As an independent nonprofit, our mission at GreatSchools.org is to help all parents get a great education for their children and for communities to ensure that all students get the support they need to succeed. The definition of “success” is as diverse as the millions of parents who visit our site each year, and we strive to display a variety of indicators of school quality to provide a well-rounded picture of how effectively each school serves its students. We understand that the available information doesn’t always reflect parents’ priorities. That’s why we are constantly working to acquire a broader range of information in order to paint a richer picture of school quality and what it means to provide equitable opportunity for all students.
In 2017, we launched our Summary Rating, which is comprised of themed ratings that each reflect important factors in how students experience school, including how well schools serve students from different racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic backgrounds, how much students are improving within a school year, performance on state tests, and how well schools prepare students for college.
In August 2020, we piloted new methodologies in California and Michigan for both the Summary Rating and the Equity Rating to provide a clearer lens to see how schools serve all children. This new methodology was available nationwide as of September, 2020.
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Summary Rating
Methodology
Data transparency
Our approach to ratings
We believe that every parent — regardless of their background — needs reliable information in order to understand whether their child is being served by their school. We recognize that how well a school serves students from historically marginalized populations goes beyond test scores. A mounting body of evidence suggests that in comparison to just end-of-year test scores, student progress — or growth — is a more accurate way to measure how much value a school is adding for its students. (Student progress, or growth, measures how much each child learns in a given year, based on the change in their state test scores from one year to the next.) This information, when used in combination with other information, such as college readiness measures and test score data, can give parents a better understanding of a school’s quality.
With this in mind, we have added student progress and college readiness metrics to our Equity Rating, and we have updated our overall Summary Rating methodology to emphasize student growth relative to test scores. These changes will help uncover the strengths of schools successfully serving Black, Latinx, Native American and low-income students. We believe this is an important step toward providing richer, multifaceted information that is not only based on research, but also reflective of what parents find meaningful.
Summary Rating
The GreatSchools Summary Rating appears at the top of a school’s profile. Our ratings follow a 1-10 scale, where 10 is the highest and 1 is the lowest. Ratings at the lower end of the scale (1-4) signal that the school is “below average,” 5-6 indicate “average,” and 7-10 are “above average.”
The Summary Rating calculation is based on four ratings, each of which is designed to show different facets of school success: the Student Progress Rating or Academic Progress Rating, College Readiness Rating, Equity Rating, and Test Score Rating. The ratings for each school vary based on data availability or relevance to a school level (for example, high schools have a College Readiness Rating, but elementary schools do not). We do not produce Summary Ratings for schools if we lack sufficient data. For more about how this rating is calculated, see the Summary Rating inputs and weights section below.
Note: Some states do not have sufficient information to generate a Summary Rating. In these states, we default to the school’s Test Score Rating as the overall rating displayed at the top of the profile.
Student Progress Rating
The Student Progress Rating (also known as “growth”) measures whether students at a school are making academic progress over time. Specifically, the Student Progress Rating measures how much progress individual students have made on state standardized assessments during the past year or more and how this performance aligns with expected progress for that student. Each state department of education establishes a student growth model. The Student Progress Rating shows how this school’s average growth data compares to growth data of other schools in the state. The goal of the Student Progress Rating is to provide transparency into schools that are improving student outcomes regardless of the student’s starting point in terms of academic achievement.
Student Progress data is less common for high schools, because in many states high school students only take state standardized tests in one year. It is also important to note that it is possible for schools with already-high-performing students to receive a high Student Progress Rating, or for schools with high test scores to receive a low Student Progress Rating. Research indicates that growth metrics are a more accurate measure of the value that a school adds for its students because they are less correlated with the socioeconomic background of the student population than test score performance. In the Summary Rating, we give more weight to the Student Progress Rating than the Test Score Rating. see the section below for more information about how this rating is calculated.
For more information about how we calculate this rating, see the GreatSchools Ratings methodology report.
