Is Desert Learning Academy a good school?

Desert Learning Academy ranks 3437 th of 5868 California alternative schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Desert Learning Academy?

In the 2022-23 school year, 436 students attended Desert Learning Academy.

What is the racial makeup of Desert Learning Academy?

Students at Desert Learning Academy are 67% Hispanic, 18% White, 8% African American, 3% Two or more races, 3% Asian.

Desert Learning Academy School in Palm Springs CA

Schooldigger 2023 Rankings:

Desert Learning Academy:

SchoolDigger ranks Desert Learning Academy 3437^th of 5868 California public elementary schools. (See Desert Learning Academy in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

Hispanic students:

SchoolDigger ranks Desert Learning Academy 1900^th of 2798 California public middle schools. (See Desert Learning Academy in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

Hispanic students:

SchoolDigger ranks Desert Learning Academy 1162^nd of 2346 California public high schools. (See Desert Learning Academy in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

English Language Learner students:

Special Education students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

African American students:

Hispanic students:

White students:

Palm Springs Unified:

SchoolDigger ranks Palm Springs Unified 1044^th of 1560 California school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

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Rank History for Desert Learning Academy

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Rank History for all elementary school students at Desert Learning Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	31.10	3741^st	5662	33.9%
2019	39.45	3227^th	5789	44.3%
2022	35.53	3420^th	5883	41.9%
2023	35.89	3429^th	5848	41.4%

See the entire list of California Alternative School Rankings!

Rank History for elementary school Low Socio Economic Status students at Desert Learning Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2022	52.47	2128^th	5264	59.6%
2023	50.86	2303^rd	5355	57.0%

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

Rank History for elementary school Female students at Desert Learning Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2022	37.35	3170^th	5635	43.7%
2023	34.34	3378^th	5595	39.6%

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

Rank History for elementary school Male students at Desert Learning Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2022	34.87	3386^th	5663	40.2%
2023	36.97	3254^th	5627	42.2%

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

Rank History for elementary school Hispanic students at Desert Learning Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2022	42.92	2669^th	5084	47.5%
2023	46.14	2470^th	5079	51.4%

See the entire list of Best California Alternative Schools for Hispanic Students!

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

Rank History for Desert Learning Academy

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Rank History for all middle school students at Desert Learning Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	19.99	2005^th	2480	19.2%
2019	27.57	1890^th	2715	30.4%
2022	22.94	2090^th	2740	23.7%
2023	28.03	1897^th	2788	32.0%

See the entire list of California Alternative School Rankings!

Rank History for middle school English Language Learner students at Desert Learning Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2022	40.88	728^th	1540	52.7%

See the entire list of Best California Alternative Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for middle school Low Socio Economic Status students at Desert Learning Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	21.81	1844^th	2230	17.3%
2019	28.58	1746^th	2369	26.3%
2022	30.55	1677^th	2458	31.8%
2023	37.45	1441^st	2535	43.2%

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

Rank History for middle school Female students at Desert Learning Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile
2019	28.26	1675^th	2380	29.6%
2022	22.95	1932^nd	2509	23.0%
2023	26.41	1807^th	2535	28.7%

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

Rank History for middle school Male students at Desert Learning Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile
2019	12.09	2247^th	2407	6.6%
2022	24.58	1862^nd	2527	26.3%
2023	30.62	1636^th	2546	35.7%

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

Rank History for middle school Hispanic students at Desert Learning Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile
2019	24.28	1736^th	2213	21.6%
2022	26.08	1781^st	2359	24.5%
2023	26.36	1781^st	2379	25.1%

See the entire list of Best California Alternative Schools for Hispanic Students!

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

Rank History for Desert Learning Academy

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Rank History for all high school students at Desert Learning Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	34.85	1312^th	2017	35.0%
2019	39.89	1211^th	2133	43.2%
2021	34.81	841^st	1290	34.8%
2022	47.54	983^rd	2123	53.7%
2023	39.42	1156^th	2335	50.5%

See the entire list of California Alternative School Rankings!

