Is Highland High School a good school?

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

How many students attend Highland High School?

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

What is the racial makeup of Highland High School?

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

What schools feed into Highland High School?

Highland High School is fed by the following schools: Elementary : Marcus Whitman-Cowiche Elementary Elementary : Tieton Elementary School Middle : Highland Middle School

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:
222^nd of 437 Washington High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $17,193

Feeder schools for Highland High School:

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

Student/teacher ratio: 17.7

Number of students: 338

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

76.6%

White:

18.6%

Two or more races:

1.8%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 79.9%

See top rated Washington high schools

Compare Highland High School to nearby high schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Highland High School ranks worse than 50.8% of high schools in Washington. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 46.88. (See more...)

The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at Highland High School 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.

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: Hispanic (76.6%), White (18.6%), two or more races (1.8%). (See more...)

Compare Details 79.9% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Highland High School is 17.7. (See more...)

Compare Highland High School employs 19 full-time teachers.

Finance

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 222^nd 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 188^th 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?

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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
2004	58.53	181^st	390	53.6%
2005	56.95	192^nd	394	51.3%
2006	50.80	226^th	395	42.8%
2007	54.27	210^th	399	47.4%
2008	43.61	263^rd	396	33.6%
2009	46.71	250^th	402	37.8%
2010	48.03	243^rd	423	42.6%
2011	37.73	286^th	440	35.0%
2012	53.29	219^th	450	51.3%
2013	49.84	257^th	454	43.4%
2015	61.34	106^th	341	68.9%
2016	53.37	167^th	306	45.4%
2017	48.44	180^th	301	40.2%
2018	41.23	220^th	315	30.2%
2019	22.30	339^th	417	18.7%
2021	26.06	344^th	455	24.4%
2022	58.84	163^rd	434	62.4%
2023	45.29	240^th	442	45.7%
2024	46.88	222^nd	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
2018	51.71	121^st	227	46.7%
2019	28.13	267^th	344	22.4%
2021	40.04	233^rd	392	40.6%
2022	73.69	72^nd	370	80.5%
2023	57.52	137^th	362	62.2%
2024	58.66	126^th	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	1^st	31	96.8%
2023	62.11	8^th	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
2018	40.29	170^th	243	30.0%
2019	13.14	328^th	358	8.4%
2021	28.35	293^rd	390	24.9%
2022	67.91	107^th	368	70.9%
2023	31.19	250^th	357	30.0%
2024	42.92	199^th	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
2018	39.85	174^th	254	31.5%
2019	29.97	268^th	355	24.5%
2021	24.63	314^th	395	20.5%
2022	45.80	190^th	363	47.7%
2023	49.91	177^th	358	50.6%
2024	43.04	211^th	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
2018	52.95	69^th	156	55.8%
2019	26.10	190^th	241	21.2%
2021	36.43	173^rd	278	37.8%
2022	70.39	59^th	261	77.4%
2023	64.86	72^nd	249	71.1%
2024	63.47	70^th	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
2019	51.06	182^nd	382	52.4%
2021	53.69	168^th	413	59.3%
2022	78.26	64^th	390	83.6%
2023	40.25	234^th	379	38.3%
2024	44.12	214^th	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.

Data source: Washington State Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 4)

100%

Reviews:

by a parent
Wednesday, June 8, 2011

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

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 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

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

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total 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 339^th of 417 High schools	Ranks 240^th 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)	61.5	71.8	10.2%
10th Grade English Language Arts (Highland School District)	61.5	71.8	10.2%
10th Grade English Language Arts (Washington)	72.8	65.9	6.9%
10th Grade Math (Highland High School)	16.7	21.2	4.5%
10th Grade Math (Highland School District)	16.7	21.2	4.5%
10th Grade Math (Washington)	42.4	33.3	9.1%
11th Grade Science (Highland High School)	33.3	43.1	9.7%
11th Grade Science (Highland School District)	33.3	43.1	9.7%
11th Grade Science (Washington)	50	50.5	0.5%
All Grades English Language Arts (Highland High School)	61.5	71.8	10.2%
All Grades English Language Arts (Highland School District)	51.8	44.4	7.4%
All Grades English Language Arts (Washington)	61	52.9	8.1%
All Grades Math (Highland High School)	16.7	21.2	4.5%
All Grades Math (Highland School District)	40.2	28	12.2%
All Grades Math (Washington)	50.1	41	9%
All Grades Science (Highland High School)	33.3	43.1	9.7%
All Grades Science (Highland School District)	33.7	36.1	2.4%
All Grades Science (Washington)	52.7	48.8	4%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	367	338	7.9%
African American	2	3	50%
American Indian	2	4	100%
Asian	0	2
Hispanic	279	259	7.2%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	81	63	22.2%
Two or More Races	3	6	100%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	78.7%	79.9%	1.1%

