Ark Independent Studies

Q: Is Ark Independent Studies a good school?

Ark Independent Studies ranks 581 st of 2323 California high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Summary:

Ark Independent Studies is a public high school located in Santa Cruz, California, serving grades 6-12 with a total enrollment of 47 students. It is part of the Santa Cruz City High School District, which is ranked 495 out of 1,568 districts in California and has a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Ark Independent Studies has seen significant improvements in recent years, with its four-year graduation rates increasing from 71.4% in 2018-2019 to 93.1% in 2022-2023, outperforming the state average of 79.5%. The school has also experienced a decline in its dropout rates, from a high of 26.2% in 2018-2019 to 6.9% in 2022-2023, which is lower than the state average of 9.2%. However, the school continues to face challenges with high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 28% to 53.2% in recent years, a common issue for alternative and independent study schools. Ark Independent Studies' test scores in English Language Arts and Mathematics are generally lower than the nearby Soquel High and Santa Cruz High, as well as the state averages, but its science proficiency rates are higher than the state average.

Ark Independent Studies' proximity to Costanoa Continuation High, which has significantly lower test scores and graduation rates, may present opportunities for collaboration and resource-sharing. While Ark Independent Studies' performance is generally lower than the nearby traditional high schools, it appears to be performing better than some other alternative and continuation high schools in the area, such as Santa Cruz County Court and Santa Cruz County Community.

Detail:

Public 6-12

840 North Branciforte Ave.
Santa Cruz, CA 95062-1028

(831) 429-3898

District: Santa Cruz City High

SchoolDigger Rank:
581^st of 2,323 California High Schools

Student/teacher ratio: 21.6

Number of students: 52

Racial breakdown:

White:

46.2%

Hispanic:

44.2%

Two or more races:

7.7%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 36.5%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Ark Independent Studies ranks better than 75% of high schools in California. It also ranks 3^rd among 6 ranked high schools in the Santa Cruz City High School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 62.6. (See more...)

The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at Ark Independent Studies 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 Ark Independent Studies has the smallest high school student body size in the Santa Cruz City High School District. Racial makeup is: White (46.2%), Hispanic (44.2%), two or more races (7.7%). (See more...)

Compare Details 36.5% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Ark Independent Studies is 21.6. 4 high schools in the Santa Cruz City High School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Ark Independent Studies employs 2.4 full-time teachers.

Schooldigger Rankings:

Ark Independent Studies was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

SchoolDigger ranks Ark Independent Studies 581^st of 2323 California public high schools. (See Ark Independent Studies in the ranking list.)

Santa Cruz City High:

SchoolDigger ranks Santa Cruz City High 495^th of 1568 California school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Ark Independent Studies

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Rank History for all students at Ark Independent Studies

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile
2004	25.21	1068^th	1653	35.4%
2005	38.66	838^th	1901	55.9%
2006	41.17	809^th	1968	58.9%
2007	37.60	937^th	2063	54.6%
2008	23.83	1361^st	2117	35.7%
2009	33.11	1262^nd	2238	43.6%
2010	49.81	765^th	2281	66.5%
2011	32.66	1238^th	2367	47.7%
2012	60.64	527^th	2354	77.6%
2013	36.41	1151^st	2426	52.6%
2022	61.98	670^th	2123	68.4%
2023	73.14	435^th	2348	81.5%
2024	62.60	581^st	2323	75.0%

See the entire list of California High School Rankings!

Rank History for Female students at Ark Independent Studies

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2022	60.77	603^rd	1858	67.5%
2023	77.83	333^rd	2118	84.3%

See the entire list of Best California High Schools for Female 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 Ark Independent Studies

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	134	7	1	18	0	n/a	n/a	0	160
1989	132	9	2	12	2	n/a	n/a	0	157
1990	158	3	2	19	1	n/a	n/a	0	183
1991	144	6	3	27	1	n/a	n/a	0	181
1992	162	8	4	31	1	n/a	n/a	0	206
1993	121	0	1	48	4	n/a	n/a	0	174
1994	162	3	2	47	5	n/a	n/a	0	219
1995	227	9	7	55	3	n/a	n/a	0	301
1996	227	9	7	55	3	n/a	n/a	0	301
1997	209	10	7	75	5	n/a	n/a	0	306
1998	170	11	7	56	2	n/a	n/a	0	246
1999	178	7	7	39	0	n/a	n/a	0	231
2000	146	7	2	27	1	n/a	n/a	0	183
2001	135	9	3	23	0	n/a	n/a	1	171
2002	110	2	1	28	1	n/a	n/a	4	146
2003	110	2	1	28	1	n/a	n/a	4	146
2004	127	5	2	22	2	n/a	n/a	11	169
2005	81	5	3	30	0	n/a	n/a	4	123
2006	79	4	6	29	2	n/a	n/a	1	121
2007	81	3	7	31	0	n/a	n/a	3	125
2008	50	1	2	29	n/a	n/a	n/a	0	82
2009	55	1	1	27	0	0	5	0	89
2010	44	0	1	19	0	0	3	0	67
2011	45	2	0	23	0	0	0	0	70
2012	38	1	0	15	1	0	0	0	55
2013	43	3	2	24	0	0	4	0	76
2014	43	2	2	30	1	0	5	0	83
2015	33	1	2	21	1	0	2	0	60
2016	21	1	0	25	0	0	4	0	51
2017	30	1	1	25	1	0	2	0	60
2018	30	0	1	26	0	0	4	0	61
2019	32	0	0	23	0	0	3	0	58
2020	25	0	0	23	1	0	0	0	49
2021	42	3	0	26	2	0	3	0	76
2022	35	4	1	38	2	0	6	0	86
2023	24	0	0	19	2	0	2	0	47
2024	24	1	0	23	0	0	4	0	52

