Post by daisypaloma on Jul 21, 2014 16:03:26 GMT -5
I can't seem to create a poll somehow.
DH and I are house hunting. We were looking at a neighborhood that has fairly low (6>) school rating, so we may now reconsider. What is the absolute minimum you'd choose when looking for assigned public schools in grades K-8?
Post by karinothing on Jul 21, 2014 16:10:34 GMT -5
Our current school is a 3 BUT to me it would depend on why it is ranked that way. I think great school is kind of crap. What it does is it looks at the school in the area and compares them to other schools in the area and ranks them against each other. So like our school is rated a 3, but the test scores are better than school in other cities because we have some very rich neighborhood schools here that consistently score in the 99th percentile. My school scores in the upper 80s. So not abysmal or anything.
Furthermore, school scores are so flawed IMO. Our school has low scores that correspond to a high low income and ESL population (which is sad but true). If you look at the state's breakdown of the scores and compared the same kids at the 3 school with the same kids at the 10 school you will see they score the same. So, you (in my case) are talking about difference in the student populace that impacts test scores vs. quality of education IMO.
Now, there is likely something to be said for kids going to school with people that are all highly motivated and have very involved parents, but that is a decision you have to make. If I sent my kid to a school that was a 10 (which we may do some day) the school would be 99% white with a 1% low income level. It is very hard to have true diversity and high test scores it seems (at least in my area).
It would depend on why it is ranked low and how people who actually have kids there feel about it. Do you know anyone using the school now who would share their honest opinion?
It would also depend somewhat on whether we would have fallback options if the school did turn out to be unsatisfactory after sending our kids there for a year or two. If interdistrict transfer, charter school, private school, or moving would be a realistic option if needed, I would be more apt to give a "bad" school a try.
Post by spunkarella on Jul 21, 2014 16:27:13 GMT -5
When we were house shopping, we were lucky enough to have nice, affordable house options in a variety of districts. We chose a #9 district with more diversity over a #10 95% white district.
We were unwilling to consider 7 or below because we had no reason not to stick with higher-rated districts and it helped us narrow the field. I don't know what our number would have been under different circumstances.
It would depend on why the score was low - is it low in just a couple areas or all of them?
I think you're asking if the schools in the area are all lows? I see 2 6's and a 10 of Elementary schools within 1-2 miles of this one house. Middle school is an 8.
I'd buy into the best I could within reason. I live in a school zone with a 6 & 4 out of 5 in the parent reviews. No way would I send my kids there for a variety of reasons. The parent reviews on websites don't mean anything to me but test scores, classroom visits & reviews from people I trust do matter. I send my kids to private but if I was doing public, it'd be my #1 priority when house hunting.
I would be hesitant but would look further. Our school is an 8 but the one near us with a fairly similar demographic is a 4. I know our school is better but I don't buy that there is that vast of a difference.
Post by karinothing on Jul 21, 2014 16:58:54 GMT -5
Oh and I encourage you to look up your state report card for that school. You will get a more accurate picture. Not only will it break down the scores but it will also tell you about incidents of violence/drugs/etc at the school or about teacher education level.
It also breaks down the test scores by income/race/ESL/etc
Oh and I encourage you to look up your state report card for that school. You will get a more accurate picture. Not only will it break down the scores but it will also tell you about incidents of violence/drugs/etc at the school or about teacher education level.
It also breaks down the test scores by income/race/ESL/etc
Post by teatimefor2 on Jul 21, 2014 17:06:39 GMT -5
The lowest we agreed to go was a 7/8. I think we are in a 10 district. School was on of our top criteria and we purchased just an average home in a great district rather than a fabulous home in an okay district.
It would depend on why the score was low - is it low in just a couple areas or all of them?
I think you're asking if the schools in the area are all lows? I see 2 6's and a 10 of Elementary schools within 1-2 miles of this one house. Middle school is an 8.
No, I meant what categories the school scored poorly in. There should be a breakdown of the categories.
