Ocean Alternative Education Center

Summary:

Ocean Alternative Education Center is a small public elementary school serving grades K-8 in Santa Cruz, California, with just 84 students. Despite its small size, the school stands out for its consistently strong academic performance and low chronic absenteeism rates.

Ocean Alternative Education Center consistently outperforms nearby Live Oak Elementary and the state average in English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science. In 2023-2024, 68.75% of 8th-grade students at Ocean Alternative Education Center were proficient or better in English Language Arts, compared to 40.91% at Live Oak Elementary and 45.95% statewide. In Mathematics, 50% of 4th and 8th-grade students at Ocean Alternative Education Center were proficient or better, compared to 23.13% and 26.14% at Live Oak Elementary, respectively. The school's science proficiency rates, as measured by the CAST assessment, are also higher than the nearby schools and the state average.

Another notable strength of Ocean Alternative Education Center is its exceptionally low chronic absenteeism rate, ranging from 0% to 3.5% over the past several years, significantly lower than the 37.9% rate at Live Oak Elementary. The school also has a lower percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch (35.71%) compared to Del Mar Elementary (50.29%) and a relatively low student-teacher ratio, ranging from 19.3 to 36.1 over the past few years. These factors likely contribute to the school's success in supporting the academic and personal growth of its diverse student population.

Detail:

Public K-8

984 Bostwick Ln. Ste. 6
Santa Cruz, CA 95062-1775

(831) 475-0767

District: Live Oak Elementary

Per Pupil Expenditures: $7,124

Student/teacher ratio: 16.8

Number of students: 74

Racial breakdown:

White:

50.0%

Hispanic:

31.1%

Two or more races:

12.2%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 48.6%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Ocean Alternative Education Center is not ranked due for the most recent year due to insufficient test score data. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2022 the calculated Average Standard Score was 59.67. (See more...)

Compare Details Ocean Alternative Education Center ranks better than 88.3% of middle schools in California. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 87.8. (See more...)

Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.

Student Body

Compare Details Ocean Alternative Education Center has the smallest elementary school student body size in the Live Oak Elementary School District. Student population at Ocean Alternative Education Center is diverse. Racial makeup is: White (50%), Hispanic (31.1%), two or more races (12.2%). (See more...)

Compare Details 48.6% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Compare Details (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Ocean Alternative Education Center is 16.8, which is the lowest among 5 elementary schools in the Live Oak Elementary School District! (See more...)

Compare Ocean Alternative Education Center employs 4.3 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Ocean Alternative Education Center is $7,124, which is the lowest among 5 elementary schools in the Live Oak Elementary School District!

Schooldigger 2022 Rankings:

Ocean Alternative Education Center:

SchoolDigger ranks Ocean Alternative Education Center 326^th of 2777 California public middle schools. (See Ocean Alternative Education Center in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Male students:

White students:

Live Oak Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Live Oak Elementary 477^th of 1568 California school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Ocean Alternative Education Center

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2022	59.67	2044^th	5883	65.3%

See the entire list of California Elementary School Rankings!

Data source: test scores: California Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

Rank History for Ocean Alternative Education Center

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Rank History for all middle school students at Ocean Alternative Education Center

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile
2016	24.22	1864^th	2497	25.4%
2019	61.00	895^th	2715	67.0%
2022	46.60	1262^nd	2740	53.9%
2023	58.20	958^th	2802	65.8%
2024	87.80	326^th	2777	88.3%

See the entire list of California Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for middle school Low Socio Economic Status students at Ocean Alternative Education Center

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2022	31.93	1622^nd	2458	34.0%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for middle school Female students at Ocean Alternative Education Center

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	78.75	463^rd	2546	81.8%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for middle school Male students at Ocean Alternative Education Center

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2022	51.01	1029^th	2527	59.3%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for middle school White students at Ocean Alternative Education Center

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2022	21.49	1249^th	1555	19.7%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: California Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Data source: California Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Ocean Alternative Education Center

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
2014	55	1	1	5	0	0	29	91
2015	61	2	0	8	0	0	22	93
2016	74	0	3	8	1	0	5	91
2017	52	0	1	9	1	1	6	70
2018	57	0	2	12	2	1	6	80
2019	64	0	1	16	2	0	6	89
2020	47	0	0	9	1	0	7	64
2021	79	3	0	19	4	0	7	112
2022	59	2	0	37	4	0	8	110
2023	52	1	1	21	3	0	6	84
2024	37	1	1	23	3	0	9	74

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Ocean Alternative Education Center

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2014	91	3.7	24.5	9.9
2015	93	5.0	18.6	18.3
2016	91	4.0	22.7	24.2
2017	70	3.5	20.0	18.6
2018	80	3.5	22.8	22.5
2019	89	4.4	20.0	24.7
2020	64	n/a	n/a	25
2021	112	3.1	36.1	38.4
2022	110	4.0	27.1	50.9
2023	84	4.3	19.3	35.7
2024	74	4.3	16.8	48.6

