Each level is scored on its own scale — elementary, middle, and high are never ranked against each other.
The elementary years
The elementary schools average 64.5/100 — 25.7 points above the state average, with 11 of 11 in the Strong band.
11 elementary schools span 22 points around an average of 64.5.
Ruth Acty Elementary (77/100) holds the Strong band — 62.7% of its students exceed the state standard, against a level average of 47.0%. 2 schools here rank as Growth Engines — returning cohorts gaining more than most schools statewide.
What these numbers can't see: class sizes, arts, teacher turnover, how a hallway feels at 8 a.m. Strong scores are the start of the question, not the answer.
The middle years
One school defines the top: Willard Middle sits 15 points clear of the field — the other 2 middle schools are a different conversation.
3 middle schools span 21 points around an average of 68.6.
Willard Middle (81/100) holds the Strong band — 50.1% of its students exceed the state standard, against a level average of 41.6%. 1 school here ranks as a Growth Engine — returning cohorts gaining more than most schools statewide.
Only 3 campuses at this level — one school's year moves every number in this chapter.
The high school years
One school defines the top: Berkeley High sits 24 points clear of the field — the other 1 high schools are a different conversation.
2 high schools span 24 points around an average of 62.0.
1 continuation/alternative school not plotted — it ranks within its own class, not on this statewide axis.
Berkeley High (74/100) holds the Strong band — 38.3% of its students exceed the state standard, against a level average of 22.5%. 1 school classifies as Strong All-Around — no weak dimension we measure.
41.8% of students are chronically absent (state: 23.1%) — chronic means missing 10% or more of the school year. Whatever the scores say, ask each school what it is doing about attendance.
What it means for your family
Compare schools at your child’s level before deciding on an address. The strongest attendance-zone candidate is Ruth Acty Elementary at 77/100 — confirm the exact boundary with the district before the house.
1 runs a magnet program — enrollment paths that don't depend on your address. If your zoned school sits low in the appendix below, those lotteries and applications are the levers worth the paperwork.
A band is a position, not a prophecy — 3 campuses here rank as Growth Engine, their returning cohorts gaining more than most schools statewide. Ask your school two questions: what happens for a kid who arrives behind, and what the classroom looks like for one who arrives ahead.
The strongest-scoring run through the district:
Ruth Acty Elementary 98th percentile · StrongScope Score 77/100Willard Middle 97th percentile · StrongScope Score 81/100Berkeley High 91st percentile · StrongScope Score 74/100
Top scorers at each level — not necessarily one zoned sequence. Confirm feeder patterns and enrollment zones with the district, and visit before you decide.
What this page can't see: whether a campus feels safe and glad at 8 a.m. If a path above looks workable, the next step is a visit.