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judging schools



 
 
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  #1  
Old March 6th 04, 12:00 AM
Sara
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Default judging schools

We're working on a list of possible places to move to. I'm trying to
come up with important specific attributes for Futureville, such as
climate, a nearby university, etc.

One quality we want is "good public schools," but how can they be
judged? We're talking kindergarten, first grade -- things like college
admission stats aren't relevant. Any suggestions?

--
Sara, accompanied by the baby barnacle
  #2  
Old March 6th 04, 12:18 AM
Donna Metler
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Default judging schools


"Sara" wrote in message
...
We're working on a list of possible places to move to. I'm trying to
come up with important specific attributes for Futureville, such as
climate, a nearby university, etc.

One quality we want is "good public schools," but how can they be
judged? We're talking kindergarten, first grade -- things like college
admission stats aren't relevant. Any suggestions?

Visit the schools. You can get a lot on the general climate just by seeing
and observing. Things I'd look for:

1) Programs like art, music and PE classes (often the first things cut in
budget crisis)
2) Do the schools have playgrounds?
3) Homework policy (if any)
4) Gifted programs
5) Class size
6) Electives at the elementary level-clubs and after school groups.
7) District or school-wide discipline policy
8) The school library-if a school doesn't have a librarian, this is a very
good indicator that there isn't much student-directed learning going on, or
much free reading, either.
9) PTA/PTO

One thing I wouldn't be terribly concerned about is standardized test
scores-it is very easy for a school to be doing a great job and be labeled
"failing"-and for a school to have great scores, but at too high of a cost
for a kindergartener.


--
Sara, accompanied by the baby barnacle



  #3  
Old March 6th 04, 12:29 AM
dragonlady
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Posts: n/a
Default judging schools

In article ,
"Donna Metler" wrote:

"Sara" wrote in message
...
We're working on a list of possible places to move to. I'm trying to
come up with important specific attributes for Futureville, such as
climate, a nearby university, etc.

One quality we want is "good public schools," but how can they be
judged? We're talking kindergarten, first grade -- things like college
admission stats aren't relevant. Any suggestions?

Visit the schools. You can get a lot on the general climate just by seeing
and observing. Things I'd look for:

1) Programs like art, music and PE classes (often the first things cut in
budget crisis)
2) Do the schools have playgrounds?
3) Homework policy (if any)
4) Gifted programs
5) Class size
6) Electives at the elementary level-clubs and after school groups.
7) District or school-wide discipline policy
8) The school library-if a school doesn't have a librarian, this is a very
good indicator that there isn't much student-directed learning going on, or
much free reading, either.
9) PTA/PTO

Great list! I would add how long teachers tend to stay at the school
compared to others, if you can get that information. And even though
you are looking at elementary school, if you look at the middle school
and high school programs into which they feed, the quality of things
like THEIR music and art programs will tend to reflect on the quality of
those programs going into middle school and high school, so if those
things matter to you, take a look at them.


One thing I wouldn't be terribly concerned about is standardized test
scores-it is very easy for a school to be doing a great job and be labeled
"failing"-and for a school to have great scores, but at too high of a cost
for a kindergartener.


--
Sara, accompanied by the baby barnacle



--
Children won't care how much you know until they know how much you care

  #4  
Old March 6th 04, 04:24 AM
GI Trekker
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Posts: n/a
Default judging schools

Great list! I would add how long teachers tend to stay at the school
compared to others, if you can get that information. And even though
you are looking at elementary school, if you look at the middle school
and high school programs into which they feed, the quality of things
like THEIR music and art programs will tend to reflect on the quality of
those programs going into middle school and high school, so if those
things matter to you, take a look at them.

I would also add -- how forthcoming are they with this information? How
welcoming are they of parental scrutiny? If they hesitate over anything on the
listing in the response, which was a good list, then I would see that as
raising alarm bells, possibly a school with an attitude of "these kids belong
to the state, not the parents, and we'll teach them what WE think they need to
know".
  #5  
Old March 6th 04, 05:32 AM
Cathy Kearns
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Default judging schools


"dragonlady" wrote in message
...
In article ,
"Donna Metler" wrote:

"Sara" wrote in message
...
We're working on a list of possible places to move to. I'm trying to
come up with important specific attributes for Futureville, such as
climate, a nearby university, etc.

One quality we want is "good public schools," but how can they be
judged? We're talking kindergarten, first grade -- things like college
admission stats aren't relevant. Any suggestions?

Visit the schools. You can get a lot on the general climate just by

seeing
and observing. Things I'd look for:

1) Programs like art, music and PE classes (often the first things cut

in
budget crisis)
2) Do the schools have playgrounds?
3) Homework policy (if any)
4) Gifted programs
5) Class size
6) Electives at the elementary level-clubs and after school groups.
7) District or school-wide discipline policy
8) The school library-if a school doesn't have a librarian, this is a

very
good indicator that there isn't much student-directed learning going on,

or
much free reading, either.
9) PTA/PTO

Great list! I would add how long teachers tend to stay at the school
compared to others, if you can get that information. And even though
you are looking at elementary school, if you look at the middle school
and high school programs into which they feed, the quality of things
like THEIR music and art programs will tend to reflect on the quality of
those programs going into middle school and high school, so if those
things matter to you, take a look at them.


If you need to narrow down your choices of which schools to visit
you can try www.greatschools.net. For the states included it has
information on each school including their home websites and how
long teachers have been at that school, and what the average
class size is. (And test scores, but as Donna mentioned, I wouldn't
hang much on those.) Often if their is a school or districtwide
homework policy it will be on the school website.



