Orland High School: Full Guide

Location: Orland, CA

Are you a student or parent at Orland High School? Want to understand how to get the most out of high school?

We've written the best guide to Orland High available. Here we'll cover:

Breakdowns of student ethnicity, gender, and family income
How safe Orland High is to attend
SAT/ACT/AP scores earned by Orland High students
Which AP/IB classes you can take at Orland High
Every sports team you can join at Orland High

Let's get started!

Basic Information

Orland High School is a public school, supporting grades 9 to 12 . It's located in Orland, CA in Glenn County.

Based on its location, Orland High is classified as a school in a distant town, or more than 10 miles from an urbanized area. Here's the location on a map:

Contact Information

Mailing address:

Orland High School
1320 Sixth St.
Orland, CA 95963-1693

Phone number: 5308651210

Orland High School homepage: http://orlandhigh.orlandusd.net/

Principal: Joshua Rowe
Email the principal: [email protected]

Student Demographics

Student Enrollment

The total enrollment at Orland High School is 714 students, making it a somewhat large high school, in the top half of all California high schools by size.

As a mid-sized high school, Orland High strikes the balance between size and comfort. There will be enough students to provide a diversity of experiences, like clubs and sports, for you to join. But it'll be small enough that you'll likely get to know most people in your class.

Growth in Student Body Size

Is Orland High School growing or shrinking? This will help you see trends in where the school is headed.

From our calculations, the enrollment at Orland High has steadily increased over the past few years. We calculate this by comparing enrollment in grades 9 to 12.

	Male Students	Female Students	All Students
9^th grade	90	105	195
10^th grade	93	94	187
11^th grade	89	92	181
12^th grade	79	72	151

As you can see in the table above, the freshman class is 44 students larger than the senior class. This suggests that the school is growing in size and taking on more students.

There are a few reasons this could be happening. The city of Orland could be growing in population, thus sending more students into Orland High. Alternatively, Orland High could be relaxing its student policies and taking in more students.

Gender Split

Are there more boys or girls at Orland High School?

From our statistics, Orland High has a 50:50 split between male and female students in the high school grades.

Orland High has a balanced male-female ratio that's largely representative of the general population in Glenn County. Since the student body is roughly half and half, it should feel like there are equal numbers of boys and girls in your classes.

This usually means that Orland High doesn't strongly select for either males or females, unlike other schools that have a large majority of males or females.

Ethnicity Breakdown

What's the racial diversity at Orland High School? Does one ethnicity make up most of the student body, or is it fairly balanced?

From our statistics, Orland High has a somewhat homogenous student body, with the majority of students identifying as one ethnicity, but not representing over 70% of the student body. Most schools in California fit this profile, so Orland High isn't out of the ordinary. Most students attending class with you will be of the predominant ethnicity, but there will be meaningful diversity from other races.

The majority of students at Orland High are Hispanic. In California, Hispanic students make up the majority of all students at 51.5%, and are thus the most common ethnicity. Predominantly Hispanic schools are the most common type of homogenous school, and Orland High fits within this category.

	Percentage	Number
American Indian/Alaska Native	0.9%	7
Asian	2.6%	19
Hispanic	58.2%	416
Black	0.4%	3
White	36.6%	262
Hawaiian Native/Pacific Islander	0.2%	2
Two or more races	0.7%	5

High schools usually reflect the population in the surrounding area, so the ethnicities of students likely resembles those of Orland. If you'd like to see how other nearby schools look in diversity, just google "[name of school] prepscholar" to find our guide to that specific school.

Income Level of Orland High Families

What are the family incomes of students at Orland High School? To determine this, we look at the number of students who qualify for free or reduced lunches, a classification by the US federal government.

To qualify for a reduced price meal, family income needs to be below 185% of the federal poverty guidelines. For a family of 4, this means an income of around $45,000 or below.

To qualify for a free meal, family income needs to be below 130% of the federal poverty guidelines. For a family of 4, this means an income of around $32,000 or below.

The lower the percentage of students who qualify for free or reduced price meals, the higher the income levels are likely to be.

At Orland High, 10.0% of students qualify for reduced-price lunches, and 54.6% qualify for free lunches.

