Highland High’s dropout rate was worse than California’s statewide dropout rate in the 2019-20 school year, according to the California Department of Education (CDE).
CDE data of graduation and dropout rates confirms there is a growing achievement gap between Latino, Black, and English learner students. The achievement gap refers to the disparities in academic performance associated with race and class.
According to data provided by the National Centre for Education Statistics in 2018, of the 48 states where data was collected, Black males remain at the bottom of 4-year high school graduation rates.
Closing the achievement gap earlier in the schooling process, such as during elementary school, can improve high school graduation rates and decrease dropout rates. Individually tailored student support is one way that is proposed to accomplish this.
In The Long-Term Impact of Systemic Student Support in Elementary School: Reducing High School Dropout, Terrence J. Lee-St. John, a Biostatistician at the Research Department of Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, says, “Students often fail to complete high school for complex reasons that often manifest long before they reach high school. Individually tailored student support during elementary school can lead to lasting and meaningful effects.”
Top 100 Schools Ranking Compared to California Dropout Rate
| Rank | School | District | Drop-Out rate | CA Drop-out rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Whitney (Gretchen) High | ABC Unified | 0 | 9 |
| 1 | Alameda Science and Technology Institute | Alameda Unified | 0 | 9 |
| 1 | Nea Community Learning Center | Alameda Unified | 0 | 9 |
| 1 | Amador County Special Education | Amador County Office of Education | 0 | 9 |
| 1 | Oxford Academy | Anaheim Union High | 0 | 9 |
| 1 | Anderson New Technology High | Anderson Union High | 0 | 9 |
| 1 | Anderson Valley Junior-Senior High | Anderson Valley Unified | 0 | 9 |
| 1 | SOAR High (Students On Academic Rise) | Antelope Valley Union High | 0 | 9 |
| 1 | Academy for Academic Excellence | Apple Valley Unified | 0 | 9 |
| 1 | Mayfair High | Bellflower Unified | 0 | 9 |
| 1 | Golden Sierra Junior Senior High | Black Oak Mine Unified | 0 | 9 |
| 1 | Clarksville Charter | Buckeye Union Elementary | 0 | 9 |
| 1 | Pilarcitos Alternative High (Continuation) | Cabrillo Unified | 0 | 9 |
| 1 | Calistoga Junior-Senior High | Calistoga Joint Unified | 0 | 9 |
| 1 | Minarets High | Chawanakee Unified | 0 | 9 |
| 1 | Learning Choice Academy – Chula Vista | Chula Vista Elementary | 0 | 9 |
| 1 | NOVA Academy – Coachella | Coachella Valley Unified | 0 | 9 |
| 1 | Compton Early College High | Compton Unified | 0 | 9 |
| 1 | Contra Costa School of Performing Arts | Contra Costa County Office of Education | 0 | 9 |
| 1 | Technology High | Cotati-Rohnert Park Unified | 0 | 9 |
| 1 | South Hills High | Covina-Valley Unified | 0 | 9 |
| 1 | Da Vinci Charter Academy | Davis Joint Unified | 0 | 9 |
| 1 | Davis School for Independent Study | Davis Joint Unified | 0 | 9 |
| 1 | California School of the Arts – San Gabriel Valley | Duarte Unified | 0 | 9 |
| 1 | Durham High | Durham Unified | 0 | 9 |
| … | ||||
| 797 | Gorman Learning Charter San Bernardino/Santa Clarita | Lucerne Valley Unified | 3.4 | 9 |
| 797 | Fremont Academy of Engineering and Design | Pomona Unified | 3.4 | 9 |
| 797 | Garey High | Pomona Unified | 3.4 | 9 |
| 797 | Dimensions Collaborative | San Diego County Office of Education | 3.4 | 9 |
| 797 | South Pasadena Senior High | South Pasadena Unified | 3.4 | 9 |
| 797 | Chula Vista Senior High | Sweetwater Union High | 3.4 | 9 |
| 797 | MIT Academy | Vallejo City Unified | 3.4 | 9 |
| 797 | Leadership Public Schools: Richmond | West Contra Costa Unified | 3.4 | 9 |
| 810 | Vasquez High | Acton-Agua Dulce Unified | 3.5 | 9 |
| 810 | Envision Academy for Arts & Technology | Alameda County Office of Education | 3.5 | 9 |
| 810 | San Pasqual High | Escondido Union High | 3.5 | 9 |
| 810 | Millikan High | Long Beach Unified | 3.5 | 9 |
| 810 | Animo Ralph Bunche Charter High | Los Angeles Unified | 3.5 | 9 |
| 810 | Linda Esperanza Marquez High A Huntington Park Institute of Applied Medicine | Los Angeles Unified | 3.5 | 9 |
| 810 | Pacheco High | Los Banos Unified | 3.5 | 9 |