Schools Near Highland High School

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				WCAS Science (2024)			SBAC English Language Arts (2024)				SBAC Math (2024)				Per Pupil Expenditures (2022)
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	WCAS Science 8th Grade	WCAS Science 11th Grade	WCAS Science All Grades	SBAC English Language Arts 7th Grade	SBAC English Language Arts 8th Grade	SBAC English Language Arts 10th Grade	SBAC English Language Arts All Grades	SBAC Math 7th Grade	SBAC Math 8th Grade	SBAC Math 10th Grade	SBAC Math All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Highland High School	Public	9-12	17000 Summitview	Cowiche	98923	Yakima County	Highland School District	No	No	No	Yes	(509) 678-8800	338	19	17.7	79.9%	63 (18.6%)	3 (0.9%)	259 (76.6%)	2 (0.6%)	4 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (1.8%)	46.9	222^nd of 437 public high schools	49.2%		45.3	240^th of 442 public high schools	45.7%	18		35.1	35.1			75.0	75.0			27.3	27.3	$17,193	$2,039	$15,154
Naches Valley High School	Public	9-12	101 W. Fifth Street	Naches	98937	Yakima County	Naches Valley School District	No	No	No	No	(509) 653-2342	396	22	17.7	55.1%	275 (69.4%)	2 (0.5%)	95 (24.0%)	1 (0.3%)	5 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (2.8%)	54.6	186^th of 437 public high schools	57.4%		36.4	283^rd of 442 public high schools	36.0%	97		42.3	42.3			68.6	68.6			36.5	36.5	$17,728	$1,584	$16,144
West Valley Open Doors	Public	9-12	9800 Zier Rd	Yakima	98908	Yakima County	West Valley School District (Yakima)	No	No	No	No	(509) 823-2602	36	0		66.7%	15 (41.7%)	1 (2.8%)	19 (52.8%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (2.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)												$9,544	$73	$9,472
West Valley Virtual University	Public, Virtual	9-12	9800 Zier Rd	Yakima	98908	Yakima County	West Valley School District (Yakima)	No	No	Yes	No	(509) 972-5900	6	0			6 (100.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)												$2,521	$73	$2,448
West Valley High School	Public	9-12	9800 Zier Rd	Yakima	98908	Yakima County	West Valley School District (Yakima)	No	No	No	No	(509) 972-5900	1,527	66	23.2	46.7%	832 (54.5%)	9 (0.6%)	559 (36.6%)	63 (4.1%)	9 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	46 (3.0%)	57.9	166^th of 437 public high schools	62.0%		62.6	147^th of 442 public high schools	66.7%	19		48.8	48.8			66.8	66.8			36.4	36.4	$13,284	$282	$13,002
West Valley Virtual Academy 9-12	Public, Virtual	9-12	9206 Zier Road	Yakima	98908	Yakima County	West Valley School District (Yakima)	No	No	Yes	No	(509) 823-2602	94	0		44.7%	45 (47.9%)	1 (1.1%)	34 (36.2%)	6 (6.4%)	1 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (7.4%)								(n/a)												$10,889	$73	$10,817
West Valley Innovation Center	Public, Magnet	7-12	9206 Zier Road	Yakima	98908	Yakima County	West Valley School District (Yakima)	No	Yes	No	No	(509) 902-8810	162	8	21.6	59.3%	97 (59.9%)	0 (0.0%)	50 (30.9%)	3 (1.9%)	2 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (6.2%)	55.2	182^nd of 437 public high schools	58.4%		38.4	276^th of 442 public high schools	37.6%	94	26.8	59.4	41.1	48.5	22.0	63.3	42.3	30.3	17.5	26.7	24.3	$45,786	$10,059	$35,727
Selah Academy Online	Public, Virtual	9-12	308 W Naches Ave	Selah	98942	Yakima County	Selah School District	No	No	Yes	Yes	(509) 698-8062	26	2	13.0	76.9%	16 (61.5%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (38.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)												$33,245	$1,905	$31,340
Selah Academy Reengagement Program	Public	9-12	308 W Naches Ave	Selah	98942	Yakima County	Selah School District	No	No	No	No	(509) 698-8062	0	0			0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Viking Choice	Public	9-12	308 W Naches Ave	Selah	98942	Yakima County	Selah School District	No	No	No	Yes	(509) 698-8062	8	0			7 (87.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (12.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)												$4,589	$741	$3,849

Highland High School

Highland High School:

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Highland School District:

Average Parent Rating:

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Rank History for Highland High School

Rank History for all students at Highland High School

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

Rank History for Migrant students at Highland High School

Rank History for Female students at Highland High School

Rank History for Male students at Highland High School

Rank History for Hispanic students at Highland High School

Rank History for White students at Highland High School

Review counts

Enrollment information for Highland High School

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Highland High School

Student/Teacher Ratio Highland High School

Per Pupil Expenditures for Highland High School

Impact of COVID-19 on Highland High School

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Highland High School

Frequently Asked Questions about Highland High School

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