Post by thatgirl2478 on Jul 21, 2014 17:32:39 GMT -5
Great Schools is crap. It's all based on individual PARENT reviews - supposedly. So think about it, you have a beef with a principal at a school and you're kind of a vindictive bitch, you hop on GS and write a shitty review which drops their % lower. Like Yelp for schools.
There are a zillion reasons a school could have low #s - and none of them could have anything to do with the actual QUALITY of the school. If you are REALLY that concerned about it, go and talk to actual teachers at the school.
Oh and I encourage you to look up your state report card for that school. You will get a more accurate picture. Not only will it break down the scores but it will also tell you about incidents of violence/drugs/etc at the school or about teacher education level.
It also breaks down the test scores by income/race/ESL/etc
And I don't need to tell you this - but even scores don't tell you the whole picture of a school!
In our old school district, our home school actually had great programs - but the only place you could see it empirically was in Math because you didn't need to be fluent in English to understand the numbers. English/Reading/Science - the scores tanked because a very high % of the students were ESL.
Finally, if you - the parent - are involved in your child's education they can do well in just about ANY school. Now not every school is right for every kid, but for the most part parental involvement is a better predictor of success than school rating.
And no, I'm not a teacher or even involved in the education system.
100% depends. What are the plans for the district? Are they building new schools and possibly changing the zoning? Is there a plan in place to address it? Is the neighboring district marginally better, worse, or MUCH better? Are you in a large urban area? A district where you can choose your school? A district where charter schools are very common? Is private school a common option in the area and would it be affordable to you?
Even if you are 100% planning on private, it's good to have public as a back up. (If you're planning on public, it's good to have private as a back up.) Plus, schools can affect the resale value of the house. However, if you are, say, buying a house in the Chicago Public School District, no one really expects the neighborhood school to be AMAZING. If it IS a neighborhood school that has become really good, that's a huge benefit, but in general, in a large urban district, if you are buying IN the city, a bad school won't sway your decision. Suburb with a bad school that's surrounded by good schools? People will likely skip over you in favor of a neighboring town when you try to sell.
Also, I put more stock in high schools than elementary schools. A mediocre elementary education can easily be supplemented, and is meant to prepare kids for middle and high school. A good high school education is key, since your child's learning, success, and school ranking will determine college/career path.
For the record, our elementary is rated a 9 (all 4 in the district are an 8 or 9, there was another that was a 5 that closed, but the parents loved that school), our middle is a 9 and our high school is a 10. I would probably be fine with a 7, though. Plus, I have years until I have school aged children and a lot can change in that time, in either way.
We are in an 8 and are happy with that. In my city we have a total of 93 elementary school and none of them are a 10 and only one is a 9. Since greatschools gives scores compared to all other schools in the state you could end up with no 10s or no 1s depending on your city/town. With this information I know that 8 is right up at the top as far as competition goes where I live. It was important not only to have good scores but to have diversity so we had narrowed our search down to about a half dozen schools when we were looking to buy; all of the schools were a 7-8.
Greatschools.org has two different scores- 1-10 based on test scores and 1-5 stars based on parent reviews. I know it is not the know all, end all but according to their site the scores (1-10) can be pretty comprehensive based on where you live but most states are just standardized test scores. The 1-5 stars can be a little trickier because people often only review something if it was REALLY good or REALLY bad. The rest of the people that thought the school was just "good" wouldn't likely respond.
From the greatschools.org site it says: The foundation of the GreatSchools rating reflects how well students do on standardized tests compared to other students in the state, and ratings in most states are based exclusively on test scores. While test results give parents a good sense of how well students are performing at a given school, it only provides a limited snapshot of school quality.* Therefore, in a growing number of states where data are available, the GreatSchools Rating includes additional information of student outcomes, such as information on how much students are learning in a given year and how prepared they are for college. — updated April 2014. Calculating GreatSchools Ratings
In States with Only Data on Test Scores In states where only student achievement is used to calculate ratings, the overall GreatSchools Rating is an average of how well students at a given school do on each grade and subject test. For each test, ratings are assigned based on how well students perform relative to all other students in the state, and these ratings are averaged into an overall rating of 1 to 10. The distribution of the GreatSchools Rating in a given state looks like a bell curve, with higher numbers of schools getting ratings in the “average” category, and fewer schools getting ratings in the “above average” or “below average” categories.