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 Ark Independent Studies

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	160	10.0	16.0	n/a
1989	157	8.6	18.2	n/a
1990	183	7.8	23.4	n/a
1991	181	7.8	23.2	n/a
1992	206	7.9	26.0	26.7
1993	174	8.1	21.5	50
1994	219	10.6	20.7	32.9
1995	301	8.8	34.2	21.6
1996	301	8.8	34.2	21.6
1997	306	15.6	19.6	22.2
1998	246	12.6	19.5	24
1999	231	11.9	19.4	26.8
2000	183	11.1	16.5	30.6
2001	171	9.2	18.6	25.9
2002	146	8.6	17.0	25.4
2003	146	8.6	17.0	25.4
2004	169	7.6	22.2	27.8
2005	123	5.5	22.4	9.2
2006	121	5.3	22.8	15
2007	125	4.4	28.4	16.4
2008	82	4.2	19.5	25.6
2009	89	3.2	26.2	12.4
2010	67	3.0	22.3	14.9
2011	70	n/a	n/a	15.7
2012	55	2.7	20.3	n/a
2013	76	2.3	33.0	19.7
2014	83	2.4	34.5	25.3
2015	60	3.0	20.0	40
2016	51	3.0	17.0	54.9
2017	60	2.7	21.8	43.3
2018	61	2.7	22.1	39.3
2019	58	2.7	21.0	48.3
2020	49	n/a	n/a	26.5
2021	76	1.4	52.4	35.5
2022	86	2.5	34.4	39.5
2023	47	2.4	19.5	42.6
2024	52	2.4	21.6	36.5

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 Ark Independent Studies

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	160	10.0	16.0	n/a
1989	157	8.6	18.2	n/a
1990	183	7.8	23.4	n/a
1991	181	7.8	23.2	n/a
1992	206	7.9	26.0	26.7
1993	174	8.1	21.5	50
1994	219	10.6	20.7	32.9
1995	301	8.8	34.2	21.6
1996	301	8.8	34.2	21.6
1997	306	15.6	19.6	22.2
1998	246	12.6	19.5	24
1999	231	11.9	19.4	26.8
2000	183	11.1	16.5	30.6
2001	171	9.2	18.6	25.9
2002	146	8.6	17.0	25.4
2003	146	8.6	17.0	25.4
2004	169	7.6	22.2	27.8
2005	123	5.5	22.4	9.2
2006	121	5.3	22.8	15
2007	125	4.4	28.4	16.4
2008	82	4.2	19.5	25.6
2009	89	3.2	26.2	12.4
2010	67	3.0	22.3	14.9
2011	70	n/a	n/a	15.7
2012	55	2.7	20.3	n/a
2013	76	2.3	33.0	19.7
2014	83	2.4	34.5	25.3
2015	60	3.0	20.0	40
2016	51	3.0	17.0	54.9
2017	60	2.7	21.8	43.3
2018	61	2.7	22.1	39.3
2019	58	2.7	21.0	48.3
2020	49	n/a	n/a	26.5
2021	76	1.4	52.4	35.5
2022	86	2.5	34.4	39.5
2023	47	2.4	19.5	42.6
2024	52	2.4	21.6	36.5

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.

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Ark Independent Studies

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.

