Understanding GreatSchools Data on ApartmentHomeLiving

How Are GreatSchools Rankings Calculated?

GreatSchools.org is an independent, non-profit organization created with the mission "to help all parents get a great education for their children and for communities to ensure that all students get the support they need to succeed."

The GreatSchools Summary Rating is based on 4 distinct metrics:

1. Academic Progress – School-level improvement data derived from standardized testing.
2. College Readiness – Includes graduation rate, college admissions, and standardized testing for college entrance.
3. Equity – Measures how minority and disadvantaged students perform compared to peers, as well as discipline and attendance.
4. Test Scores – Comparing test performance for each school compared to other schools in the same state.

GreatSchools launched their Summary Rating in 2017, which is a 10-point scale that is direct and easy to understand.

Where does the data come from?

As an explanation for data sourcing, GreatSchools.org says:

“We collect and analyze data from all 51 state departments of education and the federal government to provide analysis, insights, and school quality ratings for parents, partners, researchers, and policymakers.” (link)

Benefits and Limitations of GreatSchools Data

The major benefit of using GreatSchools is that it provides universality and simplicity. The numbers are simple to understand, and this same analysis is applied to all schools based on empirical data.

GreatSchools is also a helpful resource because they highly value transparency in their process. They are forthcoming with not only where their data is coming from, but precisely how that data is used relative to the scores being calculated. They believe in the importance of sharing school information with everyone — both positive and negative. Not only does that go a long way towards increasing engagement with parents, but it helps to cultivate trust as well.

GreatSchools data is a widely accepted and useful measure of what schools have to offer. It is important, however, to understand the limitations of the data, which is why we are providing this detailed discussion — to inform our audience about the strengths and weaknesses of the system. Whenever you're talking about something as inherently complex as a school system or education in general, there is always subjectivity at play. One question that arises is whether the metrics being used are valid measures of success. Another point of contention that arises with GreatSchools data is the strong correlation between higher ratings and affluent households. This correlation runs the risk of becoming a new form of Redlining. This raises important societal questions that are beyond the scope of our purpose as a real estate portal, but are important to point out.

Potential points of controversy regarding GreatSchools data:

• Richer neighborhoods typically have higher GreatSchools ratings.
• Higher GreatSchools ratings correlate to higher rents and home purchase prices. To what extent is this a feedback loop?
• To what extent do the economic barriers associated with higher-priced areas block lower income households from gaining access to the best schools?
• Do the measures used in these ratings correlate to a school’s capacity to deliver a quality education, particularly in areas where college matriculation is less common?

At ApartmentHomeLiving.com, we provide GreatSchools to our users because we value its simplicity and because it is widely used in the context of online real estate. While it is not perfect, we offer you the GreatSchools summary rating as the industry standard for providing indicators of school quality in home and rentals search.

We welcome your feedback and comments.