Is Independence Continuation a good school?

Independence Continuation ranks in the bottom 19.2% of California high schools.

How many students attend Independence Continuation?

In the 2023-24 school year, 119 students attended Independence Continuation.

What is the racial makeup of Independence Continuation?

Students at Independence Continuation are 87% Hispanic, 8% White, 4% African American.

Independence Continuation

Summary:

Independence Continuation is a public high school located in Lake Balboa, California, serving grades 9-12 with a total enrollment of 101 students. It is part of the Los Angeles Unified School District, which is ranked 871 out of 1,568 districts in California and has a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger.

The data reveals that Independence Continuation is a low-performing school facing significant challenges, particularly in the areas of graduation rates, dropout rates, chronic absenteeism, and academic achievement. The school's four-year graduation rates have ranged from 21.6% to 66.7% over the past five years, which is significantly lower than the surrounding schools, such as Van Nuys Senior High (88.5%) and Reseda Charter High (88.7%). Additionally, Independence Continuation has had high dropout rates, ranging from 1.8% to 16.7% over the past five years, which is higher than the surrounding schools.

Another area of concern is the school's extremely high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 82.5% to 95.1% over the past five years, which is much higher than the surrounding schools, such as Van Nuys Senior High (24.2%) and Reseda Charter High (30.7%). Furthermore, Independence Continuation's test scores are significantly lower than the surrounding schools and the district/state averages, with only 16.33% of 11th-grade students proficient or better in English Language Arts/Literacy, compared to 49.56% for the Los Angeles Unified School District and 55.73% for the state of California.

Detail:

Public 9-12

6501 Balboa Blvd.
Lake Balboa, CA 91406-5526

(818) 881-7737

District: Los Angeles Unified

SchoolDigger Rank:
1878^th of 2,323 California High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $23,841

Student/teacher ratio: 19.5

Number of students: 119

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

87.4%

White:

8.4%

African American:

4.2%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 76.5%

See top rated California high schools

Compare Independence Continuation to nearby high schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Independence Continuation ranks worse than 80.8% of high schools in California. It also ranks 119^th among 158 ranked high schools in the Los Angeles Unified School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 12.78. (See more...)

The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at Independence Continuation who earn a standard high school diploma within four years of starting ninth grade.

The high school dropout rate measures the percentage of students who do not complete their high school education.

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 Racial makeup is: Hispanic (87.4%), White (8.4%), African American (4.2%). (See more...)

Compare Details 76.5% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Independence Continuation is 19.5. 127 high schools in the Los Angeles Unified School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Independence Continuation employs 6.1 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Independence Continuation is $23,841, which is the 16^th highest among 158 high schools in the Los Angeles Unified School District.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Independence Continuation:

SchoolDigger ranks Independence Continuation 1878^th of 2323 California public high schools. (See Independence Continuation in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

Hispanic students:

Los Angeles Unified:

SchoolDigger ranks Los Angeles Unified 871^st of 1568 California school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Your rating for Independence Continuation?

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Rank History for Independence Continuation

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Rank History for all students at Independence Continuation

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile
2004	39.18	722^nd	1653	56.3%
2005	30.42	1038^th	1901	45.4%
2006	21.20	1367^th	1968	30.5%
2007	24.95	1307^th	2063	36.6%
2008	22.62	1427^th	2117	32.6%
2009	17.52	1878^th	2238	16.1%
2010	13.80	1878^th	2281	17.7%
2011	25.93	1435^th	2367	39.4%
2012	14.78	1821^st	2354	22.6%
2013	18.70	1707^th	2426	29.6%
2015	11.82	1706^th	1994	14.4%
2016	15.24	1609^th	2039	21.1%
2017	12.08	1703^rd	2021	15.7%
2018	14.71	1608^th	2017	20.3%
2019	15.70	1745^th	2133	18.2%
2021	9.48	1192^nd	1290	7.6%
2023	12.15	1941^st	2348	17.3%
2024	12.78	1878^th	2323	19.2%

See the entire list of California High School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Independence Continuation

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	16.27	1453^rd	1862	22.0%
2019	18.20	1541^st	1937	20.4%
2021	12.07	988^th	1126	12.3%
2023	11.87	1909^th	2247	15.0%
2024	14.71	1781^st	2235	20.3%

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

Rank History for Female students at Independence Continuation

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	11.47	1496^th	1760	15.0%
2023	8.91	1954^th	2118	7.7%
2024	11.09	1821^st	2098	13.2%