Academic Progress Rating
For states that do not provide publicly available growth data (and therefore rule out the potential for a Student Test Score Rating), we calculate an Academic Progress Rating, a proxy rating based on a model using school-level data instead of student-level data. This data is less common for high schools, since in many states high school students only take state standardized tests in one year, making it difficult to look at grade-to-grade improvement. When student growth data does become publicly available in these states, we will replace the Academic Progress Rating with a Student Progress Rating. In response to low testing rates in the 2019-20 and 2020-21 school years, we temporarily adjusted our Academic Progress Rating Methodology based on recommendations from education research groups and policymakers.
For more information about how we calculate this rating, see the GreatSchools Ratings methodology report.
College Readiness Rating
The College Readiness Rating is designed to measure how well high schools prepare their students for success in college and career, compared to other schools in the state. The rating is based on the high school’s graduation rate, data about college entrance exams (SAT/ACT performance) and/or advanced course information, including enrollment in International Baccalaureate courses, dual-enrollment courses, and Advanced Placement (AP) courses and AP exam passing rates. This rating only applies to high schools.
For more information about how we calculate this rating, see the GreatSchools Ratings methodology report.
Equity Rating
The Equity Rating is designed to measure how well a school serves the academic development of disadvantaged student groups. The rating includes data on 1) how disadvantaged students are performing based on student progress (growth) or academic progress (growth proxy), college readiness (e.g., college entrance exam performance and high school graduation rates), and state proficiency tests, in comparison to the outcomes for all students in the state, and 2) performance gaps between disadvantaged students and non-disadvantaged students in a school. We define disadvantaged students as students from racial, ethnic, and/or socioeconomic groups that show persistent gaps across all schools and outcomes within the state. This allows us to understand how well the school is educating disadvantaged student groups compared to all students, and how these students are performing compared to non-disadvantaged students in each school. A low rating (1–4) may indicate some student groups are not getting the support they need at the school, while a high rating (7–10) may indicate that a school’s disadvantaged groups are doing well.
When the population of a student group is too small to provide reliable data (less than 5% of the total student body), that student group is omitted from the calculation. As a result, some groups may not be included in some charts within the equity sections of the school’s profile.
Some schools do not have a large enough population of disadvantaged students to calculate an Equity Rating (homogeneous schools). These schools do not receive an Equity Rating. Their Summary Rating is therefore composed of the other available data.
For more information about how we calculate this rating, see the GreatSchools Ratings methodology report.
Test Score Rating
The Test Score Rating measures schools on academic proficiency, using performance on state tests (the percentage of students scoring at or above proficiency) across grades and subjects, compared to other schools in the state, to produce a 1-10 rating for each school. This school’s overall Test Score Ratings are displayed in the Academics section on school profiles and are broken out by student group (race/ethnicity and family income) in the Equity section. This rating is an important factor in understanding school quality because it helps reflect how well students are meeting academic proficiency standards set by each state.
For more information about how we calculate this rating, see the GreatSchools Ratings methodology report.
Note: we also display discipline and attendance flags to identify schools with worrisome patterns of out-of-school suspensions and chronic student absenteeism. Creating these flags involves two primary steps: identifying schools with high rates of suspension or absenteeism, and identifying schools with significant differences in suspension or chronic absenteeism rates between students from different race/ethnicity groups. If a school has a flag, it appears in a school’s “Equity” section, under “Race/ethnicity” then toggle to view the “Discipline & attendance” information. These flags do not influence any of the themed ratings or the Summary Rating.
Summary Rating inputs and weights
The Summary Rating calculation is based on up to four of the school’s themed ratings (described above), based on available data. For example, college readiness measures like Advanced Placement classes and college entrance exams are available in most high schools but not elementary or middle schools.
To calculate the Summary Rating, we use weights for each themed rating based on the available data, the amount of information available about the school relative to other schools in the state, the amount of variability in the data, and the extent to which each data point has been proven to be related to student success in college and for long-term life outcomes. The maximum weight for each themed rating is capped to be no more than the Student Progress/Academic Progress Rating weight, regardless of its data availability and quality.
