Highland High School

Summary:

Highland High School is a public high school located in Cowiche, Washington, serving 338 students in grades 9-12. The school stands out for its high Hispanic student population, strong performance in English Language Arts, and the success of its Hispanic and low-income students, but faces challenges in Math and Science proficiency, as well as fluctuations in graduation and dropout rates.

Highland High School has a significantly higher Hispanic student population (76.63%) compared to the state average (22.7%) and nearby schools like Selah High School and Naches Valley High School. The school's students perform better than the state and Selah School District averages in English Language Arts (ELA) proficiency, with 75% of 10th graders and 75% of all grades proficient or better. However, the school lags behind in Math proficiency, with only 27.27% of 10th graders and 27.27% of all grades proficient or better, compared to the state averages of 33.4% and 41.68% respectively. Science proficiency is also below the state average, with 35.06% of 11th graders and 35.06% of all grades proficient or better.

Highland High School's Hispanic students and students from low socioeconomic backgrounds perform relatively well, ranking in the top 70-72 out of 248-249 Washington high schools in 2023-2024. The school's migrant students have performed exceptionally well, ranking 1st out of 31 Washington high schools in 2021-2022 and 8th out of 28 in 2022-2023. Compared to nearby schools like West Valley School District (Yakima), Highland High School's spending per student ($17,193 in 2021-2022) is higher than the state average, but lower than some of the higher-spending schools in the area.


Detail:

Public 9-12

 17000 Summitview
       Cowiche, WA  98923-9719


(509) 678-8800

District: Highland School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
222nd of 437 Washington High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $17,193 Help


Feeder schools for Highland High School:

Elementary:    Marcus Whitman-Cowiche Elementary
    Tieton Elementary School
Middle:    Highland Middle School

Student/teacher ratio:  17.7 Help
Number of students:  338

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:
76.6%
White:
18.6%
Two or more races:
1.8%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  79.9% Help


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Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details Highland High School ranks worse than 50.8% of high schools in Washington. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 46.88. (See more...)
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The Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate (ACGR) measures the percentage of Highland High School freshmen who graduate within four years, adjusting for students who transfer in or out.
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The high school dropout rate measures the percentage of students who do not complete their high school education.
Student Body
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Compare Details Racial makeup is: Hispanic (76.6%), White (18.6%), two or more races (1.8%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 79.9% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Highland High School is 17.7. (See more...)
Help
Compare Highland High School employs 19 full-time teachers.
Finance
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Compare Details The average total spent per student at Highland High School is $17,193.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Highland High School:

SchoolDigger ranks Highland High School 222nd of 437 Washington public high schools. (See Highland High School 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:


Highland School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Highland School District 188th of 247 Washington school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

Read all reviews and ratings detail for Highland High School.

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Your rating for Highland High School?

Rank History for Highland High School

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Rank History for all students at Highland High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools WA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2004 58.53 181st 390 53.6%
2005 56.95 192nd 394 51.3%
2006 50.80 226th 395 42.8%
2007 54.27 210th 399 47.4%
2008 43.61 263rd 396 33.6%
2009 46.71 250th 402 37.8%
2010 48.03 243rd 423 42.6%
2011 37.73 286th 440 35.0%
2012 53.29 219th 450 51.3%
2013 49.84 257th 454 43.4%
2015 61.34 106th 341 68.9%
2016 53.37 167th 306 45.4%
2017 48.44 180th 301 40.2%
2018 41.23 220th 315 30.2%
2019 22.30 339th 417 18.7%
2021 26.06 344th 455 24.4%
2022 58.84 163rd 434 62.4%
2023 45.29 240th 442 45.7%
2024 46.88 222nd 437 49.2%
See the entire list of Washington High School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Highland High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools WA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 51.71 121st 227 46.7%
2019 28.13 267th 344 22.4%
2021 40.04 233rd 392 40.6%
2022 73.69 72nd 370 80.5%
2023 57.52 137th 362 62.2%
2024 58.66 126th 356 64.6%
See the entire list of Best Washington High Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Migrant students at Highland High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools WA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2022 93.53 1st 31 96.8%
2023 62.11 8th 28 71.4%
See the entire list of Best Washington High Schools for Migrant Students!

Rank History for Female students at Highland High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools WA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 40.29 170th 243 30.0%
2019 13.14 328th 358 8.4%
2021 28.35 293rd 390 24.9%
2022 67.91 107th 368 70.9%
2023 31.19 250th 357 30.0%
2024 42.92 199th 347 42.7%
See the entire list of Best Washington High Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at Highland High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools WA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 39.85 174th 254 31.5%
2019 29.97 268th 355 24.5%
2021 24.63 314th 395 20.5%
2022 45.80 190th 363 47.7%
2023 49.91 177th 358 50.6%
2024 43.04 211th 362 41.7%
See the entire list of Best Washington High Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Highland High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools WA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 52.95 69th 156 55.8%
2019 26.10 190th 241 21.2%
2021 36.43 173rd 278 37.8%
2022 70.39 59th 261 77.4%
2023 64.86 72nd 249 71.1%
2024 63.47 70th 248 71.8%
See the entire list of Best Washington High Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Highland High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools WA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2019 51.06 182nd 382 52.4%
2021 53.69 168th 413 59.3%
2022 78.26 64th 390 83.6%
2023 40.25 234th 379 38.3%
2024 44.12 214th 374 42.8%
See the entire list of Best Washington High Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Washington Office of Superindentent of Public Instruction, 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.

