Location: Porterville, CA
Are you a student or parent at Summit Charter Academy? Want to understand how to get the most out of high school?
We've written the best guide to Summit Charter Academy available. Here we'll cover:
- Breakdowns of student ethnicity, gender, and family income
- How safe Summit Charter Academy is to attend
- SAT/ACT/AP scores earned by Summit Charter Academy students
- Which AP/IB classes you can take at Summit Charter Academy
- Every sports team you can join at Summit Charter Academy
Let's get started!
Basic Information
Summit Charter Academy is a public school, supporting grades 0 to 12 . It's located in Porterville, CA in Tulare County.
Based on its location, Summit Charter Academy is classified as a school in a small city. Here's the location on a map:
Contact Information
Mailing address:
Summit Charter Academy175 S. Mathew St. Porterville, CA 93257
Phone number: 5597825902
Summit Charter Academy homepage: http://www.summitcharter.org/Domain/14
Principal: Treasure WeisenbergerEmail the principal: [email protected]
Student Demographics
Student Enrollment
The total enrollment at Summit Charter Academy is 1559 students, making it a large high school, in the top 25% of all California high schools by size.
Attending Summit Charter Academy will feel like attending a small college. You'll have a few hundred students in your class, enough to provide an interesting set of activities, sports, and classes to try. But compared to the largest high schools in California, the student body size won't be overwhelming.
Growth in Student Body Size
Is Summit Charter Academy growing or shrinking? This will help you see trends in where the school is headed.
From our calculations, the enrollment at Summit Charter Academy has increased over the past few years. We calculate this by comparing enrollment in grades 9 to 12.
| Male Students | Female Students | All Students | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9th grade | 23 | 19 | 42 |
| 10th grade | 33 | 24 | 57 |
| 11th grade | 14 | 12 | 26 |
| 12th grade | 18 | 14 | 32 |
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 Porterville could be growing in population, thus sending more students into Summit Charter Academy. Alternatively, Summit Charter Academy could be relaxing its student policies and taking in more students.
Gender Split
Are there more boys or girls at Summit Charter Academy?
From our statistics, Summit Charter Academy has a 57:43 split between male and female students in the high school grades.
There is a large male majority at Summit Charter Academy, and much more than you would expect from the general population in Tulare County. As a result, it'll feel like there are a lot more girls than boys in your classes.
Sometimes this imbalance can result from random chance and may not suggest anything about Summit Charter Academy. In other cases, the school might preferentially select for males. For example, in our data we find that continuation high schools unfortunately seem to be male-dominated. In yet other cases, other neighboring schools might attract female students, drawing them away from Summit Charter Academy.
If the male majority is concerning to you, we suggest contacting Summit Charter Academy administration and asking if they have any thoughts about why there's a gender imbalance. Their phone number is 5597825902.
Ethnicity Breakdown
What's the racial diversity at Summit Charter Academy? Does one ethnicity make up most of the student body, or is it fairly balanced?
From our statistics, Summit Charter Academy 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 Summit Charter Academy 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 Summit Charter Academy 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 Summit Charter Academy fits within this category.
| Percentage | Number | |
|---|---|---|
| American Indian/Alaska Native | 1.6% | 25 |
| Asian | 3.8% | 60 |
| Hispanic | 61.9% | 966 |
| Black | 1.0% | 16 |
| White | 30.7% | 480 |
| Hawaiian Native/Pacific Islander | 0.1% | 2 |
| Two or more races | 0.6% | 10 |
High schools usually reflect the population in the surrounding area, so the ethnicities of students likely resembles those of Porterville. 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 Summit Charter Academy Families
What are the family incomes of students at Summit Charter Academy? 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 Summit Charter Academy, 13.4% of students qualify for reduced-price lunches, and 43.0% qualify for free lunches.
This means Summit Charter Academy has a below average level of poverty. With most students not qualifying for free or reduced price lunches, Summit Charter Academy is below average among California schools in poverty level. The income level of families in Porterville is thus likely to be relatively high.
| Number | Percent | |
|---|---|---|
| Reduced-price lunches | 210 | 13.4% |
| Free lunches | 671 | 43.0% |
| Do not qualify for reduced-price or free lunches | 678 | 43.4% |
As with ethnicity, this likely reflects the surrounding community in Porterville and doesn't speak much about the school itself.
Summit Charter Academy 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. Summit Charter Academy 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 Summit Charter Academy doesn't cover, look to your local community for activities, or to the Internet for self-study AP classes.
