What Standardized Test Scores Really Mean for Your Child's School

When you look up a school on MySchoolScout, one of the first things you’ll see is its academic performance score. That score is built primarily on standardized test results — the same tests your child takes every spring. But what do those numbers actually mean, and how much weight should you give them?

How State Testing Works

Every state requires public schools to administer standardized tests in math and English Language Arts (ELA), typically in grades 3 through 8 and once in high school. These tests are mandated by federal law under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA).

Each state chooses its own test. New York uses different exams than California, which uses different exams than Texas. The content standards, difficulty levels, and scoring thresholds all vary. This is why comparing raw test scores across state lines is misleading without normalization — which is exactly what we do at MySchoolScout.

What “Proficiency” Means

When a state reports that 65% of students at a school are “proficient” in math, it means 65% scored at or above the cut score that the state has defined as grade-level performance. That sounds straightforward, but there’s a catch: states set their proficiency bars at very different levels.

Some states set a high bar, meaning fewer students are classified as proficient even at strong schools. Other states set a lower bar, which can make schools look better on paper than they might perform on a nationally normed assessment.

This is why MySchoolScout normalizes scores within each state before rolling them into our national composite score. We’re comparing each school to its in-state peers first, then translating to a national scale.

What Test Scores Tell You

Academic rigor in core subjects. Schools where a high percentage of students are proficient in both math and ELA are generally doing a good job teaching foundational academic skills. If 80%+ of students are meeting proficiency, the instructional program is working for most kids.

Consistency across subjects. A school that scores well in reading but poorly in math (or vice versa) may have uneven instruction. Look for schools that perform well in both.

Trends over time. A single year’s test scores can be noisy. Look for schools that perform consistently well over multiple years. A school whose scores have been climbing steadily is often a better bet than one that had a single standout year.

What Test Scores Don’t Tell You

How much the school contributed. Test scores reflect a combination of school quality, family resources, and community factors. A school in an affluent neighborhood might have high test scores primarily because students arrive with advantages — strong preschool preparation, books at home, tutoring support. A school in a lower-income area might be doing extraordinary work but still show lower proficiency rates because students face more challenges outside of school.

Student growth. Proficiency rates tell you where students end up, not how far they’ve come. A school that moves students from a first-grade reading level to a third-grade reading level has done incredible work, even if those students aren’t yet “proficient” by the state’s definition. Some states report growth data separately, and it’s worth seeking out.

Anything beyond math and reading. Science, social studies, arts, physical education, social-emotional development — none of these are captured in the core test scores that drive most school ratings, including ours. A school could be exceptional in these areas and it wouldn’t move the needle on its rating.

Individual student experience. A school with 70% proficiency means roughly 30% of students are below grade level. If your child is in that 30%, the school’s overall score doesn’t describe their experience. Conversely, if your child is in the top 10%, they might not be sufficiently challenged even at a school with strong overall scores.

How to Use Test Score Data Wisely

Look at both math and ELA. Strong performance in both subjects is a better indicator of overall school quality than strength in just one.

Check for score gaps. Many school profiles break down test scores by student subgroup — race, income level, special education status. A school with high overall scores but large gaps between subgroups may not serve all students equally well.

Compare to similar schools. Rather than comparing a school to the national average, compare it to schools with similar demographics. A school that outperforms its demographic peers is doing something right, even if its absolute scores aren’t the highest.

Don’t obsess over small differences. The difference between a school where 72% of students are proficient and one where 68% are proficient is within the margin of year-to-year variation. Focus on broad tiers (top, above average, average, below average) rather than exact percentages.

The MySchoolScout Approach

We believe in transparency. Every school profile on our site shows the underlying data behind our composite score, so you can weigh the factors that matter most to your family. If test scores are your top priority, you can see exactly where each school stands. If you care more about class size or data trends, that information is available too.

Test scores are the most reliable and widely available measure of school academic quality — but they’re one piece of a larger picture. Use them as a starting point, not a final verdict.

Look up your school’s test performance →

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