This means Orland High has a moderate percentage of students at or near poverty. About half of all schools in California show this level of poverty or greater. The income level of families in Orland is likely to be relatively low.

	Number	Percent
Reduced-price lunches	72	10.0%
Free lunches	390	54.6%
Do not qualify for reduced-price or free lunches	252	35.2%

As with ethnicity, this likely reflects the surrounding community in Orland and doesn't speak much about the school itself.

Orland High is in the middle 50% of schools by income level. Generally, higher income level schools are better-funded and have a higher quality range of classes and activities. Orland High is likely in the middle of the pack in this regard and will give you a good set of options to try.

If you have any interests that Orland High doesn't cover, look to your local community for activities, or to the Internet for self-study AP classes.

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School Safety

How safe is Orland High School to attend? Can you expect a lot of conflict as a student here?

To study this, we look at disciplinary data for two types of incidents at Orland High: referrals to law enforcement (when incidents are reported to police), and arrests.

These are the most serious disciplinary actions available to school administration and are more severe than suspensions or expulsions. Suspensions are often discretionary and can be given just for being disruptive in class. In contrast, law enforcement referrals and arrests often indicate incidents that put the safety of other Orland High students at risk.

In the school year of 2011-2012, there were 0 referrals to law enforcement, and 0 school-related arrests. This is out of a total enrollment of 683 students.

To put this into perspective, most California schools (59% of them) reported 0 law enforcement referrals and arrests.

Compare this school with other high schools in the same school district, using the following table:

Orland Joint Unified School District Safety

School Name	Total Referred	Total Arrests	Enrollment
North Valley High (continuation)	0	0	49
Orland Community Day	0	0	11

Academic Performance

Now we get to a major aspect of assessing a high school: academic performance. How good of an education will you get at Orland High School? Will you be competitive for college? Will you have access to advanced classes?

We've compiled everything we could find about Orland High's academics here.

Standardized Testing

Next, we'll look at another major piece of high school academics: standardized testing performance for Orland High School students. These are tests that are administered to large populations of students for comparison purposes.

Let’s start by taking a look at the data for nationally administered standardized tests.

SAT Scores

As you probably know, the SAT is a critical test used for college admissions. The higher the score you get, the better your academic performance compared to students nationwide, and the easier it is to get into top colleges.

We did in-depth research and found the average Orland High School SAT scores.

The average composite SAT score is a 1400 out of 2400, compared to a national average of 1500. Each year, roughly 61 at Orland High take the SAT.

This is a below-average SAT score, putting Orland High School in the bottom 50% of all California schools. Only 26% of students here score the national average or higher. Because the SAT measures academic achievement, this suggests that Orland High may offer a somewhat lacking high school education, compared to schools with higher SAT averages.

Note, however, that an average is just an average - top performers will still be able to impress. If you work hard and get an SAT score well above Orland High's average, you'll have a great shot at entering a good college.

Keep in mind, however, that only 8% of all students at Orland High took the SAT, so the results could be skewed by the small sample size.

Here's a breakdown of SAT scores by section:

Average SAT Scores (2013-2014)

Source	Critical Reading	Math	Writing	Composite
Orland High	473	472	459	1400
California	498	510	496	1504
United States	495	511	484	1490

Note that the SAT has since changed to a 1600 scale, but the trends above for your high school are likely to continue. Just use this guide to convert between the old 2400 scale and the new 1600 scale.

To learn more about SAT percentile rankings, read our guide on what SAT percentiles really mean.

How good is 1400 as an SAT score? Find out with our complete 1400 SAT score guide, including which colleges you can get into with a 1400 or any other SAT score!

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ACT Scores

In California, the ACT is less popular than the SAT. Fewer students take the ACT, and typically these students are more motivated and academically prepared for college. Therefore, it's harder to compare Orland High School ACT scores with the rest of the country.

At Orland High, the average ACT composite score was 18, compared to the nationwide average of 20. Each year, roughly 19 out of 714 total students take the ACT.

This is below average performance, putting Orland High in the bottom 50% of California high schools. Most students who take the ACT are below the national average.

Since the ACT tests what you learn in school, this is a pretty strong indicator that you'll get an average or below average education at Orland High.

