Students speak English and/or Spanish. 48% of the students are Second-Language Learners with 33% of the total enrollment classified as Limited English Proficiency. Special Education students comprise 11% of the total enrollment. Of this, 5% are identified as Resource Specialist Program and 6% as Special Day Class. All students in attendance qualify for the National School Lunch Program receiving free or reduced breakfast and lunch.
Certificated staff profile
The certificated staff and faculty at Centennial High School is ethnically composed of the following as of 2009:
The California Department of Education mandates a qualification for subject teaching known as a "Clear Credential". 91% of certificated staff hold a Clear Credential and all except for five staff members met the No Child Left Behind Act requirements of "Highly Qualified Teacher".
Centennial High School is designated by the Compton Unified School District as a Title I school. For over 5 years, the school has remained a Program Improvement school. As of the 2009-2010 school year, Centennial is in state rank 1 and also ranks 1 with similar schools. Centennial High School has not met its state-identified goals for student progress in all areas each year since 2006. Students failed to meet theNo Child Left Behind Act's Adequate Yearly Progress requirements in English Language Arts or Mathematics for all significant subgroups. Centennial remains in year 5+ of school-wide Program Improvement.
2010 data
CAHSEE English Language Arts : In 2010, of 270 sophomores, 177 passed the ELA examination, or 66%. Of this number, 52 of 82 African-American students passed, or 63%. 122 of 182 Latino students passed, or 67%.
CAHSEE Mathematics: In 2010, of 275 sophomores, 163 passed the Math examination, or 59%. Of this number, 43 of 83 African-American students passed, or 52%. 116 of 185 Latino students passed, or 63%.
California Standardized Testing and Reporting Program: California requires a minimum Academic Performance Index score of at least 650. As of 2010, Centennial High School's API was 573, well below the statewide performance target of 800. Test scores indicate that the vast majority of students are not proficient or advanced and many of them are far below grade level in all core academic areas.
Graduation rate
Identified as a Tier 1 school in the Spring of 2010 by the California Department of Education, Centennial High School had a standing graduation rate of 58.9% and since then has been reclassified as a “persistently low-achieving school” by the Assessment and Accountability Division, with graduation rates below 60% for three years or more. California State and Federal Government guidelines for high school graduation rates dictate that all schools should be at 83%, or grow.01% over the past year or.02% over the past 2 years. Currently, the graduation rate at Centennial High School is 58.9%. Therefore, Centennial has chosen the "Transformation Intervention Model" in an effort to increase retention of students, student achievement and the site’s graduation rate.