Ruben S. Ayala High School
Senator Ruben S. Ayala Senior High School, often abbreviated as Ayala High School or AHS, is located in Chino Hills, California. It is one of the four comprehensive high schools in the Chino Valley Unified School District. The school was established in 1990 and named after California state senator Ruben S. Ayala. It received the 2011 California Distinguished School award and the 2015 California Gold Ribbon School Award.
Academics
Course offerings
The school offered 30 AP classes for the 2023–24 year.Class sizes
Average class sizes for the 2010–2011 school year:- English-Language Arts: 27.3
- Mathematics: 24.2
- Science: 30.2
- History-Social Science: 34.7
Enrollment trends
Enrollment at Ayala High School started at around 1,000 freshmen and sophomores in 1991 and grew to 3,696 students before Chino Hills High School opened in 2001. After that, enrollment dropped to around 2,400 students, with a graduating class of about 600 students each year.Test scores
Of the 500 AP exams given out to 300 students in the 2010–2011 school year, 2.20% scored 3 or above.The following table lists the percentage of students who scored Proficient or above on their STAR Test.
| Year | English | Mathematics | Science | History |
| 2004–2005 | 60.08% | 44.89% | 33.77% | 40.37% |
| 2005–2006 | 58.4% | 40.14% | 42.1% | 38.9% |
| 2006–2007 | 62.7% | 40.5% | 45.7% | 45.9% |
| 2007–2008 | 63.8% | 37.1% | 50.8% | 47.8% |
| 2008–2009 | 66.5% | 40.1% | 54.0% | 48.8% |
| 2009–2010 | 70.2% | 46.4% | 55.1% | 54.6% |
| 2010–2011 | 70.9% | 46.8% | 73.3% | 56.2% |
| 2011–2012 | 74.5% | 49.2% | 72.6% | 56.6% |
The following are the percentages of students who passed the CAHSEE test in the 10th grade:
| Year | English | Mathematics |
| 2004–2005 | 93% | 92% |
| 2005–2006 | 95% | 94% |
| 2006–2007 | 95% | 92% |
| 2007–2008 | 93% | 94% |
| 2008–2009 | 95% | 95% |
| 2009–2010 | 94% | 96% |
| 2010–2011 | 95% | 94% |
| 2011–2012 | 95% | 93% |
Ayala's API score in the 2011–2012 school year was 845, 13 points up from the year before.
The graduation rate for this school in the 2010–2011 school year was 98.3%.
SkillsUSA
In the 2010 SkillsUSA California State Conference, nine students received gold medals, seven students received silver medals, and one student received a bronze medal.Awards and certifications
Ayala High School was ranked 1,183rd in the nation in 2006 by Newsweek.In April 2010, Ayala's USB Leadership Program received the California Association of Student Leaders Outstanding Activities Program Award. Ayala High School received the 2011 and 2019 California Distinguished School award, 2015 California Gold Ribbon School award, and is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges.
Performing arts
Band and Colorguard
- The Ayala Band and Colorguard is a regionally and nationally recognized performance ensemble. They have attended competitions such as the Western Band Association field tournaments and Grand Championships as well as attended several Bands of America events; Regional Championships since 1999, Super Regional Championships in 2003 in San Antonio, Texas, and Grand National Championships in Indianapolis, Indiana in 2004, 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, and 2019.
- In 2004, The Ayala BAC attended the Bands of America Grand National Championships in Indianapolis, Indiana, where they were a top 12 finalist. This was their first appearance at the event. As an unpublished category in the music caption score, the percussion section placed first in the finals.
- The Ayala BAC took second place in the 2009 Western Band Association Grand Championships in Fresno, California.
- In the 2010 Bands of America Grand National Championships held in Indianapolis, Indiana, the Ayala BAC placed 18th in semi-finals.
- The Ayala BAC placed first in both the Class 5A competition and the Combined 4A/5A Finals competition in the 2011 Western Band Association Grand Championships in Santa Barbara, California.
