Alternative).

What is the racial makeup of Sierra Vista High (Alternative)?

Students at Sierra Vista High (Alternative) are 91% Hispanic, 6% White, 1% American Indian.

Sierra Vista High (Alternative)

Summary:

Sierra Vista High (Alternative) is a public high school in Whittier, California, serving 324 students in grades 9-12. As an alternative school, it faces unique challenges in supporting its student population, which is reflected in the school's consistently low statewide rankings, academic underperformance, and high rates of chronic absenteeism and dropout.

Sierra Vista High (Alternative) has struggled to perform well across various student subgroups, with rankings generally in the bottom half or bottom third of California high schools. The school's strongest performance is in the English Language Learner subgroup, but it performs particularly poorly for Hispanic, Low Socioeconomic Status, and Homeless students. Compared to the nearby traditional high schools in the Whittier Union High School District, which have much higher graduation rates and lower dropout rates, Sierra Vista High (Alternative) faces significant challenges in supporting its student population.

The school's academic performance is also a concern, with consistently lower standardized test scores in English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science compared to the district and the state of California. Additionally, Sierra Vista High (Alternative) has grappled with high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 58.5% to 72.1%, which is significantly higher than the nearby traditional high schools. Addressing these issues will require a comprehensive approach that considers the unique needs of alternative school students and the socioeconomic factors that may be contributing to the school's struggles.

Detail:

Public 9-12

9401 South Painter Ave.
Whittier, CA 90605-2729

(562) 698-8121

District: Whittier Union High

SchoolDigger Rank:
1542^nd of 2,323 California High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $6,806

Student/teacher ratio: 26.3

Number of students: 338

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

90.5%

White:

5.6%

American Indian:

1.2%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 79.6%

See top rated California high schools

Compare Sierra Vista High (Alternative) to nearby high schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Sierra Vista High (Alternative) ranks worse than 66.4% of high schools in California. It also ranks 6^th among 7 ranked high schools in the Whittier Union High School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 25.38. (See more...)

The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at Sierra Vista High (Alternative) who earn a standard high school diploma within four years of starting ninth grade.

The high school dropout rate measures the percentage of students who do not complete their high school education.

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 Sierra Vista High (Alternative) has the smallest high school student body size in the Whittier Union High School District. Racial makeup is: Hispanic (90.5%), White (5.6%), American Indian (1.2%). (See more...)

Compare Details 79.6% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Sierra Vista High (Alternative) is 26.3. 5 high schools in the Whittier Union High School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Sierra Vista High (Alternative) employs 12.8 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Sierra Vista High (Alternative) is $6,806, which is the highest among 7 high schools in the Whittier Union High School District!

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Sierra Vista High (Alternative):

SchoolDigger ranks Sierra Vista High (Alternative) 1542^nd of 2323 California public high schools. (See Sierra Vista High (Alternative) in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Homeless students:

Female students:

Male students:

Hispanic students:

Whittier Union High:

SchoolDigger ranks Whittier Union High 500^th of 1568 California school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Your rating for Sierra Vista High (Alternative)?

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Rank History for Sierra Vista High (Alternative)

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Rank History for all students at Sierra Vista High (Alternative)

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile
2004	19.91	1278^th	1653	22.7%
2005	22.63	1301^st	1901	31.6%
2006	27.56	1168^th	1968	40.7%
2007	30.61	1119^th	2063	45.8%
2008	25.48	1305^th	2117	38.4%
2009	31.94	1301^st	2238	41.9%
2010	24.69	1433^rd	2281	37.2%
2011	22.49	1557^th	2367	34.2%
2012	21.62	1555^th	2354	33.9%
2013	18.09	1734^th	2426	28.5%
2015	23.46	1446^th	1994	27.5%
2016	34.26	1291^st	2039	36.7%
2017	19.65	1512^th	2021	25.2%
2018	16.40	1574^th	2017	22.0%
2019	37.90	1265^th	2133	40.7%
2021	37.11	811^th	1290	37.1%
2022	30.17	1428^th	2123	32.7%
2023	31.39	1376^th	2348	41.4%
2024	25.38	1542^nd	2323	33.6%

See the entire list of California High School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Sierra Vista High (Alternative)

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	52.18	234^th	1323	82.3%

See the entire list of Best California High Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Sierra Vista High (Alternative)

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	16.63	1447^th	1862	22.3%
2019	42.22	1121^st	1937	42.1%
2021	51.11	534^th	1126	52.6%
2022	35.25	1242^nd	1943	36.1%
2023	37.65	1202^nd	2247	46.5%
2024	28.44	1465^th	2235	34.5%

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

Rank History for Homeless students at Sierra Vista High (Alternative)

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	29.24	292^nd	417	30.0%
2024	39.29	282^nd	451	37.5%

See the entire list of Best California High Schools for Homeless Students!

