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Virtual Academy of the Arts & Entertainment

Q: Is Virtual Academy of the Arts & Entertainment a good school?

Virtual Academy of the Arts & Entertainment ranks 3834 th of 5857 California alternative schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public, Virtual, Alternative Grades K-12

3834^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 5,857 California Alternative Schools

Better than 35% of California alternative schools

Summary

Virtual Academy of the Arts & Entertainment is a K-12 alternative school in Carson, CA, serving 878 students within the Los Angeles Unified district, with a high percentage of students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds.

The school faces significant challenges, most notably a chronic absenteeism rate of nearly 60%, which is far higher than the district and state averages and even exceeds rates at many other alternative schools in the area. This attendance crisis is closely linked to other difficulties, including a graduation rate of 69.8% and a dropout rate of 19.8%, both of which are considerably worse than averages for Los Angeles Unified and the state. Academic performance in English, math, and science is also below these benchmarks, though the school shows some relative strength in upper-level mathematics.

Interestingly, comparison with nearby schools reveals that being an "alternative" or "virtual" school does not predetermine outcomes. For example, Da Vinci Connect and Las Flores Home Education Independent Study Academy achieve much higher graduation rates and lower absenteeism, while Lifeline Education Charter serves a similarly high-needs population with stronger academic results. This suggests that the specific approaches and support systems at Virtual Academy may need strategic review, particularly regarding engaging students and addressing the barriers to regular attendance.

878

Students ?

20.1

Student/teacher ratio ?

$18,598

Per pupil spending ?

87.5%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1254 East Helmick St.
Carson, CA 90746-3164

(424) 444-0488

District: Los Angeles Unified

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

73.7%

African American:

13.7%

White:

5.2%

See top rated California elementary schools

Compare Virtual Academy of the Arts & Entertainment to nearby alternative schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 26th percentile in 2023 → 55th in 2025

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 29 percentile points since 2023

Worth a look

!Test scores below the California average (33% vs 41% meeting standards)

!Graduation rate below the California average (70% vs 88%)

!Dropout rate above the California average (20% vs 8%)

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school33%

District avg39%

California avg41%

Elementary school

3,834^th of 5,857

California public elementary schools ?

Bottom 35%▲ up 9 pts since 2023

From bottom 26% (2023) to bottom 35% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of California Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

Middle school

1,364^th of 2,761

California public middle schools ?

Top 49%▲ up 35 pts since 2023

From bottom 15% (2023) to top 49% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of California Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

High school

980^th of 2,162

California public high schools ?

Top 45%▲ up 21 pts since 2023

From bottom 34% (2023) to top 45% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of California High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

9^th of 15Alternative Schools in the Los Angeles Unified

791^st of 1,543Los Angeles Unified among California districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Elementary school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	31.6	3834 of 5857	34.5%	★★☆☆☆
2024	29.6	3961 of 5869	32.5%	★★☆☆☆
2023	25.0	4358 of 5859	25.6%	★☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2023	30.6	2484 of 3245	23.5%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	38.5	3191 of 5597	43.0%	★★☆☆☆
2024	35.9	3348 of 5612	40.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	28.4	3916 of 5609	30.2%	★★☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	37.2	3226 of 5107	36.8%	★★☆☆☆
2024	42.0	2831 of 5107	44.6%	★★☆☆☆
2023	39.1	2973 of 5087	41.6%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	43.4	2911 of 5460	46.7%	★★☆☆☆
2024	42.6	2941 of 5517	46.7%	★★☆☆☆
2023	30.7	3840 of 5363	28.4%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	23.0	4468 of 5628	20.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	23.3	4434 of 5643	21.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	22.8	4461 of 5638	20.9%	★☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2023	51.6	871 of 2420	64.0%	★★★☆☆

Middle school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	43.8	1364 of 2761	50.6%	★★★☆☆
2024	23.1	2122 of 2783	23.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	18.0	2357 of 2781	15.2%	★☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	68.0	146 of 609	76.0%	★★★★☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2023	32.4	1101 of 1521	27.6%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	51.4	1059 of 2533	58.2%	★★★☆☆
2024	26.8	1813 of 2551	28.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	20.1	2081 of 2531	17.8%	★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	52.4	942 of 2395	60.7%	★★★☆☆
2024	30.1	1647 of 2388	31.0%	★★☆☆☆
2023	23.2	1890 of 2374	20.4%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	59.6	793 of 2542	68.8%	★★★☆☆
2024	30.3	1766 of 2579	31.5%	★★☆☆☆
2023	18.7	2214 of 2531	12.5%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	28.2	1742 of 2534	31.3%	★★☆☆☆
2024	18.7	2145 of 2552	15.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	15.8	2272 of 2538	10.5%	★☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	70.7	262 of 1566	83.3%	★★★★☆
2024	47.4	620 of 1552	60.1%	★★★☆☆
2023	41.8	728 of 1531	52.4%	★★★☆☆

