SchoolDecoder

School ratings mostly show who walks in the door. SchoolDecoder shows what changes after context.

We decode what school ratings actually mean.

Live example

What a SchoolDecoder Scorecard looks like

One real school’s two ranks side by side. Achievement Rank is how students score. Decoded Rank is how the school ranks after accounting for school context. The arrow is the brand motif.

Live example coming soon.

Where raw rankings and decoded rankings diverge

Each list groups schools by what their two ranks say together. Lead with the schools quietly outperforming their context.

Lead list

Outperforming Expectations

Modest raw scores, decoded performance is exceptional. The schools that don't show up on traditional rankings.

  1. Hartley Elementary School

    Achievement
    #433 of 462
    Decoded
    #58 of 462
    Shift

    ★★Outperforming Expectations

    Data confidence: High

  2. Reynolds Middle School

    Achievement
    #447 of 462
    Decoded
    #84 of 462
    Shift

    ★★Outperforming Expectations

    Data confidence: High

  3. Powell Butte Elementary School

    Achievement
    #425 of 462
    Decoded
    #70 of 462
    Shift

    ★★Outperforming Expectations

    Data confidence: High

  4. Mill Park Elementary School

    Achievement
    #348 of 462
    Decoded
    #22 of 462
    Shift

    ★★Outperforming Expectations

    Data confidence: High

  5. Ron Russell Middle School

    Achievement
    #368 of 462
    Decoded
    #51 of 462
    Shift

    ★★Outperforming Expectations

    Data confidence: High

Strong by Both Measures

Students score highly, and the school still performs well after accounting for context.

  1. Hope Chinese Charter School

    Achievement
    #4 of 462
    Decoded
    #31 of 462
    Shift

    ★Strong by Both Measures

    Data confidence: High

  2. Winterhaven School

    Achievement
    #2 of 462
    Decoded
    #2 of 462
    Shift

    ★Strong by Both Measures

    Data confidence: High

  3. Le Monde French Immersion Public Charter School

    Achievement
    #5 of 462
    Decoded
    #5 of 462
    Shift

    ★Strong by Both Measures

    Data confidence: High

  4. Westridge Elementary School

    Achievement
    #1 of 462
    Decoded
    #1 of 462
    Shift

    ★Strong by Both Measures

    Data confidence: High

  5. International School of Beaverton

    Achievement
    #27 of 462
    Decoded
    #90 of 462
    Shift

    ★Strong by Both Measures

    Data confidence: High

High Scores, Context Matters

Students score highly, but the school performs closer to expected once neighborhood context is considered.

  1. Irvington Elementary School

    Achievement
    #87 of 462
    Decoded
    #371 of 462
    Shift

    High Scores, Context Matters

    Data confidence: High

  2. Rose City Park

    Achievement
    #108 of 462
    Decoded
    #373 of 462
    Shift

    High Scores, Context Matters

    Data confidence: High

  3. Chief Joseph Elementary School

    Achievement
    #83 of 462
    Decoded
    #317 of 462
    Shift

    High Scores, Context Matters

    Data confidence: High

  4. Sabin Elementary School

    Achievement
    #78 of 462
    Decoded
    #311 of 462
    Shift

    High Scores, Context Matters

    Data confidence: High

  5. Atfalati Ridge

    Achievement
    #88 of 462
    Decoded
    #288 of 462
    Shift

    High Scores, Context Matters

    Data confidence: High

High Scores

The familiar achievement-only ranking, included for reference. Compare with the decoded lists above.

  1. Westridge Elementary School

    Achievement
    #1 of 462
    Decoded
    #1 of 462
    Shift

    ★Strong by Both Measures

    Data confidence: High

  2. Winterhaven School

    Achievement
    #2 of 462
    Decoded
    #2 of 462
    Shift

    ★Strong by Both Measures

    Data confidence: High

  3. Rieke Elementary School

    Achievement
    #3 of 462
    Decoded
    #118 of 462
    Shift

    ★Strong by Both Measures

    Data confidence: High

  4. Hope Chinese Charter School

    Achievement
    #4 of 462
    Decoded
    #31 of 462
    Shift

    ★Strong by Both Measures

    Data confidence: High

  5. Le Monde French Immersion Public Charter School

    Achievement
    #5 of 462
    Decoded
    #5 of 462
    Shift

    ★Strong by Both Measures

    Data confidence: High

Search a school or district

Try a school name, district, or NCES ID. We’ll show the decoded rank and the raw rank side by side.