Location: Baldwin Park, CA
Are you a student or parent at Sierra Vista High School? Want to understand how to get the most out of high school?
We've written the best guide to Sierra Vista High available. Here we'll cover:
- Breakdowns of student ethnicity, gender, and family income
- How safe Sierra Vista High is to attend
- SAT/ACT/AP scores earned by Sierra Vista High students
- Which AP/IB classes you can take at Sierra Vista High
- Every sports team you can join at Sierra Vista High
Let's get started!
Basic Information
Sierra Vista High School is a public school, supporting grades 9 to 12 . It's located in Baldwin Park, CA in Los Angeles County.
Based on its location, Sierra Vista High is classified as a school in a large suburb. Here's the location on a map:
Contact Information
Mailing address:
Sierra Vista High School3600 N. Frazier St. Baldwin Park, CA 91706-3897
Phone number: 6269607741
Sierra Vista High School homepage: https://svhs-bpusd-ca.schoolloop.com/
Principal: Christine SimmonsEmail the principal: [email protected]
Student Demographics
Student Enrollment
The total enrollment at Sierra Vista High School is 1971 students, making it a large high school, in the top 25% of all California high schools by size.
Attending Sierra Vista High 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 Sierra Vista High School growing or shrinking? This will help you see trends in where the school is headed.
From our calculations, the enrollment at Sierra Vista 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9th grade | 260 | 293 | 553 |
| 10th grade | 264 | 266 | 530 |
| 11th grade | 216 | 233 | 449 |
| 12th grade | 209 | 230 | 439 |
As you can see in the table above, the freshman class is 114 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 Baldwin Park could be growing in population, thus sending more students into Sierra Vista High. Alternatively, Sierra Vista High could be relaxing its student policies and taking in more students.
Gender Split
Are there more boys or girls at Sierra Vista High School?
From our statistics, Sierra Vista High has a 49:51 split between male and female students in the high school grades.
Sierra Vista High has a balanced male-female ratio that's largely representative of the general population in Los Angeles 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 Sierra Vista 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 Sierra Vista High School? Does one ethnicity make up most of the student body, or is it fairly balanced?
From our statistics, Sierra Vista 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 Sierra Vista High does. When attending class, most students will be of the same ethnicity, with some variation.
The majority of students at Sierra Vista 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 Sierra Vista High fits within this category.
| Percentage | Number | |
|---|---|---|
| American Indian/Alaska Native | 0.0% | 0 |
| Asian | 9.2% | 182 |
| Hispanic | 89.5% | 1765 |
| Black | 0.6% | 13 |
| White | 0.4% | 9 |
| Hawaiian Native/Pacific Islander | 0.1% | 2 |
| Two or more races | 0.0% | 0 |
High schools usually reflect the population in the surrounding area, so the ethnicities of students likely resembles those of Baldwin Park. 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 Sierra Vista High Families
What are the family incomes of students at Sierra Vista 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 Sierra Vista High, 18.2% of students qualify for reduced-price lunches, and 67.9% qualify for free lunches.
This means Sierra Vista High has a high percentage of students at or near poverty. Almost a third of all schools in California show this level of poverty, and by National Center for Education Statistics standards, Sierra Vista High can be classified as a high poverty school. The income level of families in Baldwin Park is thus likely to be low.
| Number | Percent | |
|---|---|---|
| Reduced-price lunches | 359 | 18.2% |
| Free lunches | 1339 | 67.9% |
| Do not qualify for reduced-price or free lunches | 273 | 13.8% |
As with ethnicity, this likely reflects the surrounding community in Baldwin Park and doesn't speak much about the school itself.
Unfortunately, schools in areas of lower income levels are likely to be more poorly funded. As a result, they might feature less advanced coursework like AP/IB classes, and you may not have a full range of sports and extracurriculars to draw from. Because Sierra Vista High is an especially high poverty-level school, it might not have the resources you need to meet your full potential.
You definitely don't have control over the city, the school, or other families, but you can structure your own learning to be more productive. If you'd like to open yourself to more opportunities, you can look into whether it's possible to transfer to a nearby school with higher income levels.
If not, don't be alarmed - it's possible that Sierra Vista High has all that you need for your ambition. And you can definitely be proactive about learning outside of your school, looking to your community or to the Internet to find more resources.
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 Sierra Vista 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 Sierra Vista 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 Sierra Vista High students at risk.
In the school year of 2011-2012, there were 66 referrals to law enforcement (58 male, 8 female), and 66 school-related arrests (58 males, 8 females). This is out of a total enrollment of 2108 students.
To put this into perspective, most California schools (59% of them) reported 0 law enforcement referrals and arrests.
This means that 6.2 Sierra Vista High has major safety issues. For every 100 students, there were 6.2 law-enforcement related actions. This is a very high number that puts Sierra Vista High in the top 10% of schools with disciplinary actions.
With this record, is Sierra Vista High School significantly different from other schools in the area? It could be that Sierra Vista 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:
Baldwin Park Unified School District Safety
| School Name | Total Referred | Total Arrests | Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baldwin Park High | 116 | 116 | 2323 |
| North Park Continuation High | 31 | 31 | 329 |
| Opportunities For Learning - Baldwin Park | 0 | 0 | 1957 |
| Opportunities For Learning - Baldwin Park Ii | 0 | 0 | 2080 |
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 Sierra Vista High School? Will you be competitive for college? Will you have access to advanced classes?
