La Sierra High School: Full Guide

Location: Riverside, CA

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

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

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

Let's get started!

Basic Information

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

Based on its location, La Sierra High is classified as a school in a large city. Here's the location on a map:

Contact Information

Mailing address:

La Sierra High School
10365 Keller Ave.
Riverside, CA 92505-1349

Phone number: 9093581725

La Sierra High School homepage: http://alvordschools.org/lasierra

Principal: Errol Garnett
Email the principal: [email protected]

Student Demographics

Student Enrollment

The total enrollment at La Sierra High School is 2504 students, making it a very large high school, in the top 10% of all California high schools by size.

Wow! Attending La Sierra High might feel like attending a college. You'll be surrounded by a large group of students (over 500 per class) and have more options for activities and clubs to join, which can be exciting.

On the other hand, you may also find that resources like counseling are spread thin across so many students. Make sure that you can get enough teacher and counselor attention to succeed at La Sierra High, which may require being proactive.

Growth in Student Body Size

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

From our calculations, the enrollment at La Sierra High has decreased 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	240	264	504
10^th grade	262	271	533
11^th grade	399	351	750
12^th grade	341	371	712

As you can see in the table above, the senior class is 208 students larger than the freshman class. This suggests that La Sierra High is shrinking in size and taking on fewer students.

There are a few reasons this can happen. The population of Riverside could be decreasing, thus sending fewer students into La Sierra High. Alternatively, other schools (like charter or private schools) might be appearing, drawing students away.

Gender Split

Are there more boys or girls at La Sierra High School?

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

La Sierra High has a balanced male-female ratio that's largely representative of the general population in Riverside 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 La Sierra 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 La Sierra High School? Does one ethnicity make up most of the student body, or is it fairly balanced?

From our statistics, La Sierra High has a homogenous student body, with the overwhelming majority of students identifying as one ethnicity. Only a third of California schools show as little diversity as La Sierra High does. When attending class, most students will be of the same ethnicity, with some variation.

The majority of students at La Sierra 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 La Sierra High fits within this category.

	Percentage	Number
American Indian/Alaska Native	0.2%	6
Asian	7.5%	189
Hispanic	71.9%	1802
Black	4.8%	122
White	13.3%	335
Hawaiian Native/Pacific Islander	0.3%	9
Two or more races	1.6%	41

High schools usually reflect the population in the surrounding area, so the ethnicities of students likely resembles those of Riverside. 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 La Sierra High Families

What are the family incomes of students at La Sierra 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 La Sierra High, 15.9% of students qualify for reduced-price lunches, and 55.3% qualify for free lunches.

This means La Sierra 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 Riverside is likely to be relatively low.

	Number	Percent
Reduced-price lunches	400	15.9%
Free lunches	1387	55.3%
Do not qualify for reduced-price or free lunches	717	28.6%

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

La Sierra 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. La Sierra 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 La Sierra High doesn't cover, look to your local community for activities, or to the Internet for self-study AP classes.

Exclusive: Want to learn how to improve your SAT score by 160 points? image description

Download our free guide on the top 5 strategies you must be using to improve your score. This guide was written by Harvard graduates and SAT perfect scorers. If you apply the strategies in this guide, you'll study smarter and make huge score improvements.

School Safety

How safe is La Sierra 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 La Sierra 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 La Sierra High students at risk.

In the school year of 2011-2012, there were 133 referrals to law enforcement (88 male, 45 female), and 0 school-related arrests. This is out of a total enrollment of 3310 students.

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

This means that 4.0 La Sierra High has minor safety issues. For every 100 students, there were just 4.0 law-enforcement related actions, but this is still higher than 75% of California schools.

With this record, is La Sierra High School significantly different from other schools in the area? It could be that La Sierra High has an especially bad record, or it could be that the local area shows a pattern.

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

Alvord Unified School District Safety

School Name	Total Referred	Enrollment
Alvord Continuation High	5	217
Norte Vista High	116	2346
Alvord Alternative Education Center	0	0
Hillcrest High	0	0

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 La Sierra High School? Will you be competitive for college? Will you have access to advanced classes?

