For high school students in the northern part of Irvine, the best option is Northwood High School. Northwood has been placed as the 54th best school in California. Great Schools has broken down that placement into a few different categories. Parents are given the power to understand and review local schools through Great Schools.
Great Schools is one of the leading non-profit organizations in their field. Northwood has been reviewed and ranked by Great Schools and the results are telling. Irvine is a great place for families to call home and Northwood High School is a prime example of what makes Irvine so amazing.
Great Schools breaks down a high school into three different factors; academics, equity, and environment. Each category is then broken down, compared to state averages, and given a score out of ten.
Academics at Northwood High School
To get the scores for Northwood High’s academics, Great Schools looked at test scores, college readiness, and advanced courses. Northwood scored a ten out of ten in academics thanks to the average test scores of students. In fact, Northwood has a reputation for scoring over the state averages in math, science, and English testing.
Those scores translate into more students from Northwood graduating with 97% of students graduating. Of those students who graduate, 81% leave with UC/CSU entrance requirements. Finally, the number of students who take advanced courses at Northwood is well above the state average.
Equity
Equity at a school is ranked by how students from many different groups do on tests. If students from different backgrounds are testing well it shows that a school doesn’t discriminate. The school is helping every student as much as possible regardless of wealth, nationality, or handicap.
At Northwood, students come from many different backgrounds and all have shown success in testing and graduating. In fact, Great Schools has given Northwood a ten out of ten for overall equity. The state average for students with disabilities testing is 19%, which means 19% of students with disabilities are passing tests.
However, at Northwood, 73% of students with disabilities are passing tests. This is an amazing accomplishment and it’s proving the equity at Northwood High.
Photo Credit: OC Register
Environment
The environment of a high school is important to how a student develops and sees the world. Studies have shown that diversity in schools creates benefits for students in the future. Currently, the student body at Northwood High is made up of 54% Asian, 32% white, 6% Hispanic,3% of two or more races, 3% Filipino, 1% black, and 1% Native American.
Of those students, 52% are male and 48% are female. This shows this school is diverse and inclusive. Great Schools also look at the number of students per teacher and counselor. While at Northwood, the number of students per teacher is higher than the state average of 22:1 at 28:1, the counselors are better handled.
The state average of students per counselor is 830:1 but at Northwood, it’s 459:1.
Varsity Driving Academy and Northwood High School
Varsity Driving Academy has been providing top-rated service to top-rated schools in Irvine. In fact, Varsity Driving Academy has been awarded the best driving school in Irvine multiple years in a row. We’re proud to be part of the life of students who blow state averages out of the water. “For the good of the pack!”