Below are representative examples of how a high school or elementary school’s ratings are weighted within the overall Summary Rating calculation for the school:
Inputs to the Summary Rating are school- and state-specific, depending on data availability. Each of the themed ratings that comprise the Summary Rating may be refreshed as new data becomes available, which in turn may cause the school’s Summary Rating to change. These changes may happen at different times throughout the course of a year. To see when underlying data was updated, click on the Sources information for each rating and flag. Note: rounding of percentages may cause some Summary Rating weights to exceed 100%.
Greater data transparency
At GreatSchools.org, we believe that transparency builds trust. We believe that government education agencies have an obligation to make data on school quality available to parents and the public. Every parent should feel informed and empowered to unlock educational opportunities for their child regardless of their family background. That’s why in recent years, GreatSchools.org has expanded data collection efforts in every state to include various types of school quality data broken down by student groups, including students from low-income families, diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds, and students with disabilities. These additional data (where available) are now part of GreatSchools.org school profiles and provide a more complete picture of how effectively a school serves all of its students.
Data transparency helps parents know how schools in their community are doing, where there is room for improvement, and what the best options are for their children. Sharing school information — good and bad — also cultivates parent engagement and trust. Additionally, it’s important that school data be made available in accessible, easy-to-use formats so that non-governmental organizations can use the information to inform parents and students about the quality of their local schools.
Our ongoing commitment to offering a broader view of school quality
We are committed to an ongoing evolution of how we can paint a broader picture of school quality that better captures the factors that matter most to parents and that research shows can make a difference in student success. We think the changes we are making to our methodology are a step forward in our ongoing mission to illuminate issues around equity in education. Going forward, we will continue to work in collaboration with research partners and to pursue an expanded definition of school quality that includes information about the resources, opportunities, and practices used in schools, and meaningful outcomes for all students. We will continue to advocate for the quality and types of data needed to help parents understand how schools are doing in their state. Where data is not available, we’ll continue to highlight the need for, and value of, transparency, as we have done for years.
Support and frequently asked questions
- Was this information helpful in better understanding our ratings? Share your feedback.
- For additional help, please visit our FAQ page.
- For more information on GreatSchools’ commitment to working with government education agencies and community partners to provide better information on student outcomes, please contact us.
FAQs
Which website is best for school ratings? ›
Welcome to SchoolDigger.com, your ultimate guide to choosing the best K-12 school for your child. Our extensive database offers detailed profiles of over 136,000 public and private schools across the US, featuring enrollment data, test scores, financial statistics, and more.
What is the greatschools summary rating based on several metrics? ›We calculate it based on high school graduation rates, college entrance exam scores, participation in advanced courses such as AP, IB, and dual enrollment classes, and AP test scores.
What is the richest school district in Dallas? ›Stonewall Jackson Elementary is 76 percent affluent, and Lakewood Elementary is 96 percent, making it the wealthiest and least-diverse school in the district and the only Dallas ISD school with more than 80 percent affluent families.
What is the best public school system in the US? ›1. Massachusetts. Massachusetts has the best public school system in the U.S. 48.8% of Massachusetts's eligible schools ranked in the top 25% of high school rankings, a total of 167 schools. Massachusetts has the highest math and reading test scores in the U.S. and the second-highest median ACT score of 25.1.
Who has the best school system? ›New Jersey topped the list of states with the best public school system, according to a new report from Scholaroo. Findings revealed the Garden State offers the safest environment for its students and has the lowest dropout rate compared with all other states. It also has the fourth highest spend per student.
What is the rating scale for schools? ›Our ratings follow a 1-10 scale, where 10 is the highest and 1 is the lowest. Ratings at the lower end of the scale (1-4) signal that the school is “below average,” 5-6 indicate “average,” and 7-10 are “above average.”
What is the standards referenced grading scale? ›Standards referenced grading measures how well an individual student is doing in relation to the grade level/course standards, not the work of other students. A standards based grade reporting system is designed to inform you about your child's progress toward achieving specific learning standards.
What is the highest grade in performance grading index? ›As was done in the previous years, PGI 2020-21 classified the States/UTs into ten grades viz., highest achievable Grade is Level 1, which is for State/UT scoring more than 950 points out of total of 1000 points. The lowest grade is Level 10 which is for score below 551.
