The quality of local schools can play a major role in how communities not only attract and retain investment, but it also plays a role in attracting and retaining talent. This is something Envision Greater Fond du Lac hears on a regular basis when talking with businesses, large and small, throughout the region. Staff decided to take a deeper dive into the various school rating systems (Zillow, GreatSchools.org, and Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction Report Cards) to learn what may be impacting school and district perceptions.

Zillow school ratings are determined by a scraping system that imports the ratings from GreatSchools.org. Zillow school ratings also take into consideration public perception and parent/guardian reviews. But are Zillow and GreatSchools.org the best resources to measure school or school district success?

There is another source available that most people are not aware of. Annually, the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI) generates a School Report Card and District Report Card for every publicly funded school and district in the state. These report cards include data on multiple indicators for multiple years across four priority areas (Achievement, Growth, Target Group Outcomes, and On-track to Graduation). The report cards also measure chronic absenteeism and dropout rates.

Below is a chart depicting the difference between the various school ratings in comparison to DPI ratings. It is important to note that individual schools may have a lower/higher Zillow rating than the district average displayed below.

By examining the difference in the scores above based on source, we can see that scores based on public perception and self-reported experience with a school or district on Zillow and GreatSchools.org are consistently lower than report card scores created by DPI.

To find detailed district and school report cards for the 2021-2022 academic year, including private schools, visit the DPI’s website.