High school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	52.5	980 of 2162	54.7%	★★★☆☆
2024	44.2	1144 of 2159	47.0%	★★☆☆☆
2023	31.8	1436 of 2170	33.8%	★★☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2023	17.6	444 of 521	14.8%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	53.1	842 of 1906	55.8%	★★★☆☆
2024	49.9	894 of 1915	53.3%	★★★☆☆
2023	30.2	1310 of 1915	31.6%	★★☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	62.7	653 of 1900	65.6%	★★★☆☆
2024	62.8	623 of 1902	67.2%	★★★☆☆
2023	40.7	1120 of 1917	41.6%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	59.5	757 of 2013	62.4%	★★★☆☆
2024	46.1	1045 of 2026	48.4%	★★☆☆☆
2023	34.5	1310 of 2030	35.5%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	45.5	1016 of 1942	47.7%	★★☆☆☆
2024	29.9	1339 of 1948	31.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	30.4	1321 of 1963	32.7%	★★☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	57.9	370 of 1252	70.4%	★★★★☆
2024	51.8	439 of 1216	63.9%	★★★☆☆
2023	24.1	1000 of 1197	16.5%	★☆☆☆☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

Elementary school

Special Education (2023)64th percentile+38 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)47th percentile+12 vs school

Female (2025)43rd percentile+8 vs school

Hispanic (2025)37th percentile~ school

English Language Learner (2023)23rd percentile~ school

Male (2025)21st percentile-14 vs school

Middle school

Special Education (2025)83rd percentile+33 vs school

African American (2025)76th percentile+25 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)69th percentile+18 vs school

Hispanic (2025)61st percentile+10 vs school

Female (2025)58th percentile+8 vs school

Male (2025)31st percentile-19 vs school

English Language Learner (2023)28th percentile+12 vs school

High school

Special Education (2025)70th percentile+16 vs school

Hispanic (2025)66th percentile+11 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)62nd percentile+8 vs school

Female (2025)56th percentile~ school

Male (2025)48th percentile-7 vs school

African American (2023)15th percentile-19 vs school

By subject vs California (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts/Literacy35%-14 vs state

Mathematics34%-3 vs state

Science25%-8 vs state

★

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Schools Near Virtual Academy of the Arts & Entertainment