What is the maximum salary of a teacher in Texas? ›How much does a Public School Teacher make in Texas? The average Public School Teacher salary in Texas is $55,523 as of May 01, 2023, but the range typically falls between $46,367 and $67,713.
Where do billionaires live in Dallas? ›Highland Park is the richest neighborhood in Dallas. Located just north of downtown, this affluent neighborhood is the epitome of luxury living. In addition to its stunning assortment of upscale residences, this area is also home to walkable streets and an abundance of recreational centers.
Which city in Texas has the best schools? ›
| Place | Metro area | 2022 ranking |
|---|---|---|
| Rollingwood | Austin Area | 1 |
| West Lake Hills | Austin Area | 2 |
| Coppell | Dallas-Fort Worth Area | 4 |
| University Park | Dallas-Fort Worth Area | 3 |
1. Massachusetts. Massachusetts has the best-ranked public schools in the United States and is the second-most educated state, just behind the District of Columbia. About 90.40% of Massachusetts adults have a high school diploma, and 42.90% have a Bachelor's degree or higher.
What state has the safest schools? ›Massachusetts
Massachusetts has the highest rank for public schools across the country. The quality of education is exceptional, and safety is also high. It ranked highest in math and reading test scores out of all states.
Its findings across all 50 states led them to rank Texas as the 10th least educated state in the U.S. The Lone Star State was also found to have one of the least percentages of high-school diploma holders.
Who has the hardest school system? ›- South Korea.
- Japan.
- Singapore.
- Hong Kong.
- Finland.
| State | Academic Performance Rank | Overall Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Idaho | 42 | 47 |
| Louisiana | 48 | 48 |
| South Carolina | 41 | 49 |
| Mississippi | 50 | 50 |
| Rank | School District | County |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Mateo County Office Of Education | San Mateo County |
| 2 | San Francisco County Office Of Education | San Francisco County |
| 3 | Santa Barbara County Office Of Education | Santa Barbara County |
| 4 | Los Angeles Unified | Los Angeles County |
Most expensive private high schools in US: IMG Academy makes the list.
Which state ranks lowest in education? ›West Virginia is the least educated U.S. state, with an overall score of 23.15. West Virginia ranks last for Educational Attainment with the lowest shares of people with associate's degrees or some college experience and those with bachelor's degrees, at 20.6%.
What are the 5 rating scale? ›The 5-point Likert scale contains 5 response options that will consist of two extreme sides and a neutral option linked to the middle answer options. Examples of a 5-point rating scale for measuring satisfaction are: Very Satisfied, Satisfied, Neutral, Dissatisfied, and Very Dissatisfied.
What grading scale do most schools use? ›
Every school, college, and other higher education institutions will have a different scale (most use a 4.0 scale) for your letter grades, but, generally, an A always corresponds to either 4 or a multiple of 4.
What is a good rating scale? ›The four-point rating scale. Many organizations have used the standard three-point rating scale. However, in our research on the distribution of performance responses, we have found that a 4-point rating scale is often the best option.
How do you determine grading scale? ›First, add the number of standard points the student earned. Then, divide that sum by the total number of points possible. Once you have that percentage, you can convert it using a traditional grading scale as pictured above. This method works for the common 1-4 scale as well as for 1-3 or 1-5 scales.
What is a criterion referenced grading when would it be most appropriate to use? ›Criterion-referenced scores are most appropriate when an educator wants to assess the specific concepts or skills a student has learned through classroom instruction. Most criterion-referenced assessments have a cut score, which determines success or failure based on an established percentage correct.
What is the rating system for grading levels of evidence? ›GRADE has four levels of evidence – also known as certainty in evidence or quality of evidence: very low, low, moderate, and high (Table 1). Evidence from randomized controlled trials starts at high quality and, because of residual confounding, evidence that includes observational data starts at low quality.
