Grading Schools and Small Multiples

This graph has a lot of what Tufte might call chartjunk. I found it, however, effective in delivering several kinds of data--and not all of them quantitative. By using small multiples and bar graphs, the NY Times is comparing two pairs of schools. One pair comprises mostly affluent, white students, but one of the two schools has been given an A and the other an F. The second pair shows schools with more financially disadvantaged minority students, one with an A and the other an F. The differences that determine the grades are subtle, but can be compared between all four schools.
The "chartjunk" in question includes pictures of the schools and the location of the school superimposed on a basic map of New York. Even though these graphics don't directly pertain to the data set, I think they still convey important information. The depressing concrete facade of PS 46, in which 97% of the students qualify for free lunch, is actually seeing better improvement in their students' achievement from year to year than it might appear. The contrast itself is worth noticing.