Walnut Creek does well in the latest API sweepstakes. And how does your kid's school rate?

The state Education Department on Tuesday released its latest Academic Performance Index (API) scores, which chart academic progress at public schools. The index uses a complex series of calculations to give schools a score on ascale of 200 to 1,000, with 800 being deemed an "excellent" score.

The good news about Walnut Creek public schools? They also scored above 800, with most going above 900. And, if you didn't know it already, these numbers mean a lot, and not just to school district administrators whose schools must meet a minimum standard of progress to qualify for certain kinds of federal funding.

They also offer a measure of sorts to parents to know whether their children are attending a decent school. And, yes, property values can be tied into API scores. Your property value might go up a notch (or thousands of dollars) if you live in the attendance area of a high-scoring school. And, we all know that realtors like to point out the great scores of a local schoolas a selling point to prospective homebuyers.

Most of the schools listed below lie in either the Walnut Creek or Mt. Diablo Unified Unified school districts. Las Lomas High School, in downtown WalnutCreek, lies in the Acalanes Union School District, as does Acalanes, whose official address is Lafayette but counts some Walnut Creek residents in its student body.

I also didn't break schools up according to grade level. Of course, it's not fair to compare the API score of a smaller, tight-knit elementary school, like No. 1 Parkmead Elementary, against a large high school with a more diverse population, like Las Lomas or Northgate High.

And, for those in Ygnacio Valley, who are concerned about the quality of schools in the Mt. Diablo Unified district, well, it looks like--at least judging by API scores--that they compete just fine with schools in the Walnut Creek and Acalanes districts.

Parkmead Elementary, 938 (WCSD)
Walnut Heights Elementary, 935 (WCSD)
Walnut Acres Elementary, 934 (MDUSD)
Valle Verde Elementary, 927 (MDUSD)
Indian Valley Elementary, 918 (WCSD)
Bancroft Elementary, 903 (MDUSD)
Acalanes High School, 902 (Acalanes)
Walnut Creek Intermediate, 902 (WCSD)
Murwood Elementary, 887 (WCSD)

Buena Vista Elementary, 880 (WCSD)
Foothill Middle School, 881 (MDUSD)
Las Lomas High School, 858 (Acalanes)
Northgate High School, 855 (MDUSD)