Metro overview
46 schools ranked · Updated May 29, 2026
These are the schools where raw test performance and decoded performance disagree most. The shift column shows the gap between Achievement Rank and Decoded Rank.
Raw scores are modest, but decoded performance is strong — these schools are doing more than their context predicts.
High raw scores AND high decoded performance — doing more with their context than peer schools at the same level.
Raw scores are high, but the school's advantaged context predicts even higher — raw scores may overstate the school's effect.
| Silver Beach Elementary SchoolNeighborhood | Bellingham School District | #1 | #1 | ★Strong by Both Measures | High | |
| Nooksack Valley Middle SchoolNeighborhood | Nooksack Valley School District | #22 | #2 | ★★Outperforming Expectations | High | |
| Whatcom Middle SchoolNeighborhood | Bellingham School District | #8 | #3 | ★Strong by Both Measures | High | |
| Fairhaven Middle SchoolNeighborhood | Bellingham School District | #4 | #4 | ★Strong by Both Measures | High | |
| Lowell Elementary SchoolNeighborhood | Bellingham School District | #6 | #5 | ★Strong by Both Measures | High | |
| Alderwood Elementary SchoolNeighborhood | Bellingham School District | #31 | #6 | ★★Outperforming Expectations | High | |
| Columbia Elementary SchoolNeighborhood | Bellingham School District | #5 | #7 | ★Strong by Both Measures | High | |
| Harmony ElementaryNeighborhood | Mount Baker School District | #20 | #8 | ★★Outperforming Expectations | High | |
| Kulshan Middle SchoolNeighborhood | Bellingham School District | #3 | #9 | ★Strong by Both Measures | High | |
| Happy Valley Elementary SchoolNeighborhood | Bellingham School District | #13 | #10 | ★★Outperforming Expectations | High |
| Sehome High SchoolNeighborhood | Bellingham School District | #1 | #1HS | HS outcome | HS pool | |
| Bellingham High SchoolNeighborhood | Bellingham School District | #2 | #2HS | HS outcome | HS pool | |
| Mount Baker Senior HighNeighborhood | Mount Baker School District | #8 | #3HS | HS outcome | HS pool | |
| Blaine High SchoolNeighborhood | Blaine School District | #3 | #4HS | HS outcome | HS pool | |
| Lynden High SchoolNeighborhood | Lynden School District | #4 | #5HS | HS outcome | HS pool | |
| Ferndale High SchoolNeighborhood | Ferndale School District | #7 | #6HS | HS outcome | HS pool | |
| Meridian High SchoolNeighborhood | Meridian School District | #5 | #7HS | HS outcome | HS pool | |
| Nooksack Valley High SchoolNeighborhood | Nooksack Valley School District | #6 | #8HS | HS outcome | HS pool | |
| Squalicum High SchoolNeighborhood | Bellingham School District | #9 | #9HS | HS outcome | HS pool |
SchoolDecoder publishes context-adjusted residuals, not causal estimates. Decoded Rank is one signal — not a verdict on teaching quality. Read about limitations →