School Score Rankings

Ensuring quality education requires a multidimensional assessment of schools that goes beyond test scores or infrastructure alone. The School Quality Index (SQI) aims to capture this holistic picture by combining measurable indicators of teaching quality, student engagement, learning outcomes, infrastructure adequacy, safety, and institutional innovation.

The composite score is derived from six weighted dimensions, carefully chosen based on their proven impact on learning outcomes as identified by the NITI Aayog’s School Education Quality Index (SEQI), UNESCO’s Global Education Monitoring (GEM) Report, and the World Bank’s Learning Poverty Framework.

Each dimension contributes a defined share to the final score, ensuring balance between input, process, and outcome indicators.

1. Teacher Factors (Weight: 25%)

Teachers remain the single most influential in-school determinant of learning outcomes. Multiple studies including NITI Aayog’s SEQI 2021 Report and research by UNESCO (2020) highlight that teacher quality, availability, and attendance collectively explain over 25-30% of variance in student learning across Indian states.

This component captures three sub-dimensions:

• Student-Teacher Ratio (STR): Optimal STR is vital for personalized attention and classroom management. Schools with STR below 25 receive the highest points, as smaller class sizes correlate strongly with improved learning (as per NIEPA School Survey, 2022). The benchmark of 30:1 for primary and 35:1 for upper grades follows the Right to Education (RTE) norms.
• Percentage of Qualified Teachers: Professional qualification directly influences instructional quality and student achievement. A full complement of qualified teachers (≥100%) scores maximum points, while lower coverage results in proportionate deductions. This aligns with NITI Aayog’s finding that states with >80% qualified teachers show nearly 20% higher average learning outcomes.
• Teacher Absenteeism Rate: Chronic absenteeism disrupts continuity in learning. Schools maintaining teacher absence below 5% receive full credit, consistent with global benchmarks (e.g., World Bank, 2020 finding that teacher attendance below 90% leads to a 0.25 SD drop in learning outcomes*).

Together, these three indicators are combined and scaled to form 25% of the total school score, reflecting the critical role of teachers as both the foundation and the multiplier of school quality.

2. Student Attendance (Weight: 15%)

High student attendance is one of the most reliable proxies for both access and engagement. According to UNESCO’s GEM 2021 report, a 10% increase in attendance is associated with up to a 6% improvement in literacy and numeracy scores.

To capture this:

• Schools with >90% attendance receive the full 15 points.
• Attendance between 80-90% earns moderate credit, while rates below 70% indicate severe disengagement.

The 15% weight reflects its role as a process indicator, not as foundational as teaching quality but still a strong predictor of learning continuity, especially in lower socioeconomic regions.

3. Learning Outcomes (Weight: 20%)

Ultimately, the success of schooling must be judged by what children learn. This component measures academic proficiency, i.e., the percentage of students meeting minimum grade-level standards.

• Schools with ≥75% proficiency earn the full score, while those below 40% score zero.

This metric aligns with the NAS (National Achievement Survey) and SEQI’s Learning Outcomes domain, both of which emphasize grade-level competence as the key output measure.

While learning outcomes could theoretically carry greater weight, they are given 20% here to avoid overemphasis on test-driven evaluation and to balance them with process and infrastructure indicators consistent with NEP 2020’s holistic vision of “learning without stress.”

4. Infrastructure and Resources (Weight: 20%)

Physical and digital infrastructure form the enabling environment for effective learning. However, NITI Aayog’s SEQI emphasizes that infrastructure alone cannot drive outcomes it is a necessary but not sufficient condition. Hence, it receives a balanced 20% weight.

This dimension evaluates the following:

• Toilet-Student Ratio: Full marks for ≤1 toilet per 25 students, per Swachh Vidyalaya guidelines.
• Water and Electricity: Schools receive 3 and 2 points respectively for ensuring consistent access.
• Devices per Student: Scaled up to 5 points (capped), rewarding ICT integration in line with the Digital India Initiative.
• Library and Playground: Contribute to holistic learning, mental well-being, and literacy development.

Each sub-indicator collectively accounts for 20% of the total score, emphasizing that facilities supporting hygiene, safety, and technology integration are crucial enablers of quality education.

5. Safety and Accessibility (Weight: 10%)

An inclusive and safe school environment encourages both attendance and participation, especially for students with disabilities and girls.

This component assesses:

• Ramps for Accessibility (5 pts): Essential for children with physical disabilities; compliance aligns with Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan norms.
• Boundary Walls (2 pts): Strongly correlated with student retention, particularly for girls in rural and peri-urban areas (NITI Aayog, 2020).
• Classroom Condition (3 pts): Well-maintained classrooms improve concentration and learning efficiency.

The relatively smaller 10% weight recognizes these as essential enablers rather than core pedagogical processes but ensures that safety and inclusion are not overlooked.

6. Bonus Criteria (Weight: 10%)

To encourage innovation and community-led excellence, the model includes a 10% discretionary bonus for exemplary practices such as:

• Community partnerships (e.g., Vidyanjali initiatives)
• Environmental stewardship (e.g., green campus certification)
• Skill or art integration programs
• Outstanding year-on-year improvement

This flexible component rewards context-specific excellence and encourages schools to go beyond compliance toward innovation and initiative.

7. Justification of Overall Weighting

This weighting scheme achieves equilibrium between inputs (teachers, infrastructure), processes (attendance, safety), and outcomes (learning, innovation) echoing the triadic model endorsed by NEP 2020 and NITI Aayog SEQI Framework.

8. Interpretation and Use

The resulting School Quality Score offers policymakers, administrators, and communities a transparent, data-driven way to identify strengths and gaps.

• 80-100: Excellent - schools demonstrating high performance across all dimensions.
• 60-79: Good - strong outcomes with targeted improvement needs.
• 40-59: Fair - basic compliance but inconsistent quality.
• <40: Weak - urgent systemic intervention required.

By integrating academic, infrastructural, and human resource dimensions into a single quantitative index, this framework provides a holistic view of school effectiveness and aligns with India’s shift toward data-driven governance in education.