We've compiled everything we could find about Sierra Vista 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 Sierra Vista 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 Sierra Vista High, 90% (of 448) Sierra Vista 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%.
Sierra Vista High is in the 69th 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 Sierra Vista 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 Sierra Vista High School SAT scores.
The average composite SAT score is a 1370 out of 2400, compared to a national average of 1500. Each year, roughly 309 at Sierra Vista High take the SAT.
This is a below-average SAT score, putting Sierra Vista High School in the bottom 50% of all California schools. Only 32% of students here score the national average or higher. Because the SAT measures academic achievement, this suggests that Sierra Vista 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 Sierra Vista 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sierra Vista High | 450 | 470 | 457 | 1370 |
| 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 1370 as an SAT score? Find out with our complete 1370 SAT score guide, including which colleges you can get into with a 1370 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.
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 Sierra Vista High School ACT scores with the rest of the country.
At Sierra Vista High, the average ACT composite score was 19, compared to the nationwide average of 20. Each year, roughly 153 out of 1971 total students take the ACT.
This is below average performance, putting Sierra Vista 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 Sierra Vista High.
Here are the average English, Math, Reading, and Science scores for Sierra Vista High compared to California and the US:
Average ACT Scores
| Source | English | Math | Reading | Science |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sierra Vista High | 18 | 21 | 19 | 19 |
| California | 21.8 | 22.8 | 22.3 | 21.7 |
| UnitedStates | 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!
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.
Advanced Placement (AP)
Advanced Placement (AP) classes are college-level courses that are an additional academic challenge may give Sierra Vista 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 423 students in grades 9-12 at Sierra Vista High take 777 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 Sierra Vista High is 2.7 out of 5.
This score puts Sierra Vista 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 Sierra Vista High School in the top 50% of schools for AP tests.
It's great that Sierra Vista 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 Sierra Vista 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 Sierra Vista High, there is a total enrollment of 467 in AP courses (a student taking more than one AP course counts more than once).
Of AP-taking students, 299 took AP tests for ALL AP courses. 11 students took AP tests for SOME AP Courses, and 18 took AP courses but took NO tests.
This is good test participation. Most AP students at Sierra Vista 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. Sierra Vista 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 Sierra Vista 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, 71 students passed every AP test they took, which is a fantastic job. 119 students passed some but not all AP exams, and 105 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 Sierra Vista High School fail all the AP exams they take.
Overall, this points to a fairly strong AP program at Sierra Vista 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 Sierra Vista High may be stronger at some subjects and weaker in others.
If you attend Sierra Vista 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 Sierra Vista 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 Sierra Vista 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 Sierra Vista 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 Sierra Vista High.
English/Language Arts
At Sierra Vista High School, 54% of students meet or exceed state standards in English/Language Arts.
This is considered above average and puts Sierra Vista High in the top 50% of all high schools in California for English/Language Arts. Around half of Sierra Vista 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 Sierra Vista High will likely rise over time. But it still reflects Sierra Vista 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 Sierra Vista High School, 26% of students meet or exceed state standards in Math. This is considered well below average and puts Sierra Vista High in the bottom 25% of all high schools in California. The vast majority of Sierra Vista 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 Sierra Vista 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 Sierra Vista 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 Sierra Vista High. Taking AP/IB classes also raises your weighted GPA and makes you a stronger college applicant.
Furthermore, many colleges will accept your Sierra Vista 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 Sierra Vista High School offer?
AP Courses
Sierra Vista High School offers AP courses in 18 subjects.
This is an impressive number of AP subjects, putting Sierra Vista 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 Sierra Vista 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 Sierra Vista 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 Sierra Vista High likely means you'll be in good hands.
The following AP courses were offered at Sierra Vista High during 2015-2016:
| Course Title |
|---|
| Art History |
| Biology |
| Calculus AB |
| Calculus BC |
| Chemistry |
| Computer Science A |
| English Language and Composition |
| English Literature and Composition |
| Environmental Science |
| Psychology |
| Spanish Language and Culture |
| Spanish Literature and Culture |
| 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 Sierra Vista 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 Sierra Vista High.
By the way, the Sierra Vista High mascot is the Dons. Go Dons!
Sierra Vista High School fields 14 teams for girls' sports. This is a sizable number that puts Sierra Vista High in the top 50% of California schools that offer girls' sports. You won't get the full range of sports and levels, but you'll be able to try out for a few options. If you participate in a sport that Sierra Vista High doesn't offer, consider looking for a local non-school team that you can join.
And now for the boys: Sierra Vista High School fields 19 teams for boys' sports. This puts Sierra Vista 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 Sierra Vista 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
|
| Tennis
Var
|
Tennis
Var
|
| Football
Var
JV
Fr
|
|
| Wrestling
Var
|
Wrestling
Var
|
| Volleyball
Var
JV
|
Volleyball
Var
JV
Fr
|
| Baseball
Var
JV
Fr
|
|
| Softball
Var
JV
|
|
| Waterpolo
Var
JV
|
|
| Trackfield
Var
JV
|
Trackfield
Var
|
| Soccer
Var
JV
|
Soccer
Var
JV
|
| Fieldhockey
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
- AP Course Ledger
- IBO.org