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
    #326 of 441
    Decoded
    #28 of 441
    Shift

    ★★Outperforming Expectations

    Data confidence: High

  2. Echo Shaw Elementary School

    Achievement
    #303 of 441
    Decoded
    #16 of 441
    Shift

    ★★Outperforming Expectations

    Data confidence: High

  3. Alder Elementary School

    Achievement
    #345 of 441
    Decoded
    #81 of 441
    Shift

    ★★Outperforming Expectations

    Data confidence: High

  4. Powell Butte Elementary School

    Achievement
    #321 of 441
    Decoded
    #71 of 441
    Shift

    ★★Outperforming Expectations

    Data confidence: High

  5. Lane Middle School

    Achievement
    #264 of 441
    Decoded
    #17 of 441
    Shift

    ★★Outperforming Expectations

    Data confidence: High

Strong by Both Measures

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

  1. Creston Elementary School

    Achievement
    #47 of 441
    Decoded
    #23 of 441
    Shift

    ★Strong by Both Measures

    Data confidence: High

  2. Grass Valley Elementary

    Achievement
    #1 of 441
    Decoded
    #2 of 441
    Shift

    ★Strong by Both Measures

    Data confidence: High

  3. Hope Chinese Charter School

    Achievement
    #4 of 441
    Decoded
    #5 of 441
    Shift

    ★Strong by Both Measures

    Data confidence: High

  4. Le Monde French Immersion Public Charter School

    Achievement
    #5 of 441
    Decoded
    #1 of 441
    Shift

    ★Strong by Both Measures

    Data confidence: High

  5. Westridge Elementary School

    Achievement
    #1 of 441
    Decoded
    #2 of 441
    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. Chief Joseph Elementary School

    Achievement
    #70 of 441
    Decoded
    #275 of 441
    Shift

    High Scores, Context Matters

    Data confidence: High

  2. Irvington Elementary School

    Achievement
    #74 of 441
    Decoded
    #277 of 441
    Shift

    High Scores, Context Matters

    Data confidence: High

  3. Sabin Elementary School

    Achievement
    #67 of 441
    Decoded
    #269 of 441
    Shift

    High Scores, Context Matters

    Data confidence: High

  4. Montclair Elementary School

    Achievement
    #77 of 441
    Decoded
    #252 of 441
    Shift

    High Scores, Context Matters

    Data confidence: High

  5. Markham Elementary School

    Achievement
    #80 of 441
    Decoded
    #236 of 441
    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 441
    Decoded
    #2 of 441
    Shift

    ★Strong by Both Measures

    Data confidence: High

  2. Grass Valley Elementary

    Achievement
    #1 of 441
    Decoded
    #2 of 441
    Shift

    ★Strong by Both Measures

    Data confidence: High

  3. Winterhaven School

    Achievement
    #2 of 441
    Decoded
    #3 of 441
    Shift

    ★Strong by Both Measures

    Data confidence: High

  4. Rieke Elementary School

    Achievement
    #3 of 441
    Decoded
    #129 of 441
    Shift

    High Scores, Context Matters

    Data confidence: High

  5. Hope Chinese Charter School

    Achievement
    #4 of 441
    Decoded
    #5 of 441
    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.