Rank History for high school English Language Learner students at Desert Learning Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2022	86.69	39^th	1044	96.3%
2023	26.20	973^rd	1315	26.0%

See the entire list of Best California Alternative Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for high school Special Education students at Desert Learning Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	59.23	332^nd	1539	78.4%

See the entire list of Best California Alternative Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for high school Low Socio Economic Status students at Desert Learning Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	37.06	1206^th	1862	35.2%
2019	53.42	839^th	1937	56.7%
2021	45.22	617^th	1126	45.2%
2022	57.65	681^st	1943	65.0%
2023	50.23	871^st	2237	61.1%

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

Rank History for high school Female students at Desert Learning Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	33.69	1210^th	1760	31.3%
2019	30.95	1254^th	1833	31.6%
2021	39.09	639^th	1054	39.4%
2022	39.72	1060^th	1858	42.9%
2023	33.96	1247^th	2106	40.8%

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

Rank History for high school Male students at Desert Learning Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	31.13	1229^th	1834	33.0%
2019	52.67	802^nd	1880	57.3%
2021	24.29	865^th	1122	22.9%
2022	51.05	806^th	1916	57.9%
2023	43.45	959^th	2195	56.3%

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

Rank History for high school African American students at Desert Learning Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2022	29.66	371^st	522	28.9%
2023	28.59	499^th	713	30.0%

See the entire list of Best California Alternative Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for high school Hispanic students at Desert Learning Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	26.31	1253^rd	1742	28.1%
2019	48.78	908^th	1814	49.9%
2022	62.44	565^th	1861	69.6%
2023	42.76	1035^th	2132	51.5%

See the entire list of Best California Alternative Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for high school White students at Desert Learning Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile
2019	31.01	861^st	1222	29.5%
2022	27.19	885^th	1204	26.5%
2023	38.39	778^th	1424	45.4%

See the entire list of Best California Alternative 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

Review counts

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Reviews:
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Enrollment information for Desert Learning Academy

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
2017	36	11	1	79	3	0	3	0	133
2018	48	14	3	123	2	1	6	0	197
2019	56	15	2	130	1	2	12	0	218
2020	60	16	2	127	2	1	7	0	215
2021	49	12	2	169	4	1	10	0	247
2022	104	66	24	598	7	1	23	0	823
2023	79	34	11	292	4	1	14	1	436

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 Desert Learning Academy

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2017	133	9.2	14.4	63.9
2018	197	13.3	14.8	74.6
2019	218	12.6	17.1	70.6
2020	215	n/a	n/a	70.2
2021	247	10.0	24.6	96
2022	823	24.6	33.4	96.5
2023	436	16.0	27.2	96.1

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 Desert Learning Academy

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2017	133	9.2	14.4	63.9
2018	197	13.3	14.8	74.6
2019	218	12.6	17.1	70.6
2020	215	n/a	n/a	70.2
2021	247	10.0	24.6	96
2022	823	24.6	33.4	96.5
2023	436	16.0	27.2	96.1

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 Desert Learning Academy

Year	Total Expenditures Per Pupil
2018	$17,298

Data source: California Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Desert Learning Academy

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 3227^th of 5789 Elementary schools	Ranks 3429^th of 5848 Elementary schools	2.9%
Ranks 1890^th of 2715 Middle schools	Ranks 1897^th of 2788 Middle schools	1.6%
Ranks 1211^th of 2133 High schools	Ranks 1156^th of 2335 High schools	7.3%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
5th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Desert Learning Academy)	18.2	55.2	37%
5th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Palm Springs Unified)	42.9	38.2	4.7%
5th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (California)	51.7	46.7	5%
6th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Desert Learning Academy)	63.6	11.1	52.5%
6th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Palm Springs Unified)	40.2	30.9	9.2%
6th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (California)	48.5	44.2	4.3%
6th Grade Mathematics (Desert Learning Academy)	27.3	10.7	16.6%
6th Grade Mathematics (Palm Springs Unified)	27.2	20	7.2%
6th Grade Mathematics (California)	38.5	33.2	5.3%
7th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Desert Learning Academy)	50	31.4	18.6%
7th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Palm Springs Unified)	40.9	34.3	6.6%
7th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (California)	51.4	47.4	3.9%
7th Grade Mathematics (Desert Learning Academy)	17.7	16.7	1%
7th Grade Mathematics (Palm Springs Unified)	25.9	21	4.9%
7th Grade Mathematics (California)	37.9	33.2	4.7%
8th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Desert Learning Academy)	31.3	34	2.8%
8th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Palm Springs Unified)	36.4	32.3	4.1%
8th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (California)	49.4	45.7	3.8%
8th Grade Mathematics (Desert Learning Academy)	12.5	15.6	3.1%
8th Grade Mathematics (Palm Springs Unified)	19.1	15.1	4%
8th Grade Mathematics (California)	36.6	29.9	6.7%
8th Grade Science (Desert Learning Academy)	15.6	27.1	11.5%
8th Grade Science (Palm Springs Unified)	19.4	16.5	2.9%
8th Grade Science (California)	30.8	28.8	2.1%
10th Grade Science (Desert Learning Academy)	18.8	35.3	16.5%
10th Grade Science (Palm Springs Unified)	18.8	35.3	16.5%
10th Grade Science (California)	23.2	24.1	0.9%
11th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Desert Learning Academy)	48	50	2%
11th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Palm Springs Unified)	48.7	47.2	1.5%
11th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (California)	57.3	55.4	1.9%
11th Grade Mathematics (Desert Learning Academy)	14.3	8.3	6%
11th Grade Mathematics (Palm Springs Unified)	21.3	17.9	3.5%
11th Grade Mathematics (California)	32.2	27.4	4.9%
12th Grade Science (Desert Learning Academy)	4.4	15.9	11.6%
12th Grade Science (Palm Springs Unified)	15.7	17.1	1.5%
12th Grade Science (California)	25.6	26.9	1.3%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	218	436	100%
African American	15	34	126.7%
American Indian	1	4	300%
Asian	2	11	450%
Hispanic	130	292	124.6%
Pacific Islander	2	1	50%
White	56	79	41.1%
Two or More Races	12	14	16.7%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	70.6%	96.1%	25.5%

