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How are some middle and high schools in California beating the academic achievement odds? What factors into their success?

This report uses school academic performance data to identify California schools that beat the odds by performing better than would have been predicted based on their students’ socioeconomic characteristics and by doing so for at least four consecutive years.

Overall, 192, or 2.9 percent, of California public schools were identified as beating the odds, including 122 elementary schools, 37 middle schools, and 33 high schools.

How did these schools foster higher levels of academic success than their peer schools?

One key factor is a positive school climate. Confirming the results of a previous WestEd study of California secondary schools, the 2013 Beating the Odds secondary schools had significantly higher School Climate Index scores compared to the middle and high schools that did not make the list.

This finding underscores the importance of making school climate improvement a priority in Local Control and Accountability Plans.

To learn more about how positive school climate is a factor strongly associated with beating the academic achievement odds, read A Climate for Academic Success: How School Climate Distinguishes Schools That Are Beating the Achievement Odds.