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

Rank History for Male students at Independence Continuation

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	14.74	1466^th	1834	20.1%
2019	15.78	1534^th	1880	18.4%
2021	9.83	1027^th	1122	8.5%
2023	15.93	1710^th	2207	22.5%
2024	13.34	1766^th	2172	18.7%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at Independence Continuation

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	14.92	1390^th	1742	20.2%
2019	18.80	1429^th	1814	21.2%
2023	14.07	1746^th	2142	18.5%
2024	14.94	1698^th	2125	20.1%

See the entire list of Best California High Schools for Hispanic 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 Independence Continuation

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	77	3	2	16	0	n/a	n/a	0	98
1989	81	3	2	10	2	n/a	n/a	0	98
1990	88	6	4	12	1	n/a	n/a	0	111
1991	81	1	2	16	2	n/a	n/a	0	102
1992	75	2	1	27	2	n/a	n/a	0	107
1993	70	1	1	32	0	n/a	n/a	0	104
1994	69	3	6	34	0	n/a	n/a	0	112
1995	52	10	1	40	0	n/a	n/a	0	103
1996	52	10	1	40	0	n/a	n/a	0	103
1997	42	11	2	38	1	n/a	n/a	0	94
1998	48	8	2	29	1	n/a	n/a	0	88
1999	43	8	1	39	2	n/a	n/a	0	93
2000	43	4	0	34	2	n/a	n/a	0	83
2001	43	6	1	36	0	n/a	n/a	0	86
2002	36	6	3	40	1	n/a	n/a	0	86
2003	36	6	3	40	1	n/a	n/a	0	86
2004	35	7	6	47	1	n/a	n/a	0	96
2005	34	2	2	58	1	n/a	n/a	0	97
2006	33	3	2	69	0	n/a	n/a	0	107
2007	22	4	4	72	0	n/a	n/a	0	102
2008	17	4	4	69	n/a	n/a	n/a	0	94
2009	14	3	2	74	0	1	1	0	95
2010	9	5	1	96	1	1	1	0	114
2011	7	5	2	98	2	0	0	0	114
2012	5	3	1	112	1	0	0	0	122
2013	5	7	0	107	0	0	0	0	119
2014	4	9	1	120	1	0	0	0	135
2015	6	4	1	111	0	0	1	0	123
2016	11	5	3	122	0	0	1	0	142
2017	10	3	2	101	0	1	1	0	118
2018	7	6	1	86	1	0	1	0	102
2019	7	7	1	96	1	0	0	0	112
2020	8	3	2	114	1	0	0	0	128
2021	4	6	4	108	0	0	0	0	122
2022	4	2	3	83	0	0	0	0	92
2023	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	101	101
2024	10	5	0	104	0	0	0	0	119

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 Independence Continuation

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	98	3.0	32.6	n/a
1989	98	3.0	32.6	n/a
1990	111	4.0	27.7	n/a
1991	102	3.0	34.0	n/a
1992	107	3.0	35.6	n/a
1993	104	4.5	23.1	0
1994	112	5.0	22.4	0
1995	103	5.0	20.6	0
1996	103	5.0	20.6	0
1997	94	4.0	23.5	0
1998	88	4.0	22.0	15.9
1999	93	3.0	31.0	32.3
2000	83	5.0	16.6	36.1
2001	86	5.0	17.2	25.6
2002	86	5.0	17.2	45.3
2003	86	5.0	17.2	45.3
2004	96	4.8	20.0	56.3
2005	97	4.8	20.2	44.3
2006	107	5.0	21.4	53.3
2007	102	5.0	20.4	57.8
2008	94	7.0	13.4	53.2
2009	95	5.2	14.4	47.4
2010	114	6.0	19.0	50
2011	114	n/a	n/a	47.4
2012	122	5.0	24.3	n/a
2013	119	5.5	21.6	51.3
2014	135	5.5	24.5	65.2
2015	123	7.0	17.5	46.3
2016	142	8.0	17.7	86.6
2017	118	7.0	16.8	82.2
2018	102	6.5	15.6	74.5
2019	112	6.5	17.2	73.2
2020	128	n/a	n/a	85.9
2021	122	7.0	17.4	73.8
2022	92	6.0	15.3	66.3
2023	101	5.9	17.0	81.2
2024	119	6.1	19.5	76.5