Here are the average English, Math, Reading, and Science scores for Orland High compared to California and the US:

Average ACT Scores

Source	English	Math	Reading	Science
Orland High	17	19	19	18
California	21.8	22.8	22.3	21.7
United States	20.3	20.9	21.3	20.8

Scores provided are for the 2013-14 school year.

Find out more about percentile rankings and the ACT in this article.

Every individual is different. What counts as a good ACT score for you? Learn more with this article!

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Advanced Placement (AP)

Advanced Placement (AP) classes are college-level courses that are an additional academic challenge may give Orland High School students credit for college.

Here's what we're looking for: high average AP test scores as well as high AP passing rates.

AP Scores

Every year, roughly 73 students in grades 9-12 at Orland High take 112 AP exams. It's important to understand how students score on the AP - earning a 3, 4, or 5 on the AP test means passing the test and often earning college credit.

The average score of all AP exams taken at Orland High is 2.2 out of 5.

Unfortunately, this score puts Orland High at below average performance. For AP tests, the passing score is considered a 3, and the majority of students who take AP tests at Orland High don't pass. This performance places Orland High School in the bottom 50% of schools for AP tests in California.

This isn't all bad news. It's already good that Orland High offers an AP program, so you can start dipping your toes into college-level courses. Some schools are new to offering AP courses, and teachers often get better at preparing students for AP tests. Furthermore, a good number of students still earn a passing grade of 3 or above. With hard work throughout the year, you'll still be able to beat your school's average.

We have specific data on how many students got a 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 (out of 5) on AP exams in the chart below:

AP Test-Taking Statistics

Another way to gauge the quality of a school's AP program is to see how many AP students actually took AP exams at Orland High School. If a lot of students enroll in AP courses but don't actually take the AP tests, it can be a sign that students don't feel adequately prepared to take the test, or the school isn't encouraging students to take the exams enough.

At Orland High, there is a total enrollment of 61 in AP courses (a student taking more than one AP course counts more than once).

Of AP-taking students, 2 took AP tests for ALL AP courses. 46 students took AP tests for SOME AP Courses, and 18 took AP courses but took NO tests.

This is acceptable test participation. Most AP students at Orland High School take the AP exam for just some of their AP courses, outnumbering students who take exams for all or none of their courses. The good news here is that Orland High students feel confident to take at least some AP tests. The question you may want to figure out is why more students don't feel confident enough to take tests for ALL their AP classes. This is something you can ask your counselor or AP teachers.

Note: The most recent data we have available is from 2012, so the statistics may have changed since then. Most likely, however, the trends are likely to continue - above average schools are likely to stay above average, and below average schools are likely to stay below average.

AP Passing Rates

For AP students at Orland High School who take the exam, it's important to know how they do. Here we have specific data on how many students got a passing grade (a 3 or above) on all, some, or none of the AP exams that they took.

Of all AP test takers, 0 students passed every AP test they took, which is a fantastic job. 18 students passed some but not all AP exams, and 19 students didn't pass ANY AP exam they took.

To find out the passing rates for specific AP courses at Orland High School, you'll have to talk to your guidance counselor (who can then help you find that information). For instance, one AP Calculus teacher may have an above-90% passing rate, while another might only have a 50% passing rate. If you can, you'll want to take the class with the teacher who has more students get a 3 or above on the AP exam.

Find out more about the average score for each AP subject here.

State Tests

As of 2014, eleventh graders attending Orland High School must take standardized tests in English/Language Arts and Math as part of the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP). These align with the new Common Core standards and are called the "Smarter Balanced" tests.

If Orland High students meet or exceed state standards, they're academically prepared to graduate high school and go to college. Specifically, we care about the percentage of students who meet or exceed state standards. The larger this number, the higher the preparation of students at Orland High.

English/Language Arts

At Orland High School, 56% of students meet or exceed state standards in English/Language Arts.

This is considered above average and puts Orland High in the top 50% of all high schools in California for English/Language Arts. Around half of Orland High students pass state standards, and around half do not.

