High School API vs College Readiness

Parents Forum
1

Hi,
I’m selecting a high school for my child and trying to understand the ranking. There is one high school with nearly perfect API (927) and somewhat poor college readiness index (50). And another high school with lower API (890), but higher college readiness index (60). The question I have

  1. Do these numbers mean anything?
  2. How is it possible for a school to have top API and not so good college readiness index (only 1/2 of students who took an AP exam had passed). I have looked at the ranks and other school in Cali with similar API have much higher college readiness index.
2

Probably based on the fact that they measure different things.

API: based on state testing. http://www.cde.ca.gov/ta/ac/ap/

CRI: based on number of students taking AP or IB exams and scoring at least 3 (on AP) or 4 (on IB) tests. Note that either AP or IB tests are used, whichever is taken more at the school (so a school offering both may have artificially lower results). http://www.usnews.com/education/best-high-schools/articles/2014/04/21/how-us-news-calculated-the-2014-best-high-schools-rankings