In States with Data on Multiple Student Outcomes For states where ratings include student growth and college readiness information, the overall GreatSchools Rating is an average of how well students do on each sub-rating. Sub-ratings are weighted equally, though actual weights depend on the amount of data available per school and what grades that school serves. For instance, a K-5 school has no college readiness data, so the overall rating would be based 50% on student achievement and 50% on student growth. In contrast, the rating for a high school with data for all three measures would be based 33% on student achievement, 33% on student growth, and 33% on college readiness. Each sub-rating represents how a school compares to all other schools in the state on each measure, and these sub-ratings are averaged into an overall rating.
*Highlighted to reinforce what many posters have mentioned.
It depends on the school. Our local school is a 10 but I prefer a school that's a 7. The 10 school places more importance on testing whereas the 7 school has a more Montessori philosophy and doesn't emphasize testing as much.
Post by teatimefor2 on Jul 21, 2014 19:07:59 GMT -5
I think the bigger issue is what is important to you. My DH and I value foreign language options, advance placement courses, and extra circulator activities. For us, honestly, that ranked higher than diversity, as we hope to be able to supplement diversity through diverse international travel.
When we were looking I read news releases for the high schools, activities, PTA notes (you can find everything on-line) and that helped be create a picture combined with actual school reports. I would figure out what is important to you and make sure the district has a solid programme in those areas.
The lowest we agreed to go was a 7/8. I think we are in a 10 district. School was on of our top criteria and we purchased just an average home in a great district rather than a fabulous home in an okay district.
That's what we did. In a 10 district on great schools for elementary, middle and high. We are happy but our house needs lots of renovations and while there is ethnic diversity--there is not income diversity and I don't like that.
The lowest we agreed to go was a 7/8. I think we are in a 10 district. School was on of our top criteria and we purchased just an average home in a great district rather than a fabulous home in an okay district.
This is what we did as well - I think our elementary is a 9 and the middle and highs are 10s. Our future kids will very likely go to private school (I work at a very good one and it will make pick up/drop off much easier) but we agreed that it was important for resale value. People here really buy their houses based on school district.
Post by DirtySouth on Jul 21, 2014 20:17:37 GMT -5
The Great Schools number rating has nothing to do with the parent scores.
The lowest I would consider is an 8, and I'd be hesitant at that. I'm pretty sure all three schools in our district are a 10. One of the three could possibly be a 9.
This said, school quality and commute time were the biggest two considerations for me. I made pretty big sacrifices with type of house but that wasn't a high priority. Everyone is different.
I asked teachers/parents that have experience with the schools in our 'hood. Their feedback was positive. I don't believe test scores tell much other than how well kids have been taught to take test---not their knowledge level.
To be honest, however, schools were down on our priority list. Commute options, neighborhood feel, price, etc. were much higher. I went to pretty shitty schools and got into the same grad school as people in the Ivies. I really do believe that parental involvement is the key.
Post by imojoebunny on Jul 21, 2014 20:28:41 GMT -5
We moved to a 10 school from a 9. We send our oldest to an unranked private school. Education is a priority for us. Some kids do great in less high ranking schools because the school is good and just has external challenges. In our previous district, it seemed like schools do well despite the crap the school districts throw up to make things suck. New district seems interested and capable in educating kids.
Post by liveintheville on Jul 21, 2014 20:38:58 GMT -5
We're in a low ranked school. Over half the population doesn't speak english as a first language. Scores are skewed. We love the school and love the teachers. Our kids are thriving. That's what matters to me.