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Ocean Alternative Education Center

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2014	91	3.7	24.5	9.9
2015	93	5.0	18.6	18.3
2016	91	4.0	22.7	24.2
2017	70	3.5	20.0	18.6
2018	80	3.5	22.8	22.5
2019	89	4.4	20.0	24.7
2020	64	n/a	n/a	25
2021	112	3.1	36.1	38.4
2022	110	4.0	27.1	50.9
2023	84	4.3	19.3	35.7
2024	74	4.3	16.8	48.6

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Kindergarten Immunization Rates

Ocean Alternative Education Center

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Year	Completely Immunized	Religious Exemption	Medical Exemption	Conditional	Polio	Hepatitis B	Varicella	DTP	MMR
2012	13.0%	60.0%	0.0%	27.0%	13.0%	27.0%	27.0%	13.0%	33.0%

Data source: California Department of Public Health

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Ocean Alternative Education Center

Year	Total Expenditures Per Pupil
2018	$7,124

Data source: California Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Ocean Alternative Education Center

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Rank Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Ranks 895^th of 2715 Middle schools	Ranks 958^th of 2802 Middle schools	1.2%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
6th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Ocean Alternative Education Center)	72.7	38.5	34.3%
6th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Live Oak Elementary)	48.9	35.4	13.6%
6th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (California)	48.5	45.1	3.3%
6th Grade Mathematics (Ocean Alternative Education Center)	41.7	46.2	4.5%
6th Grade Mathematics (Live Oak Elementary)	44.3	18.2	26.1%
6th Grade Mathematics (California)	38.5	32.5	6%
7th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Ocean Alternative Education Center)	54.6	78.6	24%
7th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Live Oak Elementary)	56	44.5	11.5%
7th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (California)	51.4	47.4	3.9%
7th Grade Mathematics (Ocean Alternative Education Center)	27.3	35.7	8.4%
7th Grade Mathematics (Live Oak Elementary)	39.5	29	10.5%
7th Grade Mathematics (California)	37.9	33.2	4.7%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	89	84	5.6%
African American	0	1
American Indian	2	3	50%
Asian	1	1
Hispanic	16	21	31.3%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	64	52	18.8%
Two or More Races	6	6
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	24.7%	35.7%	11%