Rank History for Female students at Sierra Vista High (Alternative)

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	12.29	1477^th	1760	16.1%
2019	26.89	1332^nd	1833	27.3%
2022	30.93	1251^st	1858	32.7%
2023	27.81	1382^nd	2118	34.7%
2024	20.32	1585^th	2098	24.5%

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

Rank History for Male students at Sierra Vista High (Alternative)

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	16.92	1422^nd	1834	22.5%
2019	43.45	1011^th	1880	46.2%
2022	20.33	1494^th	1916	22.0%
2023	33.36	1245^th	2207	43.6%
2024	28.65	1360^th	2172	37.4%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at Sierra Vista High (Alternative)

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	14.14	1406^th	1742	19.3%
2019	44.60	1010^th	1814	44.3%
2022	33.75	1227^th	1861	34.1%
2023	35.98	1224^th	2142	42.9%
2024	25.55	1460^th	2125	31.3%

See the entire list of Best California High Schools for Hispanic 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

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Enrollment information for Sierra Vista High (Alternative)

Compare

Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1993	116	5	7	209	2	n/a	n/a	0	339
1994	122	4	8	231	1	n/a	n/a	0	366
1995	109	3	5	312	1	n/a	n/a	0	430
1996	109	3	5	312	1	n/a	n/a	0	430
1997	106	3	5	308	0	n/a	n/a	0	422
1998	111	3	7	301	1	n/a	n/a	0	423
1999	112	6	5	331	1	n/a	n/a	0	455
2000	105	4	7	329	2	n/a	n/a	0	447
2001	104	2	4	373	2	n/a	n/a	0	485
2002	115	13	5	393	3	n/a	n/a	0	529
2003	115	13	5	393	3	n/a	n/a	0	529
2004	80	6	2	397	2	n/a	n/a	1	488
2005	99	5	3	398	2	n/a	n/a	1	508
2006	83	6	5	410	3	n/a	n/a	0	507
2007	84	5	9	462	4	n/a	n/a	2	566
2008	69	5	8	495	3	n/a	n/a	0	580
2009	76	5	4	477	2	0	5	0	569
2010	60	4	7	394	1	3	0	0	469
2011	33	6	2	369	2	1	1	0	414
2012	30	8	3	368	1	3	2	0	415
2013	32	3	6	332	2	0	0	0	375
2014	46	3	6	367	2	0	0	0	424
2015	36	1	3	293	3	1	1	0	338
2016	39	1	5	265	1	1	5	0	317
2017	29	2	5	274	1	0	2	0	313
2018	31	1	2	251	0	0	4	0	289
2019	20	0	6	210	0	0	0	0	236
2020	18	3	6	186	0	0	0	0	213
2021	28	2	9	195	1	0	1	0	236
2022	25	2	4	304	2	0	4	0	341
2023	24	2	7	286	3	0	1	1	324
2024	19	2	3	306	4	0	1	3	338

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 Sierra Vista High (Alternative)

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1993	339	7.3	46.4	0
1994	366	6.4	57.2	0
1995	430	9.0	47.8	0
1996	430	9.0	47.8	0
1997	422	10.0	42.2	0
1998	423	11.2	37.8	0
1999	455	10.0	45.5	0
2000	447	10.0	44.7	0
2001	485	12.0	40.4	0
2002	529	12.0	44.1	19.8
2003	529	12.0	44.1	19.8
2004	488	12.0	40.7	16.2
2005	508	11.0	46.2	0
2006	507	12.0	42.3	19.5
2007	566	12.0	47.2	22.2
2008	580	16.0	36.3	14.1
2009	569	13.0	33.5	18.6
2010	469	13.0	36.0	24.7
2011	414	n/a	n/a	56
2012	415	13.5	30.7	n/a
2013	375	14.4	25.9	64.3
2014	424	14.6	28.9	63.7
2015	338	15.0	22.5	57.1
2016	317	14.0	22.6	75.1
2017	313	14.2	22.0	63.9
2018	289	13.2	21.8	73.4
2019	236	12.0	19.6	80.5
2020	213	n/a	n/a	77
2021	236	11.0	21.4	70.3
2022	341	11.0	31.0	85.3
2023	324	13.0	24.8	90.1
2024	338	12.8	26.3	79.6