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

Graduation Rate

To start off, an important benchmark of academic achievement is graduation rate. For all students who start high school at La Sierra High, the state of California wants as many students to graduate as possible, since a high school diploma can mean a big difference in getting a job.

At La Sierra High, 85% (of 743) La Sierra High students graduated within four years of starting high school.

Here's how this stacks up to other schools. The California state government has defined 90% as a target rate. The state average is around 80-85%.

La Sierra High is in the 56th percentile of all public high schools in California for graduation rate. This is above average. Generally, a graduation rate of above 90% is considered good and well above average, and below 75% is well below average.

Note: This data comes from a few years back, but the trends are likely to stay the same, since schools don't get significantly better or worse within a short period of time.

Standardized Testing

Next, we'll look at another major piece of high school academics: standardized testing performance for La Sierra 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 La Sierra High School SAT scores.

The average composite SAT score is a 1390 out of 2400, compared to a national average of 1500. Each year, roughly 449 at La Sierra High take the SAT.

This is a below-average SAT score, putting La Sierra High School in the bottom 50% of all California schools. Only 33% of students here score the national average or higher. Because the SAT measures academic achievement, this suggests that La Sierra 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 La Sierra High's average, you'll have a great shot at entering a good college.

Here's a breakdown of SAT scores by section:

Average SAT Scores (2013-2014)

Source	Critical Reading	Math	Writing	Composite
La Sierra High	464	477	458	1390
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 1390 as an SAT score? Find out with our complete 1390 SAT score guide, including which colleges you can get into with a 1390 or any other SAT score!

Exclusive: Want to learn how to improve your SAT score by 160 points? image description

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 La Sierra High School ACT scores with the rest of the country.

At La Sierra High, the average ACT composite score was 19, compared to the nationwide average of 20. Each year, roughly 110 out of 2499 total students take the ACT.

This is below average performance, putting La Sierra 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 La Sierra High.

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

Average ACT Scores

Source	English	Math	Reading	Science
La Sierra High	18	20	19	19
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!

Exclusive: Want to learn how to improve your ACT score by 4 points? image description

Download our free guide on the top 5 strategies you must be using to improve your score. This guide was written by Harvard graduates and ACT perfect scorers. If you apply the strategies in this guide, you'll study smarter and make huge score improvements.

Free eBook: 5 Tips to 4+ Points on the ACT

Advanced Placement (AP)

Advanced Placement (AP) classes are college-level courses that are an additional academic challenge may give La Sierra 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 317 students in grades 9-12 at La Sierra High take 608 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 La Sierra High is 2.8 out of 5.

This score puts La Sierra High at average performance. For AP tests, the passing score is considered a 3, and the number of students who pass and don't pass are roughly even. This performance places La Sierra High School in the top 50% of schools for AP tests.

It's great that La Sierra High offers an AP program so you have the opportunity to take courses at a college level. Even though roughly half of all AP students here don't get a passing grade, half do - so with motivated studying throughout the year, you'll be able to beat the 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 La Sierra 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 La Sierra High, there is a total enrollment of 892 in AP courses (a student taking more than one AP course counts more than once).

Of AP-taking students, 311 took AP tests for ALL AP courses. 27 students took AP tests for SOME AP Courses, and 70 took AP courses but took NO tests.

This is good test participation. Most AP students at La Sierra High School take the AP test for every one of their AP courses, outnumbering the students who take some or no AP exams. This is a good sign that students feel confident enough to take tests for all AP courses available to them, which reflects well on the teachers and course material. La Sierra High can continue to improve by reducing the number of students who take AP exams for some or none of their courses, but it's in a good state.

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 La Sierra 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, 159 students passed every AP test they took, which is a fantastic job. 60 students passed some but not all AP exams, and 107 students didn't pass ANY AP exam they took.

This is good performance. The majority of students pass SOME or ALL of the AP tests. Only a minority of students at La Sierra High School fail all the AP exams they take.

