How the score is calculated
Every rating is the share of students scoring proficient or above on state reading/language-arts and mathematics assessments. That figure comes from one of two places. For the 24 states that publish current district-level results, we use the state’s own assessment data — for example Massachusetts (MCAS 2024–25), Texas (STAAR 2023), Tennessee (TCAP 2025–26) and Colorado (CMAS 2025). For every other state we use the federal U.S. Department of Education’s EDFacts collection (2021–22 school year, falling back to 2017–18 where that file has no data for a district). Every page states the exact source and school year behind its own rating. Because states use different tests, standards and school years, ratings are not comparable between states — only within one. Hawaii operates a single statewide school district, so there is no in-state peer group to rank against and its pages are shown as not rated. 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.