What is the most popular grading system? ›In the USA, GPA or Grade Point Average is used to evaluate your academic performance. It is a standardized system that is followed throughout the country at different levels of education. The most used system in American universities is the four-point grading system or GPA.
What is the easiest grading scale? ›Pass/fail grading systems are straightforward. Students either receive credit for a class or not. This binary approach allows students to move forward as long as they complete the work that exceeds a failing threshold. The pass/fail grading system can reduce pressure on students to earn high grades.
What is the hardest grading system in the world? ›Australian Grading System
Like Canada, Australia has one of the most complex grading systems in the world that varies for different regions.
- New York. Average salary: $80,286.
- Illinois. Average salary: $70,696.
- Michigan. Average salary: $70,137.
- Pennsylvania. Average salary: $69,949.
- Washington.
Teacher Salary By State: Highest-Paid Teachers by State [2023] Research Summary. After extensive research by the Zippia data science team, we identified these details of teacher salary by state for the United States: Maryland has the highest teacher salary of $61,254.
Who is the highest paid teacher in? ›
Highest salary that a Teacher can earn is ₹5.1 Lakhs per year (₹42.5k per month).
Who is the richest family in Texas? ›- #8. Autry Stephens. ...
- #7. Jeffery Hildebrand. ...
- #6. Andrew Beal. ...
- #5. Stanley Kroenke. ...
- #4. Jerry Jones. ...
- #3. Michael Dell. ...
- #2. Alice Walton. - Net worth: $58.8 billion (#21 wealthiest in the world) ...
- #1. Elon Musk. - Net worth: $193.9 billion (#2 wealthiest in the world)
Jerry Jones (Dallas Cowboys) – $16 billion. Stanley Kroenke (sports, real estate) – $12.9 billion. Jeffery Hildebrand (oil) – $11 billion.
What is the most expensive town in Dallas? ›Preston Hollow is one of the most expensive neighborhoods in the city of Dallas. The community features many grand old homes and spacious lots typical of Dallas during the Texas oil boom in the early 1900s. About 10 miles up the Dallas North Tollway from downtown, Preston Hollow provides easy access to the city center.
What is the lowest paid school district in Texas? ›High Island ISD, a district with 158 students, had the lowest starting salary with $33,600 -- just $2 above the state minimum required to pay teachers. Other districts with starting salaries below $40,000 include Buna ISD with $38,800 and Deweyville ISD with $39,916.
Which school district pays the best in Texas? ›Grand Prairie ISD pays the highest salaries to new teachers in North Texas for the 2022-23 school year, according to a new study.
What is the average 1st year teacher salary in Texas? ›How much does an Entry Level Teacher make in Texas? The average Entry Level Teacher salary in Texas is $41,902 as of May 01, 2023, but the range typically falls between $34,992 and $51,101.
What is the safest city in Texas? ›| City Name | Population (2023) | Overall Crime Rate (Per 1,000 Residents) |
|---|---|---|
| Trophy Club | 14,820 | 3.87 |
| Highland Village | 16,067 | 5.60 |
| Colleyville | 26,707 | 6.26 |
| Friendswood | 42,295 | 6.55 |
HPISD is one of the most prestigious school districts in the state, regularly logging average ACT and SAT scores well above state and national averages, and over 97% of its graduates go on to attend college. Friendswood Independent School District earns Texas' #2 spot.
What is the number 1 private high school in Texas? ›Mark's School of Texas. #1 Best Private High Schools in Texas.
What state has the best quality of life? ›
| ▲ Overall Rank | State | Healthcare |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wyoming | 37 |
| 2 | Vermont | 1 |
| 3 | South Dakota | 27 |
| 4 | New Hampshire | 7 |
U.S. News and World Report ranked California 44th for K-12 education and Texas did better coming in 33rd.
What state has the best healthcare? ›Hawaii is the top state for health care in the U.S. It has the best health outcomes in the country, with low preventable death (47 per 100,000 people), diabetes mortality and obesity rates. However, the state ranks fairly low for accessibility (No. 31).
What is the poorest school in the United States? ›In San Perlita, Texas, the poorest school district in the United States, the median annual household income is just $16,384, or less than a third of the national median income level.
