Each level is scored on its own scale — elementary, middle, and high are never ranked against each other.
The elementary years
45 points separate Gerald R. Ford Elementary (59) from John F. Kennedy Elementary (14) — at this level, which school matters more than which district.
45 points separate the strongest and weakest of these 20 elementary schools — the average hides more than it tells.
Gerald R. Ford Elementary (59/100) holds the Strong band — 33.5% of its students exceed the state standard, against a level average of 15.2%. 1 school here ranks as a Growth Engine — returning cohorts gaining more than most schools statewide.
26.1% of students are chronically absent (state: 17.9%) — chronic means missing 10% or more of the school year. Whatever the scores say, ask each school what it is doing about attendance.
The middle years
28 points separate John Glenn Middle School of International Studies (39) from Thomas Jefferson Middle (11) — at this level, which school matters more than which district.
7 middle schools span 28 points around an average of 23.5.
John Glenn Middle School of International Studies is the strongest option at 39/100 — 16.3% of its students exceed the state standard.
28.7% of students are chronically absent (state: 18.1%) — chronic means missing 10% or more of the school year. Whatever the scores say, ask each school what it is doing about attendance.
The high school years
38 points separate Palm Desert High (60) from Amistad High (Continuation) (22) — at this level, which school matters more than which district.
38 points separate the strongest and weakest of these 6 high schools — the average hides more than it tells.
2 continuation/alternative schools not plotted — they rank within their own class, not on this statewide axis.
Palm Desert High is the strongest option at 60/100 — 23.1% of its students exceed the state standard.
44.0% 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 Gerald R. Ford Elementary at 59/100 — confirm the exact boundary with the district before the house.
2 of the 33 ranked schools are charters — 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 — 7 campuses here rank as On the Rise (6) or Growth Engine (1), 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:
Gerald R. Ford Elementary 86th percentile · StrongScope Score 59/100John Glenn Middle School of International Studies 57th percentile · SolidScope Score 39/100Palm Desert High 71st percentile · SolidScope Score 60/100
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.