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ACHIEVEMENT

The largest within-district achievement gaps in America

Districts where neighboring schools post test-score differences of 40+ percentage points.

May 25, 2026
KEY FINDING
Within-district test-score gaps of 40+ percentage points are common in large US public school districts. Unlike state-to-state gaps, these sit inside the control of a single school board, reflecting choices about attendance zones, magnet admissions, principal assignment, teacher distribution, and capital investment.
Districts ranked
150
Largest gap
99.2 pp
Gwinnett County
Criteria
4+ scored schools per district
TOP 150 LARGEST WITHIN-DISTRICT TEST-SCORE GAPS
DistrictStateSchools scoredTop schoolBottom schoolGap (pp) ↓
Gwinnett CountyGeorgia13799.8%0.6%99.2
DeKalb CountyGeorgia12698.6%0.0%98.6
NORTHSIDE ISDTexas10495.8%3.3%92.5
Akron CityOhio4490.8%0.0%90.8
Muscogee CountyGeorgia5394.7%4.9%89.8
San Francisco UnifiedCalifornia9589.6%0.0%89.6
Clayton CountyGeorgia6591.8%2.9%88.9
MIDLAND ISDTexas3394.9%7.1%87.8
Los Angeles UnifiedCalifornia65292.0%5.6%86.4
Anaheim Union HighCalifornia1796.4%11.5%84.9
DALLAS ISDTexas226100%15.1%84.9
Davidson CountyTennessee14289.3%6.6%82.7
Redwood City ElementaryCalifornia1195.2%12.9%82.3
Jefferson ParishLouisiana6191.5%9.3%82.2
Cincinnati Public SchoolsOhio5993.4%11.2%82.2
Richmond City Public SchoolsVirginia4192.3%10.5%81.8
Lodi UnifiedCalifornia4294.3%13.0%81.3
HOUSTON ISDTexas24990.3%9.2%81.1
Caddo ParishLouisiana4088.0%7.5%80.5
Calcasieu ParishLouisiana4491.0%10.7%80.3
East Baton Rouge ParishLouisiana6288.0%8.0%80
CORPUS CHRISTI ISDTexas5096.3%16.6%79.7
Atlanta Public SchoolsGeorgia8584.3%4.6%79.7
Hamilton CountyTennessee7988.1%8.4%79.7
BostonMassachusetts9183.5%3.9%79.6
Fulton CountyGeorgia10585.3%6.0%79.3
AUSTIN ISDTexas10585.4%6.4%79
ABILENE ISDTexas1782.3%3.7%78.6
San Diego UnifiedCalifornia16390.5%12.1%78.4
Seattle School District No. 1Washington9196.2%18.4%77.8
SPRING BRANCH ISDTexas39100%22.4%77.6
Long Beach UnifiedCalifornia8095.8%18.4%77.4
Toledo CityOhio5182.5%5.9%76.6
Memphis-Shelby County SchoolsTennessee19683.1%6.7%76.4
Columbus City Schools DistrictOhio10883.0%6.7%76.3
Richmond CountyGeorgia5177.5%1.7%75.8
ROUND ROCK ISDTexas5292.9%17.4%75.5
Gilroy UnifiedCalifornia1396.1%20.7%75.4
GRAND PRAIRIE ISDTexas3496.0%20.9%75.1
LAREDO ISDTexas2897.1%22.2%74.9
Cobb CountyGeorgia10786.5%11.9%74.6
Oakland UnifiedCalifornia7077.6%3.0%74.6
Sacramento City UnifiedCalifornia6881.1%6.7%74.4
NORTHWEST ISDTexas3090.0%16.2%73.8
ABC UnifiedCalifornia2898.9%25.2%73.7
Knox CountyTennessee8381.1%7.4%73.7
San Jose UnifiedCalifornia4085.2%11.6%73.6
ALIEF ISDTexas4189.6%16.3%73.3
Rutherford CountyTennessee4792.6%19.3%73.3
LEWISVILLE ISDTexas5882.8%9.6%73.2
ECTOR COUNTY ISDTexas3885.5%12.4%73.1
Paradise Valley Unified District (4241)Arizona3982.5%9.6%72.9
Sumner CountyTennessee4991.5%18.9%72.6
Fresno UnifiedCalifornia9182.6%10.3%72.3
Tucson Unified District (4403)Arizona8474.2%2.0%72.2
West Contra Costa UnifiedCalifornia5076.5%4.4%72.1
Santa Clara UnifiedCalifornia2594.6%22.7%71.9
JOSHUA ISDTexas981.2%9.6%71.6
Fullerton ElementaryCalifornia2083.9%12.9%71
Dougherty CountyGeorgia2272.1%1.7%70.4
Danville City Public SchoolsVirginia1182.5%12.3%70.2
San Mateo-Foster CityCalifornia2186.7%16.9%69.8
Victor ElementaryCalifornia1879.0%9.3%69.7
Tacoma School DistrictWashington5875.3%5.8%69.5
PLANO ISDTexas6787.7%18.3%69.4
Cleveland MunicipalOhio9471.6%2.5%69.1
Mountain View WhismanCalifornia1187.8%18.7%69.1
EANES ISDTexas885.3%16.4%68.9
LONGVIEW ISDTexas1188.7%19.8%68.9
