Each level is scored on its own scale — elementary, middle, and high are never ranked against each other.
The middle years
One middle school: Altus Schools North County at 20/100 — the whole story at this level is one campus.
One dot, one school — there is no spread to read at this level.
1 continuation/alternative school not plotted — it ranks within its own class, not on this statewide axis.
Altus Schools North County is the strongest option at 20/100 — 4.2% of its students exceed the state standard.
22.3% 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
50 points separate Classical Academy High (70) from Valley High (Continuation) (20) — at this level, which school matters more than which district.
50 points separate the strongest and weakest of these 7 high schools — the average hides more than it tells.
1 continuation/alternative school not plotted — it ranks within its own class, not on this statewide axis.
Classical Academy High (70/100) holds the Strong band — 32.1% of its students exceed the state standard, against a level average of 19.9%.
50 points separate the top and bottom high schools — the district average won't predict the school in front of you.
What it means for your family
Compare schools at your child’s level before deciding on an address. Every ranked middle school here is a charter or magnet, so the application matters more than the address — see the next card.
3 of the 8 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 — a school's number can move without your kid's experience moving with it. 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:
Altus Schools North County 45th percentile · DevelopingWithin its own school classScope Score 20/100Classical Academy High 88th percentile · StrongScope Score 70/100
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.