Amador Valley High School: Full Guide

Location: Pleasanton, CA

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

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

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

Let's get started!

Basic Information

Amador Valley High School is a public school, supporting grades 9 to 12 . It's located in Pleasanton, CA in Alameda County.

Based on its location, Amador Valley High is classified as a school in a small city. Here's the location on a map:

Contact Information

Mailing address:

Amador Valley High School
1155 Santa Rita Rd.
Pleasanton, CA 94566-6176

Phone number: 9254616100

Amador Valley High School homepage: http://amador.pleasantonusd.net/

Principal: Thomas Drescher
Email the principal: [email protected]

Student Demographics

Student Enrollment

The total enrollment at Amador Valley High School is 2634 students, making it a very large high school, in the top 10% of all California high schools by size.

Wow! Attending Amador Valley 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 Amador Valley High, which may require being proactive.

Growth in Student Body Size

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

From our calculations, the enrollment at Amador Valley High has 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	330	331	661
10^th grade	322	344	666
11^th grade	332	324	656
12^th grade	331	320	651

As you can see in the table above, the freshman class is 10 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 Pleasanton could be growing in population, thus sending more students into Amador Valley High. Alternatively, Amador Valley High could be relaxing its student policies and taking in more students.

Gender Split

Are there more boys or girls at Amador Valley High School?

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

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

From our statistics, Amador Valley 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 Amador Valley 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 Amador Valley High are white. In California, white students make up 26.3% of all California students, and are the second most common ethnicity after Hispanic students. Thus Amador Valley High is one of hundreds of schools in the state that have a majority of white students.

	Percentage	Number
American Indian/Alaska Native	0.6%	17
Asian	31.3%	825
Hispanic	9.4%	248
Black	1.8%	50
White	54.5%	1437
Hawaiian Native/Pacific Islander	0.2%	6
Two or more races	1.9%	51

High schools usually reflect the population in the surrounding area, so the ethnicities of students likely resembles those of Pleasanton. 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 Amador Valley High Families

What are the family incomes of students at Amador Valley 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 Amador Valley High, 1.5% of students qualify for reduced-price lunches, and 2.8% qualify for free lunches.

This means Amador Valley High has a very low poverty level. Nearly no students at Amador Valley High qualify for free or reduced price lunches. Pleasanton is thus likely to have a very affluent community, and Amador Valley High is in the top 10% of California schools in terms of family income.

	Number	Percent
Reduced-price lunches	40	1.5%
Free lunches	76	2.8%
Do not qualify for reduced-price or free lunches	2518	95.5%

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

Because Amador Valley High is in the top quartile of schools by family income, it's likely to be well-funded relative to other high schools in California. This means you'll likely have access to advanced coursework like AP/IB classes and better-funded extracurriculars and sports.

It's still up to you, though, to take advantage of the resources Amador Valley High has to offer. If you work hard and spend your time effectively, you'll likely be well positioned to succeed in college and beyond.

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School Safety

How safe is Amador Valley 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 Amador Valley 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 Amador Valley High students at risk.

In the school year of 2011-2012, there were 48 referrals to law enforcement (37 male, 11 female), and 4 school-related arrests (4 males, 0 females). This is out of a total enrollment of 2685 students.

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

This means that 1.9 Amador Valley High has minor safety issues. For every 100 students, there were just 1.9 law-enforcement related actions, but this is still higher than 75% of California schools.

With this record, is Amador Valley High School significantly different from other schools in the area? It could be that Amador Valley 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:

Pleasanton Unified School District Safety

School Name	Total Referred	Total Arrests	Enrollment
Foothill High	62	6	353
Village High	21	12	261

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 Amador Valley High School? Will you be competitive for college? Will you have access to advanced classes?

We've compiled everything we could find about Amador Valley 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 Amador Valley 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 Amador Valley High, 98% (of 586) Amador Valley 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%.

Amador Valley High is in the 99th percentile of all public high schools in California for graduation rate. This is extremely good. 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 Amador Valley 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 Amador Valley High School SAT scores.

The average composite SAT score is a 1790 out of 2400, compared to a national average of 1500. Each year, roughly 705 at Amador Valley High take the SAT.

This is a very high average SAT score, putting Amador Valley High School in the top 10% of all California high schools. The average student at Amador Valley High is already scoring in the 75th percentile nationwide or higher - in fact, 84% of students score above the national average. The top students will likely be competing in the top tier nationwide.