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 Sierra Vista High (Alternative)

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1993	339	7.3	46.4	0
1994	366	6.4	57.2	0
1995	430	9.0	47.8	0
1996	430	9.0	47.8	0
1997	422	10.0	42.2	0
1998	423	11.2	37.8	0
1999	455	10.0	45.5	0
2000	447	10.0	44.7	0
2001	485	12.0	40.4	0
2002	529	12.0	44.1	19.8
2003	529	12.0	44.1	19.8
2004	488	12.0	40.7	16.2
2005	508	11.0	46.2	0
2006	507	12.0	42.3	19.5
2007	566	12.0	47.2	22.2
2008	580	16.0	36.3	14.1
2009	569	13.0	33.5	18.6
2010	469	13.0	36.0	24.7
2011	414	n/a	n/a	56
2012	415	13.5	30.7	n/a
2013	375	14.4	25.9	64.3
2014	424	14.6	28.9	63.7
2015	338	15.0	22.5	57.1
2016	317	14.0	22.6	75.1
2017	313	14.2	22.0	63.9
2018	289	13.2	21.8	73.4
2019	236	12.0	19.6	80.5
2020	213	n/a	n/a	77
2021	236	11.0	21.4	70.3
2022	341	11.0	31.0	85.3
2023	324	13.0	24.8	90.1
2024	338	12.8	26.3	79.6

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 Sierra Vista High (Alternative)

Year	Total Expenditures Per Pupil
2018	$6,806

Data source: California Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Sierra Vista High (Alternative)

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 1265^th of 2133 High schools	Ranks 1376^th of 2348 High schools	0.7%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
11th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Sierra Vista High (Alternative))	39.7	45.1	5.4%
11th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Whittier Union High)	59	62.2	3.1%
11th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (California)	57.3	55.4	1.9%
11th Grade Mathematics (Sierra Vista High (Alternative))	7.1	5.3	1.9%
11th Grade Mathematics (Whittier Union High)	32.7	30.8	1.9%
11th Grade Mathematics (California)	32.2	27.4	4.9%
12th Grade Science (Sierra Vista High (Alternative))	18.8	17	1.8%
12th Grade Science (Whittier Union High)	21.4	13.7	7.7%
12th Grade Science (California)	25.6	26.9	1.3%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	236	324	37.3%
African American	0	2
American Indian	0	3
Asian	6	7	16.7%
Hispanic	210	286	36.2%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	20	24	20%
Two or More Races	0	1
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	80.5%	90.1%	9.6%

Schools Near Sierra Vista High (Alternative)