Marietta CityGeorgia1187.3%18.5%68.8
Springfield LocalOhio1285.5%17.0%68.5
Bellevue School DistrictWashington2893.2%24.8%68.4
Youngstown CityOhio1468.3%0.0%68.3
Mesa Unified District (4235)Arizona7471.7%3.5%68.2
Rapides ParishLouisiana3578.5%10.3%68.2
San Bernardino City UnifiedCalifornia6676.9%9.0%67.9
Tustin UnifiedCalifornia2683.1%15.3%67.8
LAKE TRAVIS ISDTexas1089.5%22.2%67.3
Spokane School DistrictWashington4979.9%12.7%67.2
Santa Rosa HighCalifornia1080.5%13.3%67.2
JUDSON ISDTexas2882.1%14.9%67.2
Canton CityOhio1781.8%14.6%67.2
Chandler Unified District #80 (4242)Arizona4475.7%8.7%67
Mt. Diablo UnifiedCalifornia4475.3%8.4%66.9
ARLINGTON ISDTexas6982.4%15.5%66.9
FORT BEND ISDTexas7786.5%19.8%66.7
Mansfield CityOhio879.2%12.5%66.7
HollisterCalifornia1081.8%15.4%66.4
MurfreesboroTennessee1389.6%23.6%66
Stockton UnifiedCalifornia4975.9%10.3%65.6
Orange UnifiedCalifornia3681.7%16.2%65.5
Folsom-Cordova UnifiedCalifornia3081.7%16.2%65.5
Fremont UnifiedCalifornia3993.3%27.9%65.4
LEANDER ISDTexas4388.2%22.9%65.3
MANSFIELD ISDTexas4490.0%24.8%65.2
Lafayette ParishLouisiana3579.0%14.0%65
Scottsdale Unified District (4240)Arizona3074.6%9.7%64.9
GARLAND ISDTexas6880.2%15.3%64.9
Placentia-Yorba Linda UnifiedCalifornia3088.1%23.2%64.9
SAN ANTONIO ISDTexas7671.0%6.7%64.3
Princeton CityOhio1179.4%15.1%64.3
Natchitoches ParishLouisiana1079.0%14.7%64.3
MCKINNEY ISDTexas2782.3%18.2%64.1
TOMBALL ISDTexas2195.6%31.6%64
Amphitheater Unified District (4406)Arizona2167.6%3.8%63.8
KATY ISDTexas7091.6%27.9%63.7
Glynn CountyGeorgia1676.5%13.1%63.4
Riverside UnifiedCalifornia4385.0%21.6%63.4
Campbell UnionCalifornia1285.6%22.2%63.4
Ascension ParishLouisiana2677.0%13.7%63.3
Everett School DistrictWashington2788.9%25.8%63.1
Pomona UnifiedCalifornia3574.4%11.4%63
Vail Unified District (4413)Arizona2181.6%18.7%62.9
SPRING ISDTexas4076.2%13.4%62.8
Lincoln ParishLouisiana989.0%26.3%62.7
RICHARDSON ISDTexas5071.2%8.6%62.6
Bedford CountyTennessee1577.2%14.6%62.6
Kennewick School DistrictWashington2575.1%12.6%62.5
DENTON ISDTexas3882.4%19.9%62.5
Cave Creek Unified District (4244)Arizona864.4%2.0%62.4
LUBBOCK ISDTexas2874.8%12.4%62.4
Bossier ParishLouisiana2773.3%11.0%62.3
STAFFORD MSDTexas491.4%29.3%62.1
Arlington County Public SchoolsVirginia3494.5%32.5%62
Walker CountyGeorgia1584.4%22.4%62
MARBLE FALLS ISDTexas670.0%8.1%61.9
LAMAR CISDTexas4193.1%31.3%61.8
South-Western CityOhio3085.0%23.2%61.8
Madison CountyTennessee2469.2%7.5%61.7
San Rafael City ElementaryCalifornia871.9%10.2%61.7
NewhallCalifornia1087.2%25.7%61.5
Troup CountyGeorgia1863.4%2.0%61.4
EL PASO ISDTexas7274.6%13.7%60.9
Porterville UnifiedCalifornia2070.0%9.2%60.8
Conejo Valley UnifiedCalifornia2380.1%19.3%60.8
Tempe School District (4258)Arizona2362.7%2.0%60.7
FORT WORTH ISDTexas11873.0%12.3%60.7
Garden Grove UnifiedCalifornia6188.4%27.7%60.7
CONROE ISDTexas5888.4%27.8%60.6
Evergreen ElementaryCalifornia1683.6%23.0%60.6
TYLER ISDTexas2484.9%24.5%60.4
Mariposa County UnifiedCalifornia771.7%11.3%60.4
Bibb CountyGeorgia3464.6%4.4%60.2
Queen Creek Unified District (4245)Arizona1568.0%7.8%60.2
Higley Unified School District (4248)Arizona1474.7%14.6%60.1
San Juan UnifiedCalifornia6067.0%7.0%60
Montgomery CountyTennessee4084.2%24.3%59.9
Elk Grove UnifiedCalifornia6278.2%18.4%59.8
Chino Valley UnifiedCalifornia3183.2%23.4%59.8
Alhambra Elementary District (4280)Arizona1561.7%2.0%59.7
150 of 150 rows · Within-district gap = highest school proficiency rate minus lowest, on the state-native math+reading assessment. Districts with fewer than 4 scored schools excluded.↓ Download achievement-gaps-within-districts.csv