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 Independence Continuation

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	98	3.0	32.6	n/a
1989	98	3.0	32.6	n/a
1990	111	4.0	27.7	n/a
1991	102	3.0	34.0	n/a
1992	107	3.0	35.6	n/a
1993	104	4.5	23.1	0
1994	112	5.0	22.4	0
1995	103	5.0	20.6	0
1996	103	5.0	20.6	0
1997	94	4.0	23.5	0
1998	88	4.0	22.0	15.9
1999	93	3.0	31.0	32.3
2000	83	5.0	16.6	36.1
2001	86	5.0	17.2	25.6
2002	86	5.0	17.2	45.3
2003	86	5.0	17.2	45.3
2004	96	4.8	20.0	56.3
2005	97	4.8	20.2	44.3
2006	107	5.0	21.4	53.3
2007	102	5.0	20.4	57.8
2008	94	7.0	13.4	53.2
2009	95	5.2	14.4	47.4
2010	114	6.0	19.0	50
2011	114	n/a	n/a	47.4
2012	122	5.0	24.3	n/a
2013	119	5.5	21.6	51.3
2014	135	5.5	24.5	65.2
2015	123	7.0	17.5	46.3
2016	142	8.0	17.7	86.6
2017	118	7.0	16.8	82.2
2018	102	6.5	15.6	74.5
2019	112	6.5	17.2	73.2
2020	128	n/a	n/a	85.9
2021	122	7.0	17.4	73.8
2022	92	6.0	15.3	66.3
2023	101	5.9	17.0	81.2
2024	119	6.1	19.5	76.5

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.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Independence Continuation

Year	Total Expenditures Per Pupil
2018	$23,841

Data source: California Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Independence Continuation

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 1745^th of 2133 High schools	Ranks 1941^st of 2348 High schools	0.9%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
11th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Independence Continuation)	22.2	16.7	5.5%
11th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Los Angeles Unified)	51.7	48.9	2.8%
11th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (California)	57.3	55.4	1.9%
11th Grade Mathematics (Independence Continuation)	0	1.7	1.7%
11th Grade Mathematics (Los Angeles Unified)	25.3	20	5.4%
11th Grade Mathematics (California)	32.2	27.4	4.9%
11th Grade Science (Independence Continuation)	3.9	8.1	4.3%
11th Grade Science (Los Angeles Unified)	22.1	21.6	0.4%
11th Grade Science (California)	30.4	31.7	1.3%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	112	101	9.8%
African American	7	0	100%
American Indian	1	0	100%
Asian	1	0	100%
Hispanic	96	0	100%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	7	0	100%
Two or More Races	0	0
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	73.2%	81.2%	8%