One thing I wouldn't be terribly concerned about is standardized test
scores-it is very easy for a school to be doing a great job and be

labeled
"failing"-and for a school to have great scores, but at too high of a

cost
for a kindergartener.


--
Sara, accompanied by the baby barnacle



--
Children won't care how much you know until they know how much you care



  #6  
Old March 6th 04, 09:40 AM
P. Tierney
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Posts: n/a
Default judging schools

"Sara" wrote in message
...
We're working on a list of possible places to move to. I'm trying to
come up with important specific attributes for Futureville, such as
climate, a nearby university, etc.

One quality we want is "good public schools," but how can they be
judged? We're talking kindergarten, first grade -- things like college
admission stats aren't relevant. Any suggestions?


Test scores are also available here online, but I'd look to other
variables as well. Several good suggestions were mentioned,
but I'd add two:

1. Parental word of mouth. Ask those that you know,
and if you don't, ask around when you make an informal
visit to the schools that interest you.

2. Find out what your choices are in advance. Will you have
to send your child to School X if you live in that zone,
or do you have an option? It isn't the same everywhere.
(This isn't an indicator of a good/bad district, but it is
important to know.)

Also, if it's a smaller district, looking at high school indicators
(graduation, level/type of extra-curricular offerings that may
indicate parental levels of involvement) could still be worth
your while. In a small district with only one or two high schools,
it's stands to reason that if the high schools are stellar, inpressive
places, then the elementary schools are likely to be too.

No one piece to the puzzle says it all, but a compilation
of what has been said, applied to any district, should give
you a good idea.


P. Tierney


  #7  
Old March 6th 04, 01:16 PM
Donna Metler
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default judging schools


"GI Trekker" wrote in message
...
Great list! I would add how long teachers tend to stay at the school
compared to others, if you can get that information. And even though
you are looking at elementary school, if you look at the middle school
and high school programs into which they feed, the quality of things
like THEIR music and art programs will tend to reflect on the quality of
those programs going into middle school and high school, so if those
things matter to you, take a look at them.

I would also add -- how forthcoming are they with this information? How
welcoming are they of parental scrutiny? If they hesitate over anything on

the
listing in the response, which was a good list, then I would see that as
raising alarm bells, possibly a school with an attitude of "these kids

belong
to the state, not the parents, and we'll teach them what WE think they

need to
know".

Or "We have NO control over behavior and discipline (or are using methods
you might object to) and we don't want you to see".

A good school should welcome visitors at any time, subject to reasonable
security precautions (checking in at the office is reasonable, for example).
Parents should be able to meet with teachers, visit classes, etc.

I'd add one more thing to my list. Come one day during lunch, and visit the
cafeteria. You'll get a better idea of the school's views on discipline
there than anywhere else.




  #8  
Old March 6th 04, 02:28 PM
Kim R.
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Posts: n/a
Default judging schools

If you're in the US, try going to http://www.findyourspot.com They ask you a
series of questions regarding climate, schools, population density, region,
etc and give you a list of your "top cities" they think you'd like to live.
It's pretty neat.

Kim R.


"Sara" wrote in message
...
We're working on a list of possible places to move to. I'm trying to
come up with important specific attributes for Futureville, such as
climate, a nearby university, etc.

One quality we want is "good public schools," but how can they be
judged? We're talking kindergarten, first grade -- things like college
admission stats aren't relevant. Any suggestions?

--
Sara, accompanied by the baby barnacle



  #9  
Old March 6th 04, 03:10 PM
Bruce and Jeanne
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default judging schools

P. Tierney wrote:

"Sara" wrote in message
...
We're working on a list of possible places to move to. I'm trying to
come up with important specific attributes for Futureville, such as
climate, a nearby university, etc.

One quality we want is "good public schools," but how can they be
judged? We're talking kindergarten, first grade -- things like college
admission stats aren't relevant. Any suggestions?


Test scores are also available here online, but I'd look to other
variables as well. Several good suggestions were mentioned,
but I'd add two:

1. Parental word of mouth. Ask those that you know,
and if you don't, ask around when you make an informal
visit to the schools that interest you.


This is sooo true. In one county in the metro area, a lot of upper- and
just plain middle-class parents send their children to private schools.
I would take this as a red flag that the schools (overall) are not good.
OTOH, there are good elementary schools within the system and the
parents know which ones are which, but a newcomer would not necessarily
know.

2. Find out what your choices are in advance. Will you have
to send your child to School X if you live in that zone,
or do you have an option? It isn't the same everywhere.
(This isn't an indicator of a good/bad district, but it is
important to know.)


A corollary would be are there any magnet schools, alternative high
schools? Are there options for children below and above the average?
What does the school system do for the gifted (if anything)? What does
it do for the learning disabled?

  #10  
Old March 6th 04, 05:19 PM
Laura Faussone
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Posts: n/a
Default Test scores was judging schools



Cathy Kearns wrote:

If you need to narrow down your choices of which schools to visit
you can try www.greatschools.net. For the states included it has
information on each school including their home websites and how
long teachers have been at that school, and what the average
class size is. (And test scores, but as Donna mentioned, I wouldn't
hang much on those.) Often if their is a school or districtwide
homework policy it will be on the school website.


I know test scores don't necessarily mean a whole lot, but the elementary
school in our district has absolutely *horrible* (not just below average) test
scores. I can't help but think this is a symptom of a larger problem.

Laura

 




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