What state has the smartest high school students? ›| # | State | Average IQ |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Massachusetts | 104.3 |
| 2 | New Hampshire | 104.2 |
| 3 | North Dakota | 103.8 |
| 4 | Vermont | 103.8 |
Massachusetts tops all other states with the highest percentage of top-ranked public high schools. April 25, 2022, at 9:00 p.m. A breakdown by state of the 2022 U.S. News & World Report Best High Schools rankings shows that Massachusetts is once again the leading performer.
Is US News ranking reliable? ›US News lists unranked schools, but they are put in alphabetical order at the end of each college category without any value judgment. This means that if you're interested in very small colleges or colleges that only loosely participate in the US News survey, the rankings may not help you much.
What are the ratings for education com? ›Overview. Education.com has a rating of 3.2 stars from 5 reviews, indicating that most customers are generally satisfied with their purchases. Education.com ranks 444th among Tutor sites.
What is the #1 middle school in America? ›The Davidson Academy
#1 Best Public Middle Schools in America.
The top ranked public high schools in Los Angeles County, CA are California Academy Of Mathematics And Science, Eunice Sato Academy Of Math & Science and Science Academy Stem Magnet. Overall testing rank is based on a school's combined math and reading proficiency test score ranking.
Why are schools pulling out of US news rankings? ›
Many schools said that the rankings do not accurately reflect their values. The first schools to leave the U.S. News rankings were Harvard Law and Yale Law. Critiques of the methodology include overemphasis on GPA and test scores and a lack of focus on need-based aid and loan forgiveness programs.
Why are schools withdrawing from US news rankings? ›The recent withdrawals come after decades of complaints about the value of the rankings. Critics say the rankings rely too much on the grades and test scores of accepted students, and the reputation of schools among academicians, all of which reward the privileges of certain applicants.
What is the difference between US news and QS ranking? ›USNews and THE focus more on the academic research capabilities available in each institution, and QS evaluates the number of international students and faculty employed. All of these different factors affect how universities are ranked differently from list to list.
What is bad education rated? ›Bad Education | 2019 | TV-MA | – 4.3. 5. Why is “Bad Education” rated TV-MA?
Is education com a legit site? ›Education.com is a great source of teaching materials, especially if you're homeschooling your child. It offers additional features like the Progress Tracker that helps you follow your students' learning activities.
What is the American school rating system? ›In the United States, academic grading commonly takes on the form of five, six or seven letter grades. Traditionally, the grades are A+, A, A−, B+, B, B−, C+, C, C−, D+, D, D− and F, with A+ being the highest and F being lowest. In some cases, grades can also be numerical.
What high school sends the most kids to Harvard? ›Nationwide, these are the three top schools with the most graduates who registered at Harvard, Princeton or MIT from 2015-18: Thomas Jefferson High School in Alexandria, Virginia: 96; Stuyvesant High School in New York City: 94; and Phillips Exeter Academy in Exeter, New Hampshire: 87.
What is the hardest high school in America? ›- International Academy*, Bloomfield Hills, Mich. ...
- Stanton College Prep*, Jacksonville, Fla. ...
- Paxon*, Jacksonville, Fla. ...
- Alabama School of Fine Arts, Birmingham. ...
- Jericho, N.Y. ...
- George Mason*, Falls Church, Va. ...
- Eastern Sierra Academy, Bridgeport, Calif. ...
- Myers Park*, Charlotte, N.C.
1. Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology.
What is the richest school district in California? ›Of active districts in California with at least 100 students, Hillsborough City Elementary – located in San Mateo County – ranks as the wealthiest.
What is the richest school in California? ›
University of Southern California is the most expensive school with tuition & fees of $64,726 and Pepperdine University ($63,142) and Harvey Mudd College ($62,817) are following it in the list of California Colleges with the Highest Tuition & Fees.
What is the most successful high school? ›- #1. Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology. Alexandria, VA.
- #2. Academic Magnet High School. North Charleston, SC.
- #3. Signature School. Evansville, IN.