This specific percentage isn't much cause for concern - because the standards have gotten harder with the Common Core, the pass rate at Orland High will likely rise over time. But it still reflects Orland High's roughly average ranking among California high schools.

English/Language Arts Test Results (2015)

Read more about what’s measured in each ELA area score here.

Math

The other major test taken for state assessments is Math. Across the state, Math performance is generally lower than English/Language Arts performance, so it's natural for this number to be lower.

At Orland High School, 18% of students meet or exceed state standards in Math. This is considered well below average and puts Orland High in the bottom 25% of all high schools in California. The vast majority of Orland High students don't meet state standards, and only a small percentage pass.

Math Test Results (2015)

Read more about what’s measured in each Math area score, go here.

Academic Offerings

In addition to the standard high school curriculum, many high schools like Orland High School offer advanced coursework as part of the Advanced Placement (AP) or International Baccalaureate (IB) programs.

Brief Intro to AP/IB

AP and IB courses are designed at the difficulty level of college introductory classes. There are several important benefits to taking advanced coursework at Orland High. First, taking more advanced classes shows colleges that you're committed to challenging yourself academically, and that you're one of the more advanced students at Orland High. Taking AP/IB classes also raises your weighted GPA and makes you a stronger college applicant.

Furthermore, many colleges will accept your Orland High AP/IB coursework as college coursework. In some cases, you'll be able to skip introductory-level classes and move to more advanced classes. In other cases, you'll be able to avoid having to take required courses and might even be able to graduate earlier than the standard 4 years. Often this will require you to pass the AP test, getting a score of 3 or above.

So what advanced courses does Orland High School offer?

AP Courses

Orland High School offers AP courses in 7 subjects.

This is a relatively low number of AP subjects, putting Orland High School in the bottom 50% of California schools offering AP courses. You'll likely be able to take the most popular courses like Calculus, English, and US History, but you won't have most other subjects available.

The total number of AP subjects is 38, so Orland High is missing most. If you want to take any AP courses not being offered at Orland High, ask your counselor for ideas on how to cover the gap. If you're a strong student, you might consider transferring schools to access a more advanced curriculum.

Of course, keep in mind that even though Orland High doesn't offer many AP courses, it might teach the ones it does offer quite well. You can see student performance in the AP score analysis section above.

The following AP courses were offered at Orland High during 2015-2016:

Course Title
Calculus AB
English Language and Composition
English Literature and Composition
European History
Spanish Language and Culture
United States Government and Politics
United States History

Sports Teams

Finally, we'll cover which sports teams are available at Orland High School. Sports are an integral part of many students' high school experiences. The more sports that are available, and the more levels supported (Frosh, JV, Varsity), the more likely you'll be able to participate in a sport at Orland High.

By the way, the Orland High mascot is the Trojans. Go Trojans!

Orland High School fields 10 teams for girls' sports. This is a relatively number that puts Orland High in the bottom 50% of California schools that offer girls' sports. This is understandable - sports teams are expensive to support, and many schools would rather put those resources elsewhere. If you participate in a sport that Orland High doesn't offer, consider joining a local non-school team to get practice and compete.

And now for the boys: Orland High School fields 13 teams for boys' sports. This relatively number puts Orland High in the bottom 50% of California schools that offer boys' sports. Sports teams are expensive to support, and Orland High may not be able to offer the full range of options. If you participate in a sport that Orland High doesn't offer, consider joining a local non-school team to get practice and compete.

Boys Teams	Girls Teams
Basketball Var JV Fr	Basketball Var JV Fr
Tennis Var JV Fr	Tennis Var JV Fr
Football Var JV Fr
Wrestling Var JV Fr
Volleyball Var JV Fr	Volleyball Var JV Fr
Baseball Var JV Fr
	Softball Var JV Fr
Soccer Var JV Fr	Soccer Var JV Fr

What’s Next?

Want to get more useful information about high school classes and preparing for colleges? Our blog has a ton of articles and advice on topics ranging from coursework and GPA to letters of recommendation, extracurriculars, and much more!

Ready to bulk up your schedule and maximize your college preparedness? Read all about the Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate programs.

Not quite in high school yet, but eager to get started? We've also got information for younger students interested in advanced learning opportunities, both in and out of school.

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