Frequently asked questions

Is this an official government site?

No. State Test Scores is an independent tool. It is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, any state education department, the New York State Education Department (NYSED), or the New York City Department of Education (NYC DOE). We use their publicly published data.

How accurate are the percentiles?

They are careful estimates, not official figures. Official reports give parents only a performance level (1–4) and a broad quartile. We estimate a specific percentile by placing a score within its performance-level band using the published counts of how many students landed in each level. See the methodology for the full method and its limitations.

What do the performance levels mean?

New York uses four levels: Level 1 (below standard), Level 2 (partially proficient), Level 3 (proficient — meets the standard), and Level 4 (proficient with distinction). Level 3 or above is considered on track.

Why can't I find my child's school?

A few reasons a school may not appear:

• It doesn't report grade 3–8 state test results. Some public schools are run outside the standard district system — for example the Hunter College Campus Schools, which are operated by CUNY — and don't report grades 3–8 ELA/Math results into the state files our percentiles are built from. With no reported counts, there's nothing to rank against.
• Very small or newly opened schools may have their results suppressed for privacy in the source data.
• High schools: we currently cover grades 3–8. Regents/high-school data is planned for later.

Charter schools are included. If you think a school is missing in error, let us know.

Which years and subjects are covered?

ELA and Math for grades 3–8, and Science for grades 5 and 8, across 2018–2025. No state test was given in 2020, and 2021 was optional (and flagged), so those are excluded from trend comparisons.

Is my child's information private?

Yes. The free score lookup runs entirely in your browser — the score you type is not sent to us. For the optional paid report emailed to you, the report is sent through our server only to deliver the email. See the Privacy Policy.

How can percentiles be compared across years if the test changes?

Scale scores are not comparable across years (the test is periodically rescaled), but percentiles are — because each year ranks your child against that same year's cohort. That's what makes the multi-year progress report meaningful.

How much is the progress report, and what do I get?

The single-score lookup is free. The multi-year progress report is a one-time unlock. It shows a percentile trajectory across every year and grade, performance-level progression, a plain-English summary at each level, an optional demographic profile, and a downloadable PDF you can save or email.

What's your refund policy?

If the report isn't useful to you, email us for a full refund — see the Refund Policy.

How do I get help or report a problem?

Email support@statetestscores.com. We read every message.