The number of high school athletes in California who have been diagnosed with a concussion is growing. 

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 15 percent of high school students experienced at least one concussion in 2017. Because of the growing risk of head injury, Loyola High School is placing a new focus on changes to its concussion protocol - requiring all 1200 students to take baseline tests.

A series of four baselines tests for physical and mental concussion symptoms and accesses a student's concentration, reaction, and memory. The school tests all students, and not just athletes, because concussions are not unique to those playing sports. 

"It's just a matter of can we do things to make things safer, and to make sure that when you do return to play or to the classroom you have healed," athletic trainer Tim Mosicki said. 

Not only does the school take the time and money to baseline test each of their students, but the adminstration has taken its protocol one step further. 

"When we started looking at our program, we realized that we were doing a good job of supporting our kids going back to the classroom," Assistant Principal Paul Jordan said. "We now have a program that doesn't allow a student to return to play until they actually return to learn fully in the classroom."

The overall goal is to make sure no athlete returns to the field before they are fully ready, because another hit to the head could have extreme consequences down the line.