Overall, this points to a fairly strong AP program at La Sierra High. Most students are able to pass at least one of the AP tests they take, which means the teaching is likely of acceptable quality, and the students are motivated to do well. However, the program isn't strong across the board. Some teachers or courses may be better than others, and students at La Sierra High may be stronger at some subjects and weaker in others.

If you attend La Sierra High, this means you'll have a good starting point to work from - but if you want to pass all the AP tests you take, you'll need to work hard and use good study strategies.

To find out the passing rates for specific AP courses at La Sierra 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 La Sierra 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 La Sierra 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 La Sierra High.

English/Language Arts

At La Sierra High School, 43% of students meet or exceed state standards in English/Language Arts.

This is considered below average and puts La Sierra High in the bottom 50% of all high schools in California for English/Language Arts. The majority of La Sierra High students do not pass state standards, and only a small percentage pass.

This specific percentage isn't much cause for concern - because the Common Core is new, the pass rate at La Sierra High will likely rise over time. But it still reflects La Sierra High's below average standing 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 La Sierra High School, 24% of students meet or exceed state standards in Math. This is considered well below average and puts La Sierra High in the bottom 25% of all high schools in California. The vast majority of La Sierra 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 La Sierra 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 La Sierra 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 La Sierra High. Taking AP/IB classes also raises your weighted GPA and makes you a stronger college applicant.

Furthermore, many colleges will accept your La Sierra 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 La Sierra High School offer?

AP Courses

La Sierra High School offers AP courses in 20 subjects.

This is an impressive number of AP subjects, putting La Sierra High School in the top 25% of California schools in AP offerings. You'll likely have all of the most popular AP courses available to you, as well as some broader interests.

The total number of AP subjects is 38, so La Sierra High is missing a good number of subjects, but these are likely the least popular subjects, like less popular foreign languages. If there are any AP courses you want to take that aren't being offered at La Sierra High, ask your counselor for other options.

Of course, keep in mind that quality matters even more than quantity - it's important that your AP courses are taught well by engaging teachers. But the strong AP program at La Sierra High likely means you'll be in good hands.

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

Course Title
Biology
Calculus AB
Calculus BC
Chemistry
English Language and Composition
English Literature and Composition
Environmental Science
European History
French Language and Culture
Macroeconomics
Microeconomics
Physics 1: Algebra-Based
Physics 2: Algebra-Based
Psychology
Spanish Language and Culture
Spanish Literature and Culture
Studio Art: 2-D Design
Studio Art: Drawing
United States Government and Politics
United States History

Sports Teams

Finally, we'll cover which sports teams are available at La Sierra 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 La Sierra High.

By the way, the La Sierra High mascot is the Eagles. Go Eagles!

La Sierra High School fields 18 teams for girls' sports. This is a high number that puts La Sierra High in the top 25% of California schools that offer girls' sports. If you're a female, you'll have lots of options of sports and levels to try out for.

And now for the boys: La Sierra High School fields 20 teams for boys' sports. This puts La Sierra High in the top 50% of California schools that offer boys' sports. You won't get every sport and level possible here, but you'll have a decent number of options. If you participate in a sport that La Sierra High doesn't offer, consider looking for a local non-school team that you can join.

Boys Teams	Girls Teams
Basketball Var JV Fr	Basketball Var JV Fr
Golf Var JV Fr	Golf 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
Waterpolo Var JV Fr	Waterpolo Var JV Fr
Trackfield Var JV Fr	Trackfield Var JV Fr
Crosscountry Var JV Fr	Crosscountry Var JV Fr
Soccer Var JV Fr	Soccer Var JV Fr
	Fieldhockey 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.

If You Liked Our Advice...

Visit our blog for free strategy guides on college admissions and test prep.

Our experts have written hundreds of useful articles on improving your SAT score and getting into college. You'll definitely find something useful here.

Visit our blog now.

Subscribe to our newsletter to get FREE strategies and guides sent to your email. Learn how to ace the SAT/ACT and get into college, with exclusive tips and insights that we share with our private newsletter subscribers.

Get Free SAT Tips to Boost Your Score

You should definitely follow us on social media. You'll get updates on our latest articles right on your feed. Follow us on all of our social networks:

Follow @PrepScholar