See what school rankings
won't show you.
GreatSchools gives you one number. We show you whether a school actually pushes your kid — or just measures the neighborhood income.
Available states
Expanding nationwide. California is live now.
How SchoolScope works
Search your school
Find any California elementary school by name, city, or district.
See the full picture
Six dimensions analyzed: test scores, exceeded vs. met split, growth trajectory, absenteeism, and more.
Compare with confidence
Side-by-side comparisons with transparent methodology. No mystery algorithms.
Beyond the single number
We split "proficient" into exceeded vs. merely met. A school where 40% exceed standard is radically different from one where 40% barely meet it.
Track real growth
Our growth trajectory shows whether scores improve from grade 3 to 5. Some schools coast on incoming talent. Others actually add value.
The full picture
Chronic absenteeism and suspension rates reveal school culture that test scores alone can't. We weigh all of it in one composite score.
Top-ranked California schools
Based on our 6-dimension composite analysis of 2025 CAASPP data.
| Rank | School | Score | Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | William Faria Elementary | 85.3 | 99th |
| 2 | Buckeye Union Mandarin Immersion Charter | 85.2 | 99th |
| 3 | Murdock-Portal Elementary | 84.7 | 99th |
| 4 | North Hillsborough | 84.3 | 99th |
| 5 | Herbert Hoover Elementary | 82.9 | 99th |
What makes SchoolScope different
We go deeper than letter grades and single numbers.
| Feature | SchoolScope | GreatSchools | Niche |
|---|---|---|---|
| Exceeded vs. Met split | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Grade-to-grade growth | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Chronic absenteeism | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Suspension rates | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Parent reviews | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ |
| All 50 states | CA only | ✓ | ✓ |
| Private schools | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ |
| Facilities & athletics | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ |
| Embedded in Zillow | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ |
| Custom weight scoring | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Transparent methodology | ✓ | Partial | ✗ |
| Free basic score | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
How we score
Six dimensions, weighted by what actually predicts school quality. Full methodology
% Exceeded Standard
The ceiling. Measures whether a school pushes strong students past proficiency, not just to it.
% Met + Exceeded
The floor. Baseline proficiency — are most students clearing the bar?
Growth G3 to G5
Is the school adding value, or coasting on incoming talent? Measures improvement across grades.
Chronic Absenteeism
School culture and family engagement. Lower is better — kids who show up learn more.
Suspension Rate
Discipline philosophy matters. High suspension rates signal punitive culture over supportive.
Baseline Proficiency
Additional floor weight ensuring raw proficiency counts in the overall picture.
What School Rankings Get Wrong — And What We're Trying to Fix
GreatSchools is funded by Zillow. Niche is funded by schools. Neither is funded by parents. Here's what that means for the numbers you're trusting with your kid's education.
Read more →Schools that surprise you
High performance in communities that other rankings write off.
Dr. Richard A. Vladovic Harbor Teacher Preparation
Wilmington64% free/reduced lunch, yet outperforms 99% of the state.
University Preparatory
Victorville68% free/reduced lunch, yet outperforms 99% of the state.
Stockton Early College Academy
Stockton65% free/reduced lunch, yet outperforms 99% of the state.
"The data parents actually need to make school decisions."
Built from California Department of Education public data