Paly was named “Best Improved School” among California public high schools in BusinessWeek and GreatSchools’ recent high school rankings, issued on Jan. 15.

According to BusinessWeek.com, “schools were selected based on the most recent available state math, reading, and science standardized test scores for public schools.” Specifically, Paly was chosen as the “Best Improved” school among California public high schools because it had the largest weighted test score improvement in state standardized tests compared to the previous school year, according to the Web site. In California, these standardized tests include the California High School Exit Exam (CAHSEE) and California Standards Tests (CSTs).

GreatSchools, a non-profit organization based in San Francisco, also rated Paly a nine out of 10. According to its Web site, GreatSchools gives these ratings based on a comparison of each high school’s performance on recent statewide standardized tests.

In addition to “Best Improved,” the BusinessWeek statewide rankings include “Best Overall Academic Performance” and “Best Low Income.” Also, math and reading results on standardized tests were weighted twice as heavily as science results, according to http://www.businessweek.com.