Highland High School Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 





Data source: Washington State Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 4)
0%

100%

0%

0%

0%

  

Reviews:
by a parent
Wednesday, June 8, 2011

Open Quote Highland High School has excellent teachers with small classes. It was ranked as one of the top schools in Washington State and won a Washington State Achievement Award in 2010 for being in the top 5% overall. It has a high graduation and attendance rate and the is usually in the top for the Yakima Valley for the state tests. Close Quote



Enrollment information for Highland High School

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Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
2002 198 3 6 147 0 n/a n/a 0 354
2003 198 3 6 147 0 n/a n/a 0 354
2004 174 1 5 159 2 n/a n/a 0 341
2005 181 1 5 176 1 n/a n/a 0 364
2006 163 0 7 183 0 n/a n/a 0 353
2007 163 4 3 194 3 n/a n/a 0 367
2008 155 4 3 187 2 n/a n/a 0 351
2009 135 5 2 205 3 n/a n/a 0 350
2010 126 3 1 229 6 n/a n/a 1 366
2011 125 0 0 216 2 0 5 0 348
2012 133 0 1 239 1 0 5 0 379
2013 142 1 1 246 1 0 8 0 399
2014 122 1 1 255 0 0 8 0 387
2015 104 3 1 261 1 0 11 0 381
2016 96 3 2 250 2 0 11 0 364
2017 82 3 0 249 2 0 9 0 345
2018 76 1 0 249 3 0 7 0 336
2019 81 2 0 279 2 0 3 0 367
2020 68 1 1 291 1 0 3 0 365
2021 65 2 0 285 1 0 7 0 360
2022 69 2 0 293 1 0 6 0 371
2023 63 3 2 259 4 0 6 1 338

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 Highland High School

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Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
2002 354 18.8 18.8 52
2003 354 18.8 18.8 52
2004 341 18.0 18.9 57.8
2005 364 18.2 20.0 65.9
2006 353 17.9 19.7 47.6
2007 367 16.5 22.2 40.3
2008 351 17.4 20.2 41.6
2009 350 17.4 20.1 44.6
2010 366 19.5 18.7 51.5
2011 348 19.3 18.0 71.6
2012 379 20.3 18.6 69.9
2013 399 22.5 17.6 69.2
2014 387 n/a n/a 70.3
2015 381 23.0 16.5 74.5
2016 364 22.0 16.5 76.6
2017 345 22.6 15.2 76.8
2018 336 21.1 15.8 77.7
2019 367 19.8 18.5 78.7
2020 365 19.9 18.3 82.2
2021 360 19.4 18.4 80.6
2022 371 18.1 20.4 82.2
2023 338 19.0 17.7 79.9

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 Highland High School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
2002 354 18.8 18.8 52
2003 354 18.8 18.8 52
2004 341 18.0 18.9 57.8
2005 364 18.2 20.0 65.9
2006 353 17.9 19.7 47.6
2007 367 16.5 22.2 40.3
2008 351 17.4 20.2 41.6
2009 350 17.4 20.1 44.6
2010 366 19.5 18.7 51.5
2011 348 19.3 18.0 71.6
2012 379 20.3 18.6 69.9
2013 399 22.5 17.6 69.2
2014 387 n/a n/a 70.3
2015 381 23.0 16.5 74.5
2016 364 22.0 16.5 76.6
2017 345 22.6 15.2 76.8
2018 336 21.1 15.8 77.7
2019 367 19.8 18.5 78.7
2020 365 19.9 18.3 82.2
2021 360 19.4 18.4 80.6
2022 371 18.1 20.4 82.2
2023 338 19.0 17.7 79.9

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 Highland High School

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YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $534 (3.9%) $13,224 (96.1%) $13,758
2020 $333 (2.8%) $11,577 (97.2%) $11,910
2021 $753 (4.7%) $15,158 (95.3%) $15,910
2022 $2,039 (11.9%) $15,154 (88.1%) $17,193

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

Impact of COVID-19 on Highland High School

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 339th of 417 High schoolsRanks 240th of 442 High schools
 27%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
10th Grade English Language Arts (Highland High School)61.571.8
 10.2%
   10th Grade English Language Arts (Highland School District)61.571.8
 10.2%
   10th Grade English Language Arts (Washington)72.865.9
 6.9%
10th Grade Math (Highland High School)16.721.2
 4.5%
   10th Grade Math (Highland School District)16.721.2
 4.5%
   10th Grade Math (Washington)42.433.3
 9.1%
11th Grade Science (Highland High School)33.343.1
 9.7%
   11th Grade Science (Highland School District)33.343.1
 9.7%
   11th Grade Science (Washington)5050.5
 0.5%
All Grades English Language Arts (Highland High School)61.571.8
 10.2%
   All Grades English Language Arts (Highland School District)51.844.4
 7.4%
   All Grades English Language Arts (Washington)6152.9
 8.1%
All Grades Math (Highland High School)16.721.2
 4.5%
   All Grades Math (Highland School District)40.228
 12.2%
   All Grades Math (Washington)50.141
 9%
All Grades Science (Highland High School)33.343.1
 9.7%
   All Grades Science (Highland School District)33.736.1
 2.4%
   All Grades Science (Washington)52.748.8
 4%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students367338
 7.9%
African American23
 50%
American Indian24
 100%
Asian02
Hispanic279259
 7.2%
Pacific Islander00
White8163
 22.2%
Two or More Races36
 100%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients78.7%79.9%
 1.1%


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Frequently Asked Questions about Highland High School

Highland High School ranks 222nd of 437 Washington high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Highland High School is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Marcus Whitman-Cowiche Elementary
Elementary : Tieton Elementary School
Middle : Highland Middle School

Students at Highland High School are 77% Hispanic, 19% White, 2% Two or more races, 1% American Indian.

In the 2022-23 school year, 338 students attended Highland High School.


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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau, the Washington State Department of Health and the Washington Office of Superindentent of Public Instruction.

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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