Schools Near Ocean Alternative Education Center

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Immunizations Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				CSA Spanish Reading/Language Arts (2024)		CAST Science (2024)			Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy (2024)							Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics (2024)							% Completely Immunized (2022)	% Polio (2022)	% Hepatitis B (2022)	% Varicella (2022)	% DTP (2022)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2018)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	CSA Spanish Reading/Language Arts 3rd Grade	CSA Spanish Reading/Language Arts End of Course	CAST Science 5th Grade	CAST Science 8th Grade	CAST Science End of Course	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 3rd Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 4th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 5th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 6th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 7th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 8th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy End of Course	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 3rd Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 4th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 5th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 6th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 7th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 8th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics End of Course	% Completely Immunized KG	% Polio KG	% Hepatitis B KG	% Varicella KG	% DTP KG	Total
Ocean Alternative Education Center	Public	K-8	984 Bostwick Ln. Ste. 6	Santa Cruz	95062	Santa Cruz County	Live Oak Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(831) 475-0767	74	4	16.8	48.6%	37 (50.0%)	1 (1.4%)	23 (31.1%)	1 (1.4%)	3 (4.1%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (12.2%)								(n/a)				50.0	52.0		63.6				68.8	55.2		50.0				50.0	36.2						$7,124
Tierra Pacifica Charter	Public, Charter	K-8	986 Bostwick Ln.	Santa Cruz	95062	Santa Cruz County	Live Oak Elementary	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(831) 462-9404	163	7	23.2	28.8%	101 (62.0%)	3 (1.8%)	36 (22.1%)	5 (3.1%)	1 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (10.4%)	71	1548^th of 5862 public elementary schools	73.6%		63.3	1876^th of 5874 public elementary schools	68.1%	328			70.6	28.6	51.6	77.8	21.4	76.5	64.3	40.0	28.6	53.3	61.1	14.3	41.2	50.0	60.0	35.7	44.6						$9,013
Green Acres Elementary	Public	K-5	966 Bostwick Ln.	Santa Cruz	95062	Santa Cruz County	Live Oak Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(831) 475-0111	301	14	21.5	53.2%	134 (44.5%)	7 (2.3%)	140 (46.5%)	9 (3.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (3.3%)	56.4	2216^th of 5862 public elementary schools	62.2%		56.7	2204^th of 5874 public elementary schools	62.5%	12			26.2		26.2	51.1	51.2	50.8				51.0	51.1	26.8	45.9				42.3	91.7	96.7	95.0		93.3	$7,994
Live Oak Elementary	Public	K-5	1916 Capitola Rd.	Santa Cruz	95062	Santa Cruz County	Live Oak Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(831) 475-2000	362	16	22.6	66.3%	78 (21.5%)	4 (1.1%)	260 (71.8%)	9 (2.5%)	3 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (1.9%)	44.3	2904^th of 5862 public elementary schools	50.5%		62.9	1905^th of 5874 public elementary schools	67.6%	999	9.3	9.3	26.9		26.9	43.1	42.5	39.2				41.7	44.6	28.6	30.8				35.9	93.9	96.3		96.3	95.1	$8,028
De Laveaga Elementary	Public	K-5	1145 Morrissey Blvd.	Santa Cruz	95065	Santa Cruz County	Santa Cruz City Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(831) 429-3807	507	21	24.1	27.4%	231 (45.6%)	5 (1.0%)	212 (41.8%)	18 (3.6%)	3 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	38 (7.5%)	70.8	1556^th of 5862 public elementary schools	73.5%		61	2014^th of 5874 public elementary schools	65.7%	458			58.7		58.7	55.0	57.8	60.8				57.8	46.3	43.4	45.3				45.0	96.6	96.6			96.6	$9,229
Del Mar Elementary	Public	K-5	1959 Merrill St.	Santa Cruz	95062	Santa Cruz County	Live Oak Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(831) 477-2063	310	14	22.1	62.3%	103 (33.2%)	7 (2.3%)	179 (57.7%)	8 (2.6%)	2 (0.6%)	1 (0.3%)	10 (3.2%)	51.3	2490^th of 5862 public elementary schools	57.5%		55	2282^nd of 5874 public elementary schools	61.2%	208			43.8		43.8	46.9	31.4	57.5				44.9	49.0	11.8	40.4				33.3	95.8	95.8			97.2	$7,678
Gault Elementary	Public	K-5	1320 Seabright Ave.	Santa Cruz	95062	Santa Cruz County	Santa Cruz City Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(831) 429-3856	291	13	22.3	59.8%	88 (30.2%)	1 (0.3%)	185 (63.6%)	2 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	14 (4.8%)	46.5	2759^th of 5862 public elementary schools	52.9%		47.3	2680^th of 5874 public elementary schools	54.4%	79			36.2		36.2	50.0	41.0	48.8				45.7	52.8	19.4	25.5				29.7	97.0					$10,612
Santa Cruz Gardens Elementary	Public	K-5	8005 Winkle Ave.	Santa Cruz	95065	Santa Cruz County	Soquel Union Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(831) 464-5670	204	9	23.1	38.2%	106 (52.0%)	1 (0.5%)	81 (39.7%)	3 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (6.4%)	55.7	2247^th of 5862 public elementary schools	61.7%		61.9	1961^st of 5874 public elementary schools	66.6%	286			45.8		45.8	35.7	40.6	45.8				40.5	35.7	56.3	45.8				46.4						$11,732
Santa Cruz City Elementary Alternative Education-Monarch	Public	K-5	840 North Branciforte Ave.	Santa Cruz	95062	Santa Cruz County	Santa Cruz City Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(831) 429-3898	121	5	24.2	27.3%	73 (60.3%)	1 (0.8%)	25 (20.7%)	3 (2.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (15.7%)	75.1	1362^nd of 5862 public elementary schools	76.8%					(n/a)			60.0		60.0	54.6	72.2	62.5				62.5	63.6	55.6	20.0				49.1						$9,921
Soquel Elementary	Public	K-5	2700 Porter St.	Soquel	95073	Santa Cruz County	Soquel Union Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(831) 464-5655	355	17	20.8	47.0%	156 (43.9%)	6 (1.7%)	145 (40.8%)	16 (4.5%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.6%)	28 (7.9%)	56.5	2204^th of 5862 public elementary schools	62.4%		59.5	2078^th of 5874 public elementary schools	64.6%	126			41.3		41.3	42.9	48.2	50.8				47.6	34.7	41.1	41.9				39.5	91.1	96.4	96.4		96.4	$10,785

Frequently Asked Questions about Ocean Alternative Education Center

What district is Ocean Alternative Education Center in?

Live Oak Elementary

How many students attend Ocean Alternative Education Center?

In the 2023-24 school year, 74 students attended Ocean Alternative Education Center.

What is the racial makeup of Ocean Alternative Education Center?

Students at Ocean Alternative Education Center are 50% White, 31% Hispanic, 12% Two or more races, 4% American Indian, 1% African American, 1% Asian.

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the California Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.