McKinney, Texas – McKinney ISD rates among the best school districts in D/FW, Texas and the nation according to recent rankings released by Niche, an online service that compiles and organizes a broad range of data on schools and communities to serve as a guide for families.

Niche 2017 Best Schools BadgeFor the 2017 Niche Best School Districts list, MISD received an overall rating of “A+,” ranking 10th in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area and 22nd among the 937 Texas school districts assessed by the company. Those results placed the district in the top 2 percent in Texas and among high-performing districts such as Highland Park, Coppell, Plano, Southlake Carroll, Lovejoy, Allen and Prosper.

On a national level, MISD landed in the top 4 percent of the 10,364 districts across the country that were examined by Niche.

Click here to view the MISD Niche Profile

“I think what’s significant about this rating is its focus on a broader range of academic and organizational factors,” said Cody Cunningham, MISD chief communications and support services officer. “The rankings are based on not only state assessments, but also SAT and ACT results, the quality of the academic and extra-curricular programs, student and parent feedback, facilities and other areas that have a direct impact on a student’s learning environment. While there is always room for improvement, these high rankings can certainly be attributed to the hard work of our exceptional teachers and students.”

According to their website, the Niche 2017 Best School Districts ranking was compiled through “rigorous analysis of academic and student life data from the U.S. Department of Education along with test scores, college data and ratings collected from millions of Niche users.” Their stated aim is to “reflect the entire school experience including academics, teachers, diversity, student life and student outcomes.”

“For millions of families, access to great public schools is a major deciding factor in where you will choose to live,” said Luke Skurman, CEO of Niche. “Our 2017 Public Schools rankings make it easier for families to find the right schools for their children in every metro area and state across the country.”

To create their rankings, Niche researchers relied on data from sources such as state test scores, college readiness indicators, graduation rates, SAT/ACT scores and student and parent surveys.

The grade for academics—based on state testing performance, SAT/ACT scores and survey responses from students and parents—carried the most weight in the evaluation, counting toward 50 percent of each district’s grade.

Grades for culture and diversity, health and safety, overall experience for parents and students and a category for teachers each counted for 10 percent. The overall score was rounded out by grades for resources and facilities, which accounted for 5 percent, and clubs/activities and sports, which each counted 2.5 percent.

Twenty-five of the 28 MISD campuses assessed by Niche, including the district’s three high schools, received grades of “A” or “A-,” and of the remaining four schools, three received scores of “B+,” and one received a grade of “B.”

In light of the recent school accountability scores released by the Texas Education Agency, which focus on a fairly narrow range of information, the ratings from Niche provide a broader overview of how MISD is doing in its mission to serve its students and the community.

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