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	58	47	19%
African American	0	0
American Indian	0	2
Asian	0	0
Hispanic	23	19	17.4%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	32	24	25%
Two or More Races	3	2	33.3%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	48.3%	42.6%	5.7%

Schools Near Ark Independent Studies

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 12th Grade	CAST Science End of Course	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 7th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 8th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 11th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics End of Course	Total
Ark Independent Studies	Public	6-12	840 North Branciforte Ave.	Santa Cruz	95062	Santa Cruz County	Santa Cruz City High	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(831) 429-3898	52	2	21.6	36.5%	24 (46.2%)	1 (1.9%)	23 (44.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (7.7%)	62.6	581^st of 2323 public high schools	75.0%		73.1	435^th of 2348 public high schools	81.5%	146		45.5	45.5			56.3	56.3			20.0	20.0
Costanoa Continuation High	Public	9-12	840 North Branciforte Ave.	Santa Cruz	95062	Santa Cruz County	Santa Cruz City High	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(831) 429-3898	87	5	18.3	64.4%	11 (12.6%)	1 (1.1%)	71 (81.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (4.6%)	12.9	1877^th of 2323 public high schools	19.2%		15.8	1809^th of 2348 public high schools	23.0%	68		10.0	10.0			13.0	13.0			0.0	0.0
Harbor High	Public	9-12	300 La Fonda Ave.	Santa Cruz	95062	Santa Cruz County	Santa Cruz City High	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(831) 429-3810	1,040	55	18.9	41.3%	377 (36.3%)	6 (0.6%)	556 (53.5%)	38 (3.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	61 (5.9%)	61.8	595^th of 2323 public high schools	74.4%		69.4	494^th of 2348 public high schools	79.0%	101		32.6	32.6			56.5	56.5			24.7	24.7
Santa Cruz High	Public	9-12	415 Walnut Ave.	Santa Cruz	95060	Santa Cruz County	Santa Cruz City High	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(831) 429-3960	1,104	51	21.6	25.5%	630 (57.1%)	22 (2.0%)	324 (29.3%)	32 (2.9%)	2 (0.2%)	1 (0.1%)	92 (8.3%)	90.5	152^nd of 2323 public high schools	93.5%		81.1	309^th of 2348 public high schools	86.8%	157		46.4	46.4			75.4	75.4			57.6	57.6
Santa Cruz County Regional Occupational Program	Public	10-12	400 Encinal St.	Santa Cruz	95060	Santa Cruz County	Santa Cruz County Regional Occupational Program	No	(n/a)	(n/a)	(n/a)	(831) 466-5762	0				0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Santa Cruz County Court	Public	7-12	400 Encinal St.	Santa Cruz	95060	Santa Cruz County	Santa Cruz County Office of Education	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(831) 466-5728	24	2	12.0	87.5%	2 (8.3%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (91.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)												$23,217
Santa Cruz County Community	Public	7-12	400 Encinal St.	Santa Cruz	95060	Santa Cruz County	Santa Cruz County Office of Education	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(831) 466-5728	733	32	23.0	50.9%	300 (40.9%)	10 (1.4%)	376 (51.3%)	13 (1.8%)	9 (1.2%)	3 (0.4%)	16 (2.2%)	24.4	1568^th of 2323 public high schools	32.5%		26.9	1509^th of 2348 public high schools	35.7%	59		14.4	14.6			30.8	29.8			5.8	5.5	$17,330
Pacific Collegiate Charter	Public, Charter	7-12	3004 Mission St.	Santa Cruz	95060	Santa Cruz County	Pacific Collegiate Charter District	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(831) 479-7785	540	33	16.3	10.0%	343 (63.5%)	0 (0.0%)	88 (16.3%)	33 (6.1%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	73 (13.5%)	97.3	46^th of 2323 public high schools	98.0%		97.3	49^th of 2348 public high schools	97.9%	3	62.0	83.3	71.4	73.5	84.0	95.0	83.5	62.9	66.7	78.2	68.6
Soquel High	Public	9-12	401 Old San Jose Rd.	Soquel	95073	Santa Cruz County	Santa Cruz City High	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(831) 429-3909	1,048	50	21.1	30.4%	498 (47.5%)	10 (1.0%)	419 (40.0%)	19 (1.8%)	3 (0.3%)	2 (0.2%)	94 (9.0%)	70.5	465^th of 2323 public high schools	80.0%		68.5	504^th of 2348 public high schools	78.5%	39		25.5	25.5			74.4	74.4			34.0	34.0
Delta Charter	Public, Charter	9-12	6500 Soquel Dr. Bldg. 1190	Aptos	95003	Santa Cruz County	Santa Cruz City High	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(831) 477-5212	116	9	13.0	38.8%	71 (61.2%)	2 (1.7%)	35 (30.2%)	2 (1.7%)	1 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (2.6%)	24.3	1571^st of 2323 public high schools	32.4%		22.9	1624^th of 2348 public high schools	30.8%	53		14.6	14.6			27.0	27.0			7.9	7.9

Frequently Asked Questions about Ark Independent Studies

Is Ark Independent Studies a good school?

Ark Independent Studies ranks 581^st of 2323 California high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Ark Independent Studies?

Students at Ark Independent Studies are 46% White, 44% Hispanic, 8% Two or more races, 2% African American.

What district is Ark Independent Studies in?

Santa Cruz City High

How many students attend Ark Independent Studies?

In the 2023-24 school year, 52 students attended Ark Independent Studies.

Rate Ark Independent Studies!

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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.