About FindTopSchools
FindTopSchools is a site dedicated to helping our users find the best public schools and school districts in the state of California. We compile data from the California Department of Education and present them in a straightforward manner so our users can easily find the top schools and school districts in their geographical area of interest.
We primarily use two performance metrics for rankings and comparisons. We use the Academic Performance Index, a metric used by the California Department of Education, and (for high schools only) we also use the SAT score, a popular standardized test use for college admission.
The Story
Gabe wasn't a model student growing up. In 1985, his parents uprooted the entire family and moved to Piedmont, California where they worked multiple jobs in order to live in a house they couldn't afford otherwise. The reason: the Piedmont schools were (and still are) among the best schools in the state. Being surrounded by bright and motivated students and a faculty that cared, Gabe gained focus and took an active interest in his own education. Eventually, he and his younger brother went on to attend UC Berkeley and UCLA respectively, and many good things have followed them both since as a result of the great education they received.
Now, living in Los Angeles with a baby daughter of his own, Gabe began to ponder, "Where are the top schools and school districts in Southern California?" And hence, FindTopSchools.com was born...
IMPORTANT NOTE AND DISCLAIMER:
We publish these data in a ranking format for the sake of simplicity and ease of use, so that our users can easily find and compare the top schools and districts. However, rankings and test scores SHOULD NOT be the only factors used to determine whether or not a school/district is a good fit for one's child. Many other factors need to be considered. As such, our data should be only used as a starting point.