The within-district question

When people talk about "achievement gaps" they usually mean state-to-state or race-to-race. The bigger gaps in American education are inside a single school district, where neighboring elementary or middle schools (funded by the same tax base, run by the same superintendent, governed by the same board) post test-score differences of 40 percentage points or more.

What the data reveals

Within-district gaps of 40+ percentage points between the highest- and lowest-performing schools are common in large urban and suburban districts. Districts where this pattern is especially pronounced include those that operate magnet programs alongside neighborhood schools, districts with substantial attendance-zone heterogeneity (mixing wealthy and low-income neighborhoods), and districts whose newest schools serve growing affluent suburbs while older schools serve declining urban cores.

Why within-district gaps matter more

State-level achievement gaps are politically intractable. Changing them requires legislative action and decades of investment. Within-district gaps sit inside the control of a single school board. They reflect choices about attendance zones, magnet admissions, principal assignment, teacher distribution, and capital investment. They are correctable.

For parents, within-district gaps drive the most consequential school-choice decisions. Which elementary attendance zone to live in within the same town. Which middle-school feeder pattern to lobby for. Whether to apply to the magnet lottery.

The data

The full list of districts with the largest within-district gaps, ranked by the percentage-point difference between their highest- and lowest-performing school on the state assessment, is available below. Each district links to its school directory so you can see the per-school breakdown.

Methodology

For each district with at least four schools that have state assessment data, we computed the proficiency rate (percent of students meeting or exceeding standards in math and reading/ELA combined) for each school. The "within-district gap" is the difference between the highest and lowest such rate. Districts with fewer than four scored schools are excluded as the gap measure is unstable at small N.

HOW TO CITE THIS REPORT

Anyone is welcome to cite or republish these findings. Please credit allk12.com and link back to this page so readers can verify the underlying data.

allk12 (2026). "The largest within-district achievement gaps in America." Retrieved from https://allk12.com/reports/achievement-gaps-within-districts
Source: <a href="https://allk12.com/reports/achievement-gaps-within-districts">allk12.com</a>
For interview requests or custom data pulls: [email protected]
DOWNLOAD THE DATA
↓ achievement-gaps-within-districts.csv
DATA NOTICE

allk12 is independent and not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by NCES, the US Census Bureau, any state education agency or assessment program, or any other government agency. Source data is compiled from public records and provided "as is," without warranty of accuracy or completeness. You rely on it, and any analysis derived from it, at your own risk. See the full disclaimer.