Each level is scored on its own scale — elementary, middle, and high are never ranked against each other.
The elementary years
44 points separate Northlake TK-8 (52) from Higher Learning Academy (7) — at this level, which school matters more than which district.
44 points separate the strongest and weakest of these 35 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.
Northlake TK-8 (52/100) holds the Strong band — 34.4% of its students exceed the state standard, against a level average of 13.3%. 2 schools here rank as Growth Engines — returning cohorts gaining more than most schools statewide.
25.4% 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 high school years
39 points separate Rio Linda High (52) from SAVA - Sacramento Academic and Vocational Academy (13) — at this level, which school matters more than which district.
39 points separate the strongest and weakest of these 8 high schools — the average hides more than it tells.
3 continuation/alternative schools not plotted — they rank within their own class, not on this statewide axis.
Rio Linda High is the strongest option at 52/100 — 18.1% of its students exceed the state standard.
41.5% 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 Northlake TK-8 at 52/100 — confirm the exact boundary with the district before the house.
8 of the 43 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 — 10 campuses here rank as On the Rise (8) or Growth Engine (2), 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:
Northlake TK-8 78th percentile · StrongScope Score 52/100Rio Linda High 47th percentile · DevelopingScope Score 52/100
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.