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking ()				Ranking ()				CAST Science (2023)						Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy (2023)								Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics (2023)								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 ()	Statewide Rank ()	State Percentile ()	SchoolDigger Rating ()	Average Standard Score ()	Statewide Rank ()	State Percentile ()	Rank Change from Previous Year	CAST Science 5th Grade	CAST Science 8th Grade	CAST Science 10th Grade	CAST Science 11th Grade	CAST Science 12th 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 11th 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 11th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics End of Course	Total
Desert Learning Academy	Public, Alternative	K-12	2248 E. Ramon Rd.	Palm Springs	92262	Riverside County	Palm Springs Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(760) 778-0487	436	16	27.2	96.1%	79 (18.1%)	34 (7.8%)	292 (67.0%)	11 (2.5%)	4 (0.9%)	1 (0.2%)	14 (3.2%)								(n/a)	35.7	27.1	35.3		15.9	28.3	29.2	39.3	55.2	11.1	31.4	34.0	50.0	37.0	45.8	21.4	20.0	10.7	16.7	15.6	8.3	18.0	$17,298
Horizon	Public, Virtual, Alternative	K-12	43-330 Palm Royale Dr.	La Quinta	92253	Riverside County	Desert Sands Unified	No	(n/a)	Yes	(n/a)	(760) 238-9720	414	21	19.5	83.6%	59 (14.3%)	13 (3.1%)	310 (74.9%)	3 (0.7%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	27 (6.5%)								(n/a)	26.7	25.6		23.9		24.6	6.7	13.0	46.7	37.0	59.3	46.5	46.6	40.8	26.7	13.0	20.0	22.2	14.8	25.6	26.7	22.7	$14,183

Desert Learning Academy

Desert Learning Academy:

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Palm Springs Unified:

Average Parent Rating:

What do you think?

Rank History for Desert Learning Academy

Rank History for all elementary school students at Desert Learning Academy

Rank History for elementary school Low Socio Economic Status students at Desert Learning Academy

Rank History for elementary school Female students at Desert Learning Academy

Rank History for elementary school Male students at Desert Learning Academy

Rank History for elementary school Hispanic students at Desert Learning Academy

Rank History for Desert Learning Academy

Rank History for all middle school students at Desert Learning Academy

Rank History for middle school English Language Learner students at Desert Learning Academy

Rank History for middle school Low Socio Economic Status students at Desert Learning Academy

Rank History for middle school Female students at Desert Learning Academy

Rank History for middle school Male students at Desert Learning Academy

Rank History for middle school Hispanic students at Desert Learning Academy

Rank History for Desert Learning Academy

Rank History for all high school students at Desert Learning Academy

Rank History for high school English Language Learner students at Desert Learning Academy

Rank History for high school Special Education students at Desert Learning Academy

Rank History for high school Low Socio Economic Status students at Desert Learning Academy

Rank History for high school Female students at Desert Learning Academy

Rank History for high school Male students at Desert Learning Academy

Rank History for high school African American students at Desert Learning Academy

Rank History for high school Hispanic students at Desert Learning Academy

Rank History for high school White students at Desert Learning Academy

Review counts

Enrollment information for Desert Learning Academy

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Desert Learning Academy

Student/Teacher Ratio Desert Learning Academy

Per Pupil Expenditures for Desert Learning Academy

Impact of COVID-19 on Desert Learning Academy

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Desert Learning Academy