| 810 | Atwater High | Merced Union High | 3.5 | 9 |
| 810 | Canyon Springs High | Moreno Valley Unified | 3.5 | 9 |
| 810 | Granite Bay High | Roseville Joint Union High | 3.5 | 9 |
| 810 | Hilltop Senior High | Sweetwater Union High | 3.5 | 9 |
| 810 | Woodlake High | Woodlake Unified | 3.5 | 9 |
| 822 | Brea-Olinda High | Brea-Olinda Unified | 3.6 | 9 |
| 822 | Calaveras Unified Alternative-Sierra Hills Education Center | Calaveras Unified | 3.6 | 9 |
| 822 | Bloomington High | Colton Joint Unified | 3.6 | 9 |
| 822 | Silver Creek High | East Side Union High | 3.6 | 9 |
| 822 | Centennial High | Kern High | 3.6 | 9 |
| 822 | Highland High | Kern High | 3.6 | 9 |
| 822 | Agoura High | Las Virgenes Unified | 3.6 | 9 |
| 822 | PUC Triumph Charter Academy and PUC Triumph Charter High | Los Angeles Unified | 3.6 | 9 |
| 822 | Science Technology Engineering Arts and Mathematics at Legacy High School Complex | Los Angeles Unified | 3.6 | 9 |
| 822 | Moreno Valley High | Moreno Valley Unified | 3.6 | 9 |
| 822 | North Monterey County High | North Monterey County Unified | 3.6 | 9 |
| 822 | Twin Palms Continuation | Palo Verde Unified | 3.6 | 9 |
| 822 | Rosamond High Early College Campus | Southern Kern Unified | 3.6 | 9 |
| 822 | Sweetwater High | Sweetwater Union High | 3.6 | 9 |
| 822 | John H. Pitman High | Turlock Unified | 3.6 | 9 |
| 837 | Dozier-Libbey Medical High | Antioch Unified | 3.7 | 9 |
| 837 | Imperial High | Imperial Unified | 3.7 | 9 |
| 837 | Merced High | Merced Union High | 3.7 | 9 |
| 837 | Oakdale High | Oakdale Joint Unified | 3.7 | 9 |
| 837 | Oakland School for the Arts | Oakland Unified | 3.7 | 9 |
| 837 | Oakland Technical High | Oakland Unified | 3.7 | 9 |
| 837 | Excelsior Charter | San Bernardino County Office of Education | 3.7 | 9 |
| 837 | Pioneer High | San Jose Unified | 3.7 | 9 |
| 837 | Santa Susana High | Simi Valley Unified | 3.7 | 9 |
| 846 | Barstow High | Barstow Unified | 3.8 | 9 |
| 846 | Dana Hills High | Capistrano Unified | 3.8 | 9 |
| 846 | Pleasant Valley High | Chico Unified | 3.8 | 9 |
| 846 | Sierra High | Fillmore Unified | 3.8 | 9 |
| 846 | Whitcomb Continuation High | Glendora Unified | 3.8 | 9 |
| 846 | Keyes to Learning Charter | Keyes Union | 3.8 | 9 |
| 846 | Clear Lake High | Lakeport Unified | 3.8 | 9 |
| … | ||||
| 2169 | Oroville High Community Day | Oroville Union High | 81.8 | 9 |
| 2171 | Gould Educational Center | Madera County Superintendent of Schools | 82.4 | 9 |
| 2172 | Come Back Charter | Merced County Office of Education | 83.7 | 9 |
| 2173 | Gateway High (Continuation) | Chowchilla Union High | 84.6 | 9 |
| 2174 | Tulare County Court | Tulare County Office of Education | 85.7 | 9 |
| 2175 | Dan Jacobs | Yolo County Office of Education | 88.9 | 9 |
| 2176 | Matrix for Success Academy | Los Angeles Unified | 89.6 | 9 |
| 2177 | Violet Heintz Education Academy | Fresno County Office of Education | 90 | 9 |
| 2177 | EPIC de Cesar Chavez | Nevada County Office of Education | 90 | 9 |
| 2179 | Escuela Popular/Center for Training and Careers Family Learning | East Side Union High | 90.2 | 9 |
| 2180 | Independence Charter Academy | Helendale Elementary | 90.3 | 9 |
| 2181 | Five Keys Adult School (SF Sheriff’s) | San Francisco Unified | 91.4 | 9 |
| 2182 | Highlands Community Charter | Twin Rivers Unified | 91.6 | 9 |
| 2183 | S.F. County Special Education | San Francisco County Office of Education | 91.7 | 9 |
| 2184 | SIATech Academy South | Acton-Agua Dulce Unified | 92.1 | 9 |
| 2185 | Five Keys Independence HS (SF Sheriff’s) | San Francisco Unified | 92.4 | 9 |
| 2186 | Clear Passage Educational Center | Long Beach Unified | 92.9 | 9 |
| 2187 | Boron Junior-Senior High | Muroc Joint Unified | 93.2 | 9 |
| 2188 | Laytonville High | Laytonville Unified | 93.8 | 9 |
| 2189 | Five Keys Charter (SF Sheriff’s) | San Francisco Unified | 95.5 | 9 |
| 2190 | San Bernardino County Special Education | San Bernardino County Office of Education | 96.1 | 9 |
| 2191 | Shasta County Independent Study Charter | Shasta County Office of Education | 97.3 | 9 |
| 2192 | Family First Charter | Centinela Valley Union High | 98 | 9 |
| 2193 | New Opportunities Charter | Centinela Valley Union High | 98.2 | 9 |
| 2194 | Special Education | Tulare County Office of Education | 98.6 | 9 |