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				CAST Science (2024)			Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy (2024)		Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics (2024)		Per Pupil Expenditures (2018)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	CAST Science 11th Grade	CAST Science 12th Grade	CAST Science End of Course	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 11th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy End of Course	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 11th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics End of Course	Total
Sierra Vista High (Alternative)	Public	9-12	9401 South Painter Ave.	Whittier	90605	Los Angeles County	Whittier Union High	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(562) 698-8121	338	13	26.3	79.6%	19 (5.6%)	2 (0.6%)	306 (90.5%)	3 (0.9%)	4 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	25.4	1542^nd of 2323 public high schools	33.6%		31.4	1376^th of 2348 public high schools	41.4%	166		14.3	14.3	36.1	36.1	4.0	4.0	$6,806
Frontier High (Continuation)	Public	9-12	9401 South Painter Ave.	Whittier	90605	Los Angeles County	Whittier Union High	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(562) 698-8121	418	30	14.1	80.1%	16 (3.8%)	7 (1.7%)	385 (92.1%)	7 (1.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	9.6	2048^th of 2323 public high schools	11.8%		11.8	1963^rd of 2348 public high schools	16.4%	85		2.7	2.7	12.8	12.8	1.1	1.1	$6,806
California High	Public	9-12	9800 South Mills Ave.	Whittier	90604	Los Angeles County	Whittier Union High	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(562) 698-8121	2,376	108	21.9	81.0%	107 (4.5%)	19 (0.8%)	2,176 (91.6%)	44 (1.9%)	9 (0.4%)	2 (0.1%)	12 (0.5%)	75.9	385^th of 2323 public high schools	83.4%		68.8	501^st of 2348 public high schools	78.7%	116	40.4	12.5	39.5	72.8	72.8	34.8	34.8	$6,806
Whittier High	Public	9-12	12417 East Philadelphia St.	Whittier	90601	Los Angeles County	Whittier Union High	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(562) 698-8121	1,710	81	21.1	86.3%	87 (5.1%)	15 (0.9%)	1,582 (92.5%)	16 (0.9%)	1 (0.1%)	2 (0.1%)	6 (0.4%)	68	512^th of 2323 public high schools	78.0%		62.4	610^th of 2348 public high schools	74.0%	98	26.7	8.7	25.7	63.0	63.0	43.5	43.5	$6,806
Pioneer High	Public	9-12	10800 Ben Avon	Whittier	90606	Los Angeles County	Whittier Union High	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(562) 698-8121	1,072	57	18.7	89.6%	26 (2.4%)	7 (0.7%)	1,027 (95.8%)	5 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	6 (0.6%)	62	591^st of 2323 public high schools	74.6%		53.2	796^th of 2348 public high schools	66.1%	205	29.9		29.4	64.8	64.8	26.6	26.6	$6,806
Tri-Cities Regional Occupational Program	Public	9-12	10800 Ben Avon St. Unit E	Whittier	90606	Los Angeles County	Tri-Cities Regional Occupational Program	No	(n/a)	(n/a)	(n/a)	(562) 698-9571	0				0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Santa Fe High	Public	9-12	10400 South Orr and Day Rd.	Santa Fe Springs	90670	Los Angeles County	Whittier Union High	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(562) 698-8121	1,880	79	23.8	80.4%	97 (5.2%)	18 (1.0%)	1,720 (91.5%)	29 (1.5%)	5 (0.3%)	2 (0.1%)	7 (0.4%)	73.5	428^th of 2323 public high schools	81.6%		73.7	426^th of 2348 public high schools	81.9%	2	35.1	20.0	34.7	62.8	62.8	43.0	43.0	$6,806
La Serna High	Public	9-12	15301 East Youngwood Dr.	Whittier	90605	Los Angeles County	Whittier Union High	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(562) 698-8121	2,385	90	26.6	58.4%	253 (10.6%)	27 (1.1%)	1,962 (82.3%)	98 (4.1%)	11 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	33 (1.4%)	85.3	246^th of 2323 public high schools	89.4%		78.7	351^st of 2348 public high schools	85.1%	105	52.9	5.3	51.3	73.6	73.6	42.7	42.7	$6,806
John H. Glenn High	Public	9-12	13520 Shoemaker Ave.	Norwalk	90650	Los Angeles County	Norwalk-La Mirada Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(562) 210-3000	945	50	18.7	73.7%	19 (2.0%)	25 (2.6%)	849 (89.8%)	35 (3.7%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (0.5%)	12 (1.3%)	38.7	1170^th of 2323 public high schools	49.6%		17.7	1757^th of 2348 public high schools	25.2%	587	18.3		18.8	38.4	38.4	24.6	24.6	$16,167
El Rancho High	Public	9-12	6501 South Passons Blvd.	Pico Rivera	90660	Los Angeles County	El Rancho Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(562) 801-7500	2,104	87	24.0	78.7%	16 (0.8%)	4 (0.2%)	2,053 (97.6%)	24 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.0%)	5 (0.2%)	60.8	615^th of 2323 public high schools	73.5%		52.7	805^th of 2348 public high schools	65.7%	190	26.7		26.4	66.0	66.0	27.4	27.4	$5,152

Sierra Vista High (Alternative)

Sierra Vista High (Alternative):

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Whittier Union High:

What do you think?

Rank History for Sierra Vista High (Alternative)

Rank History for all students at Sierra Vista High (Alternative)

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Sierra Vista High (Alternative)

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Sierra Vista High (Alternative)

Rank History for Homeless students at Sierra Vista High (Alternative)

Rank History for Female students at Sierra Vista High (Alternative)

Rank History for Male students at Sierra Vista High (Alternative)

Rank History for Hispanic students at Sierra Vista High (Alternative)

Enrollment information for Sierra Vista High (Alternative)

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Sierra Vista High (Alternative)

Student/Teacher Ratio Sierra Vista High (Alternative)

Per Pupil Expenditures for Sierra Vista High (Alternative)

Impact of COVID-19 on Sierra Vista High (Alternative)

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Sierra Vista High (Alternative)