Schools Near Independence Continuation

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				CAST Science (2024)				Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy (2024)					Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics (2024)					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	CAST Science 8th Grade	CAST Science 11th Grade	CAST Science 12th Grade	CAST Science End of Course	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 11th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy End of Course	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 6th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 7th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 8th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 11th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics End of Course	Total
Independence Continuation	Public	9-12	6501 Balboa Blvd.	Lake Balboa	91406	Los Angeles County	Los Angeles Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(818) 881-7737	119	6	19.5	76.5%	10 (8.4%)	5 (4.2%)	104 (87.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	12.8	1878^th of 2323 public high schools	19.2%		12.1	1941^st of 2348 public high schools	17.3%	63		3.5	4.2	3.8				16.3	16.3				6.1	6.1	$23,841
Daniel Pearl Journalism & Communications Magnet	Public	9-12	6649 Balboa Blvd.	Lake Balboa	91406	Los Angeles County	Los Angeles Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(818) 654-3775	224	13	17.1	71.0%	59 (26.3%)	11 (4.9%)	129 (57.6%)	15 (6.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (4.5%)	66.3	531^st of 2323 public high schools	77.1%		39	1170^th of 2348 public high schools	50.2%	639		29.8		28.3				70.7	70.7				31.0	31.0	$13,827
Birmingham Community Charter High	Public, Charter	9-12	17000 Haynes St.	Lake Balboa	91406	Los Angeles County	Birmingham Community Charter High District	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(818) 758-5200	3,090	140	22.1	90.6%	121 (3.9%)	141 (4.6%)	2,660 (86.1%)	101 (3.3%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (0.1%)	59 (1.9%)	61.1	609^th of 2323 public high schools	73.8%		62.6	606^th of 2348 public high schools	74.2%	3		21.2	14.3	21.0				70.7	70.7				31.8	31.8
High Technical LA	Public, Charter	9-12	17111 Victory Blvd.	Lake Balboa	91406	Los Angeles County	High Technical LA District	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(818) 609-2680	363	15	24.0	49.6%	195 (53.7%)	4 (1.1%)	122 (33.6%)	24 (6.6%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	16 (4.4%)	86.8	221^st of 2323 public high schools	90.5%		77.6	373^rd of 2348 public high schools	84.1%	152		51.3		50.7				73.7	73.7				46.1	46.1
Magnolia Science Academy 2	Public, Charter	6-12	17125 Victory Blvd.	Van Nuys	91406	Los Angeles County	Magnolia Science Academy 2 District	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(818) 758-0300	532	20	26.4	91.5%	20 (3.8%)	17 (3.2%)	480 (90.2%)	14 (2.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	27.8	1485^th of 2323 public high schools	36.1%		48.7	901^st of 2348 public high schools	61.6%	584	15.2	26.8		19.4	21.4	32.4	24.2	52.6	30.3	15.3	16.7	8.1	15.8	13.8
Zane Grey Continuation	Public	9-12	18230 Kittridge St.	Reseda	91335	Los Angeles County	Los Angeles Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(818) 758-3769	87	5	17.2	96.6%	10 (11.5%)	4 (4.6%)	68 (78.2%)	4 (4.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (1.1%)	10.5	1982^nd of 2323 public high schools	14.7%		11.8	1962^nd of 2348 public high schools	16.4%	20		4.6	6.3	5.3				12.1	12.1				0.0	0.0	$19,017
Reseda Charter High	Public, Charter	6-12	18230 Kittridge St.	Reseda	91335	Los Angeles County	Los Angeles Unified	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(818) 758-3600	1,354	78	17.3	87.5%	169 (12.5%)	46 (3.4%)	1,017 (75.1%)	96 (7.1%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (0.4%)	20 (1.5%)	45.8	974^th of 2323 public high schools	58.1%		38.1	1202^nd of 2348 public high schools	48.8%	228	36.5	22.4	10.3	23.4	29.3	42.3	59.6	50.6	47.5	24.1	26.9	53.9	19.9	24.9	$15,784
Magnolia Science Academy 5	Public, Charter	6-12	18238 Sherman Way	Reseda	91335	Los Angeles County	Magnolia Science Academy 5 District	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(818) 705-5676	218	13	16.5	89.4%	9 (4.1%)	2 (0.9%)	197 (90.4%)	8 (3.7%)	2 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	44.5	1012^th of 2323 public high schools	56.4%		54.2	781^st of 2348 public high schools	66.7%	231	20.9		48.0	30.9	33.3	25.0	39.5	59.1	38.0	28.6	18.5	23.3	18.2	22.8
Magnolia Science Academy	Public, Charter	6-12	18238 Sherman Way	Reseda	91335	Los Angeles County	Magnolia Science Academy District	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(818) 609-0507	714	35	20.4	88.9%	30 (4.2%)	5 (0.7%)	641 (89.8%)	34 (4.8%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.4%)	41.3	1097^th of 2323 public high schools	52.8%		34.5	1293^rd of 2348 public high schools	44.9%	196	18.0	21.0	29.6	21.8	27.1	35.5	35.0	58.2	38.3	28.8	23.7	24.8	21.4	24.7
Will Rogers Continuation	Public	9-12	14711 Gilmore St.	Van Nuys	91411	Los Angeles County	Los Angeles Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(818) 778-6895	157	9	17.3	98.7%	6 (3.8%)	6 (3.8%)	143 (91.1%)	2 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7.9	2179^th of 2323 public high schools	6.2%		11.3	1977^th of 2348 public high schools	15.8%	202		0.0		1.5				7.5	7.5				1.5	1.5	$12,419

Independence Continuation

Independence Continuation:

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Los Angeles Unified:

What do you think?

Rank History for Independence Continuation

Rank History for all students at Independence Continuation

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Independence Continuation

Rank History for Female students at Independence Continuation

Rank History for Male students at Independence Continuation

Rank History for Hispanic students at Independence Continuation

Enrollment information for Independence Continuation

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Independence Continuation

Student/Teacher Ratio Independence Continuation

Per Pupil Expenditures for Independence Continuation

Impact of COVID-19 on Independence Continuation

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Independence Continuation