Frequently Asked Questons - FindTopSchools
Frequently Asked Questions
What is API?
Academic Performance Index (API) measures academic performance and
progress of individual public schools in California, and is the
cornerstone of California's Public Schools Accountability Act of 1999
(PSAA). A school can have an API score of between 200 to 1000, the
higher the better. 800 is the interim statewide target, and a school's
growth is measured by how well it is moving toward or past that goal.
What do the Percentile
columns tell us?
The API or SAT percentile rank of a school identifies the percentage of
other schools (of the same type) that it surpasses. Percentile ranks
are from 0-99, the higher the better. For example, an elementary school
with a API Percentile of 95% means that its API score is better than
95% of California's elementary schools. A high school with a SAT
Percentile of 90% means that its average SAT score is better than 90%
of California's high schools (or it is in the top 10% in terms of
average SAT score).
What is SAT?
The SAT Reasoning Test (or formerly Scholastic Aptitude Test) is a
standardized test for college admission. It is now developed by the
College Board and administrated by the Educational Testing Service
(ETS). It is has three components: critical reading, mathematics, and
writing. The score of each component can range from 200-800, giving a
total SAT score range of 600-2400. (Note: The writing test was
introduced in 2005. The 06-07 school year is the first year we have
full data in this new format. SAT score range from 400-1600 before this
change was introduced.)
