Each level is scored on its own scale — elementary, middle, and high are never ranked against each other.
The elementary years
37 points separate Barrel Springs Elementary (47) from Tamarisk Elementary (9) — at this level, which school matters more than which district.
37 points separate the strongest and weakest of these 22 elementary 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.
1 of the 21 elementary schools with measurable cohort evidence rank as Growth Engines — returning cohorts gaining more, grade to grade, than at most schools statewide.
28.4% 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
The middle schools average 18.5/100 — 20.0 points below the state average. Here is what that number does and doesn't say.
All 5 middle schools land within 9 points — the average is a fair summary here.
Space Aeronautics Gateway to Exploration Magnet Ac is the strongest option at 24/100 — 4.5% of its students exceed the state standard.
32.1% 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
One high school: Palmdale Academy Charter at 49/100 — the whole story at this level is one campus.
One dot, one school — there is no spread to read at this level.
Palmdale Academy Charter is the strongest option at 49/100 — 9.9% of its students exceed the state standard.
The level sits 5.0 points below the state line.
What it means for your family
Compare schools at your child’s level before deciding on an address. The strongest attendance-zone candidate is Barrel Springs Elementary at 47/100 — confirm the exact boundary with the district before the house.
3 of the 28 ranked schools are charters and 4 run 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 — 12 campuses here rank as On the Rise (11) 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:
Barrel Springs Elementary 72nd percentile · SolidScope Score 47/100Space Aeronautics Gateway to Exploration Magnet Ac 20th percentile · Needs SupportScope Score 24/100Palmdale Academy Charter 38th percentile · DevelopingScope Score 49/100
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.