Because the SAT measures academic ability, this is a good sign that you're surrounded by high-achieving peers. If you can keep up with your classmates at Amador Valley High - or even exceed them - you'll have a great shot at getting into very competitive colleges.

Here's a breakdown of SAT scores by section:

Average SAT Scores (2013-2014)

Source	Critical Reading	Math	Writing	Composite
Amador Valley High	589	614	588	1790
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 1790 as an SAT score? Find out with our complete 1790 SAT score guide, including which colleges you can get into with a 1790 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 Amador Valley High School ACT scores with the rest of the country.

At Amador Valley High, the average ACT composite score was 27, compared to the nationwide average of 20. Each year, roughly 271 out of 2634 total students take the ACT.

This is excellent performance, putting Amador Valley High in the top 5% of high schools in California by ACT score. Most students who take the ACT here are scoring well above average and in the top tier of the nation.

Since the ACT is meant to gauge what you learn in school, very high average ACT scores are a good indication that you'll get a high-quality education at Amador Valley High and be surrounded by other high-achieving students.

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

Average ACT Scores

Source	English	Math	Reading	Science
Amador Valley High	28	28	27	27
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 Amador Valley 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 884 students in grades 9-12 at Amador Valley High take 2040 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 Amador Valley High is 4.1 out of 5.

This is a remarkable achievement showing top of the line performance. The overwhelming majority of students taking AP exams here earn a 5 or a 4, placing them well above the national average. Only a few dozen schools in all of California show this level of achievement, placing Amador Valley High School in the top 1% of schools for AP tests.

It's safe to say that Amador Valley High has an excellent AP program, with high quality teachers and classes that will thoroughly prepare students for AP exams. Furthermore, students at Amador Valley High are likely to be highly academically motivated. By attending Amador Valley High, you'll be in strong academic company.

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:

To find out the passing rates for specific AP courses at Amador Valley 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 Amador Valley 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 Amador Valley 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 Amador Valley High.

English/Language Arts

At Amador Valley High School, 92% of students meet or exceed state standards in English/Language Arts.

This is considered excellent and puts Amador Valley High in the top 5% of all high schools in California for English/Language Arts. The vast majority of Amador Valley High students easily meet state standards, and many of them are likely well above average. Students here are very well prepared academically.

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 Amador Valley High School, 77% of students meet or exceed state standards in Math. This is considered well below average and puts Amador Valley High in the bottom 25% of all high schools in California. The vast majority of Amador Valley 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 Amador Valley 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 Amador Valley 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 Amador Valley High. Taking AP/IB classes also raises your weighted GPA and makes you a stronger college applicant.

Furthermore, many colleges will accept your Amador Valley 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 Amador Valley High School offer?

AP Courses

Amador Valley High School offers AP courses in 24 subjects.

This is a huge number of AP subjects, putting Amador Valley High School in the top 5% of California schools in AP offerings. You'll be able to choose from the most popular AP courses as well as your pick of broader interests.

The total number of AP subjects is 38, so Amador Valley High is missing some subjects, but these are likely the least popular subjects, like some foreign languages and the new AP Research and Seminar courses. If there are any AP courses you want to take that aren't being offered at Amador Valley High, ask your counselor for other options.

Of course, keep in mind that quantity doesn't automatically mean quality - it's important that the courses are taught well by effective teachers. But the strong AP program at Amador Valley High likely means the classes are of high quality.

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

Course Title
Biology
Calculus AB
Calculus BC
Chemistry
Computer Science A
English Language and Composition
English Literature and Composition
French Language and Culture
Human Geography
Japanese Language and Culture
Macroeconomics
Music Theory
Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism
Physics C: Mechanics
Psychology
Spanish Language and Culture
Spanish Literature and Culture
Statistics
Studio Art: 2-D Design
Studio Art: 3-D Design
Studio Art: Drawing
United States Government and Politics
United States History
World History

Sports Teams

Finally, we'll cover which sports teams are available at Amador Valley 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 Amador Valley High.

By the way, the Amador Valley High mascot is the Dons. Go Dons!

Amador Valley High School fields 18 teams for girls' sports. This is a high number that puts Amador Valley 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: Amador Valley High School fields 23 teams for boys' sports. This puts Amador Valley High in the top 25% of California schools that offer boys' sports. Boys will have a large pick of sports to try out for.

Boys Teams	Girls Teams
Lacrosse Var JV Fr	Lacrosse Var JV Fr
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
Crosscountry Var JV Fr	Crosscountry 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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