How the score is calculated
Our ratings come from the U.S. Department of Education’s EDFacts collection, which publishes the percentage of students scoring proficient or above on each state’s reading/language-arts and mathematics assessments. Current ratings use the 2017–18 EDFacts collection — the most recent district-level proficiency file we have processed. District directory details (enrollment, schools, contact information) come from the newer NCES CCD 2024–25.
- Combine reading & math. We average a district’s reading-proficiency and math-proficiency rates into a single academic score.
- Rank within the state. We rank that score against every other rated district in the same state.
- Convert to 1–10. The district’s state percentile is mapped to a 1–10 score (a district in the top 10% of its state scores 10; the bottom 10% scores 1).
What each score means
| 9–10 · Excellent | Reading & math proficiency near the top of the state |
| 7–8 · Good | Above most districts in the state |
| 5–6 · Average | Around the state median |
| 3–4 · Below Average | Below typical state benchmarks |
| 1–2 · Poor | Among the lowest proficiency in the state |
Worked example
Suppose a district reports 68% of students proficient in reading and 60% proficient in math. Its academic score is the average — 64%. If that 64% places the district in roughly the 85th percentile among all rated districts in its state, it earns a 8/10 — Good. The same 64% in a higher-performing state might rank lower and earn a 6 or 7 — which is why every score is state-relative.
- It’s state-relative. A 7/10 in one state is not directly comparable to a 7/10 in another — each district is ranked only against others in its own state.
- Test scores reflect many factors beyond teaching, including community and economic conditions. A score is a starting point for research, not a verdict on any school or teacher.
- Individual schools vary. A district score is an average; specific schools may perform well above or below it.
- “Not rated” means the district doesn’t yet have enough reported assessment data to score — common for very small, charter, or special-purpose districts. It is not a negative signal.