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 Summit Charter Academy 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 Summit Charter Academy: 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 Summit Charter Academy 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 1091 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:
Burton Elementary School District Safety
| School Name | Total Referred | Total Arrests | Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Burton Pathways Charter Academy | 0 | 0 | 100 |
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 Summit Charter Academy? Will you be competitive for college? Will you have access to advanced classes?
We've compiled everything we could find about Summit Charter Academy's academics here.
Standardized Testing
Next, we'll look at another major piece of high school academics: standardized testing performance for Summit Charter Academy 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 Summit Charter Academy SAT scores.
The average composite SAT score is a 1330 out of 2400, compared to a national average of 1500. Each year, roughly 12 at Summit Charter Academy take the SAT.
This is a below-average SAT score, putting Summit Charter Academy 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 Summit Charter Academy 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 Summit Charter Academy's average, you'll have a great shot at entering a good college.
Keep in mind, however, that only 7% of all students at Summit Charter Academy 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summit Charter Academy | 467 | 448 | 423 | 1330 |
| 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 1330 as an SAT score? Find out with our complete 1330 SAT score guide, including which colleges you can get into with a 1330 or any other SAT score!
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.
State Tests
As of 2014, eleventh graders attending Summit Charter Academy 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 Summit Charter Academy 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 Summit Charter Academy.
English/Language Arts
At Summit Charter Academy, 63% of students meet or exceed state standards in English/Language Arts.
This is considered above average and puts Summit Charter Academy in the top 50% of all high schools in California for English/Language Arts. Around half of Summit Charter Academy 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 Summit Charter Academy will likely rise over time. But it still reflects Summit Charter Academy'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 Summit Charter Academy, 6% of students meet or exceed state standards in Math. This is considered well below average and puts Summit Charter Academy in the bottom 25% of all high schools in California. The vast majority of Summit Charter Academy 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 Summit Charter Academy 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 Summit Charter Academy. 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 Summit Charter Academy. Taking AP/IB classes also raises your weighted GPA and makes you a stronger college applicant.
Furthermore, many colleges will accept your Summit Charter Academy 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 Summit Charter Academy offer?
AP Courses
Summit Charter Academy offers AP courses in 2 subjects.
This is a low number of AP subjects, putting Summit Charter Academy in the bottom 25% of California schools offering AP courses. You'll be very limited in your ability to explore your interests in math, science, humanities, or social sciences at Summit Charter Academy.
Take a look at every AP subject offered. If you want to take any AP courses not being offered at Summit Charter Academy, ask your counselor for ideas on how to cover the gap. If you're a strong student and not feeling adequately challenged, you might consider transferring to another high school to access a more advanced curriculum.
Of course, keep in mind that even though Summit Charter Academy doesn't offer many AP courses, it might teach the few it does offer quite well. You can see student performance in the AP score analysis section above.
The following AP courses were offered at Summit Charter Academy during 2015-2016:
| Course Title |
|---|
| Spanish Language and Culture |
| Spanish Literature and Culture |
Sports Teams
Finally, we'll cover which sports teams are available at Summit Charter Academy. 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 Summit Charter Academy.
By the way, the Summit Charter Academy mascot is the Bears. Go Bears!
Summit Charter Academy fields 5 teams for girls' sports. This is a low number that puts Summit Charter Academy in the bottom 25% of California schools that offer girls' sports. This is understandable - sports teams are expensive to support, and many schools would rather support other programs with their limited resources. If you play a sport that Summit Charter Academy doesn't field a team for, consider joining a local non-school team to get practice and compete.
And now for the boys: Summit Charter Academy fields 4 teams for boys' sports. This low number puts Summit Charter Academy in the bottom 25% of California schools that offer boys' sports. If you play a sport that Summit Charter Academy doesn't field a team for, consider joining a local non-school team to get practice and compete.
| Boys Teams | Girls Teams |
|---|---|
| Soccer
Var
JV
|
Soccer
Var
JV
|
| Crosscountry
Var
|
Crosscountry
Var
|
| Basketball
Var
|
|
| Volleyball
Var
|
|
| Softball
Var
|
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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Sources
The data on this page is drawn from a variety of sources, including (but not limited to):
- National Center for Educational Statistics CCD 2013-2014
- "Free or reduced price lunch: A proxy for poverty?", NCES Blog
- CRDC 2011-2012 school year data
- California Department of Education SAT, ACT, and AP Test Results
- California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP) System Results
- IBO.org