- The Ayala BAC was undefeated, winning first place at every field show they competed in during the 2012 season.
- The Ayala BAC tied for first place with James Logan High School in the 5A Class competition of the 2012 Western Band Association Grand Championships in Fresno, California. Due to a tie-breaking rule, which states that in the event of a tie, the band with the higher general effect score is the winner, the Ayala BAC won against James Logan High School, which was the second year in a row that James Logan had placed second to the Ayala BAC.
- In 2014, the Ayala BAC placed first in Class 5A competition, and placed second at the Combined 4A/5A Finals competition in the 2014 Western Band Association Championships.
- In 2015, the Ayala BAC's win at the Bands of America Regional Championship in Long Beach, California set the record for most consecutive Regional Championship wins, with nine, breaking the record of eight held by Centerville High School from Centerville, Ohio. This record was broken the next year by Broken Arrow High School, with 10 consecutive wins.
- In 2015, the Ayala BAC maintained an undefeated season and won first place in both the Class 5A competition and the Combined 4A/5A Finals competition at the 2015 Western Band Association Grand Championships in Fresno, California. The percussion section scored the highest ever score in the percussion caption during finals, with a 9.9.
- 2017 Western Band Association Grand Championships in Fresno, California.
- In the fall of 2018, the Ayala BAC won two consecutive Bands of America Regional Championships for the first time in the program's history, winning both the St. George, Utah Regional Championship and the Southern California Regional Championship in Valley Glen, California. These two wins also make the Ayala BAC the band with the most Regional Championship wins on the West Coast, with a total of 11.
- In 2019, the Ayala BAC won their 12th Bands of America Regional Championship at the California Regional Championship at Bakersfield College, in Bakersfield, California.
- In 2019, the Ayala BAC made their 6th appearance at the Bands of America Grand National Championships in Indianapolis, Indiana, where they were a top 12 finalist. This marks the second time a California band has made three appearances in the competition's Finals since Etiwanda High School did so in the 1990s.
Indoor Percussion Ensembles
The Ayala Marching Percussion Ensemble and Ayala Concert Percussion Ensemble are nationally recognized winter/indoor performing groups. The Ayala Marching Percussion Ensemble currently competes in the Percussion Scholastic World class, while the Ayala Concert Percussion Ensemble currently competes in the Percussion Scholastic Concert World class. Ayala fields nationally competitive indoor percussion groups, including the Marching Percussion Ensemble and Concert Percussion Ensemble. Both compete in the Southern California Percussion Alliance and Winter Guard International circuits. In 2007, the Concert Percussion Ensemble won the WGI World Championship, receiving the first perfect music score in WGI history.Winterguard
- The 2010 JV Guard moved up two divisions in the Western Guard Association of Southern California circuit and up three divisions in the Winter Guard International circuit, and managed to win double gold medals in the 2010 WGASC Championships. The Varsity Guard also placed third at that year's WGASC Championships.
- In 2011, the Varsity Guard was awarded 1st place at a local Winter Guard International Color Guard Regional Championship and 2nd place at the Winter Guard International Color Guard Western Power Regional Championship in San Diego, California.
- In 2019, the Varsity Guard won 1st in World Class at the Winter Guard International Color Guard Regional Championship in Las Vegas, Nevada, as well as WGASC Championships.
Athletics
A documentary was made about the 2010–2011 Ayala wrestling team.Notable alumni
- K. C. Asiodu – National Football League player for the New Orleans Saints
- Jeff Bajenaru – former MLB baseball pitcher
- Karen Bardsley – goalkeeper for England women's national football team
- Ryan Bradley – former MLB baseball pitcher
- Rebekah Gardner – WNBA player
- Mike Randolph – professional soccer player who played for the Los Angeles Galaxy of Major League Soccer
- Adam Seminaris – professional baseball player
- A Static Lullaby – post-hardcore band from Chino Hills, CA
- Marquise Wilson – actor, ''Hangin' with Mr Cooper''