Top 100 K-12 Schools in Georgia: Niche Releases 2019 List
Families, real estate agents, teachers and school administrators are all familiar with the website Niche.com, an online database that “explores that best schools in your area based on rigorous analysis of key statistics and millions of review from students and parents using data from the U.S. Department of Education” (Niche, 2019). But, did you know that how exactly these annual rankings are calculated? Along with anecdotal data, Niche inputs test scores, school data, and ratings collected from millions of users. These factors (broken down by either self-reported by Niche users or an aggregate of multiple sources) are then weighted accordingly:
(Note: These grades are taken directly from Niche.com). We have included direct access to Niche.com and their data supported in the 2019 table below:
Academics Grade (60%): Based on state assessment proficiency, SAT/ACT scores, and survey responses on academics from students and parents.
Culture and Diversity Grade (10%): Based on racial and economic diversity and survey responses on school culture and diversity from students and parents.
Parent/Student Survey on Overall Experience (10%): Niche survey responses scored on a 1-5 scale regarding the overall experience of students and parents from the school.
Teachers Grade (10%): Based on teacher salary, teacher absenteeism, state test results, and survey responses on teachers from students and parents.
Club and Activities Grade (2.5%): Based on expenses per student and survey responses on clubs and activities from students and parents.
Health and Safety Grade (2.5%): Based on chronic student absenteeism, suspensions/expulsions, and survey responses on the school environment from students and parents.
Resources and Facilities Grade (2.5%): Based on expenses per student, staffing, and survey responses on facilities from students and parents.
Sports Grade (2.5%): Based on the number of sports, participation, and survey responses on athletics and athletic facilities from students and parents.
While this grading break-down is not often disclosed, it is important to identify parents’ needs and learning expectations while considering a school’s Niche grade. While the Academic Grade is the most heavily weighted, this comes primarily from anecdotal and self-reported scores and evidence. For example, although Westminster School is ranked A+ for Academics with a 100% Graduation rate, their SAT and ACT scores are reported from a small sample size—178 responses given for an average SAT score of 1420 and only 142 responses reported to disclose an average ACT score of 32.
Alternatively, if culture and diversity are values that are non-negoitables for parents considering a new school environment, keep in mind that this category is solely based on parent and student reviews (anecdotal evidence) and just accounts for 10% of the overall Niche grade.
Another example lies in the athletic opportunities offered at a particular school. If sports are and important driving factor for your family when considering a new school environment, it’s important to recognize that sports is just 2.5% of the overall Niche average grade—calculated from participation, overall options, and of course, anecdotal evidence from athletes and parents.
Let’s take a look at the grading breakdown from the Niche website:
Reported from Niche.com. Accessed 9 Feb. 2019.
It’s important to note that in Niche’s 2019 100 Top K-12 Schools in Georgia, all schools receive either an A or A- rating. Historically, Niche has preferred private schools and this year is no exception. The top 5 K-12 Schools for 2019 are:
Westminster School and Gwinnett School of Mathematics and Technology (Tied for #1; Best Public School in Georgia)
Pace Academy
Paideia School
Lovett School
Woodward Academy
By understanding more about Niche’s grading process, we hope that parents will be able to make informed decisions about their options.