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking ()				Ranking ()				CSA Spanish Overall (2025)		CSA Spanish Listening (2025)		CSA Spanish Writing (2025)		CSA Spanish Reading (2025)		CSA Spanish Speaking (2025)	CAST Science (2025)				Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy (2025)								Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics (2025)								% Completely Immunized (2022)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2024)
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 ()	Statewide Rank ()	State Percentile ()	SchoolDigger Rating ()	Average Standard Score ()	Statewide Rank ()	State Percentile ()	Rank Change from Previous Year	CSA Spanish Overall 11th Grade	CSA Spanish Overall All Grades	CSA Spanish Listening 11th Grade	CSA Spanish Listening All Grades	CSA Spanish Writing 11th Grade	CSA Spanish Writing All Grades	CSA Spanish Reading 11th Grade	CSA Spanish Reading All Grades	CSA Spanish Speaking 11th Grade	CAST Science 5th Grade	CAST Science 8th Grade	CAST Science 11th Grade	CAST Science All Grades	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 11th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy All Grades	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 11th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics All Grades	% Completely Immunized KG	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Virtual Academy of the Arts & Entertainment	Public, Virtual, Alternative	K-12	1254 East Helmick St.	Carson	90746	Los Angeles County	Los Angeles Unified	No	(n/a)	Yes	(n/a)	(424) 444-0488	878	43	20.1	87.5%	46 (5.2%)	120 (13.7%)	647 (73.7%)	16 (1.8%)	2 (0.2%)	3 (0.3%)	44 (5.0%)								(n/a)										18.6	27.0	26.3	25.1	32.3	32.6	27.9	34.3	33.7	35.7	39.7	34.6	25.0	31.0	20.0	41.8	38.6	35.4	36.8	34.5		$18,598	$3,144	$15,454
Compton Virtual Academy	Public, Virtual, Alternative	K-12	2300 West Caldwell St.	Compton	90220	Los Angeles County	Compton Unified	No	(n/a)	Yes	(n/a)	(310) 639-4321	0	1	1.0		0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)																															$28,764	$5,646	$23,118
Compton STEP	Public, Alternative	K-12	417 West Alondra Blvd.	Compton	90220	Los Angeles County	Compton Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(310) 639-4321	15	2	7.6	80.0%	1 (6.7%)	7 (46.7%)	5 (33.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (13.3%)								(n/a)																					25.0								27.8		$23,877	$3,703	$20,174
Lifeline Education Charter	Public, Charter, Alternative	K-12	225 South Santa Fe Ave.	Compton	90221	Los Angeles County	Lifeline Education Charter District	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(310) 885-1872	698	30	22.9	95.0%	8 (1.1%)	105 (15.0%)	584 (83.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)	43.8	43.8	18.8	18.8	37.5	37.5	31.3	31.3	87.5	23.7	21.8	28.0	24.9	48.1	85.4	81.1	61.4	51.8	56.1	54.7	60.5	63.5	61.0	75.7	20.5	30.4	31.6	28.0	41.7	97.3	$24,546	$1,072	$23,474
Thurgood Marshall	Public, Alternative	K-12	15301 San Jose Ave.	Compton	90221	Los Angeles County	Compton Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(310) 898-6340	51	3	16.6	88.2%	0 (0.0%)	15 (29.4%)	33 (64.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (3.9%)	1 (2.0%)								(n/a)												2.9	2.9							12.1	12.1							5.9	5.9		$28,912	$2,713	$26,199
Paramount Virtual Academy	Public, Virtual, Alternative	K-12	15110 California Ave	Paramount	90723	Los Angeles County	Paramount Unified	No	(n/a)	Yes	(n/a)	(562) 602-6035	0	1	58.9		0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)																															$26,577	$16,193	$10,384
Redondo Beach Virtual Learning	Public, Virtual, Alternative	K-12	1401 Inglewood Ave.	Redondo Beach	90278	Los Angeles County	Redondo Beach Unified	No	(n/a)	Yes	(n/a)	(310) 379-5449	13	1	13.0	23.1%	3 (23.1%)	1 (7.7%)	3 (23.1%)	1 (7.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (38.5%)								(n/a)																															$15,192	$1,051	$14,141
Bellflower Alternative Education Center	Public, Alternative	K-12	16703 South Clark Ave.	Bellflower	90706	Los Angeles County	Bellflower Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(562) 866-9011	9	3	3.5	100.0%	0 (0.0%)	2 (22.2%)	7 (77.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)																															$66,126	$2,455	$63,671
Las Flores Home Education Independent Study Academy	Public, Virtual, Alternative	K-12	10039 East Palm St.	Bellflower	90706	Los Angeles County	Bellflower Unified	No	(n/a)	Yes	(n/a)	(562) 804-6565	280	13	21.9	71.1%	25 (8.9%)	26 (9.3%)	190 (67.9%)	15 (5.4%)	3 (1.1%)	3 (1.1%)	18 (6.4%)								(n/a)										50.0	19.1		30.0	71.4	69.0	72.2	74.2	87.0	90.5		75.3	64.3	55.2	55.6	51.6	56.5	47.6		51.4		$20,544	$2,216	$18,328
Success Learning Center	Public, Alternative	K-12	13530 Aviation Blvd.	Hawthorne	90250	Los Angeles County	Wiseburn Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(310) 725-2101	14	2	7.0	28.6%	4 (28.6%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (57.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (14.3%)								(n/a)

Frequently Asked Questions about Virtual Academy of the Arts & Entertainment

What is the racial makeup of Virtual Academy of the Arts & Entertainment?

Students at Virtual Academy of the Arts & Entertainment are 74% Hispanic, 14% African American, 5% White, 5% Two or more races, 2% Asian.

Is Virtual Academy of the Arts & Entertainment a good school?

Virtual Academy of the Arts & Entertainment ranks 3834^th of 5857 California alternative schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Virtual Academy of the Arts & Entertainment?

In the 2024-25 school year, 878 students attended Virtual Academy of the Arts & Entertainment.

What district is Virtual Academy of the Arts & Entertainment in?

Los Angeles Unified

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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.