Choosing a School

Every parent wants their kid to go to a good school. But what makes a school good? It depends on what’s important to you. Here are some things to consider in your search…

Test Scores
Test scores tell you one thing: how the other kids in this school do on standardized tests. The problem with choosing a school based on test scores alone is that you’re actually choosing a school based on demographics.  High income students score higher on these tests. Low income students score lower (see the research). If you see this direct relationship, you can’t infer anything about the teaching or learning going on at this school. However, if you see a school with a high percentage of low-income students (those who receive free or reduced lunch) and above average test scores, you can infer that there is something special about this school. Conversely, if you see a school with very few low-income students and below average test scores, you can infer that the school has some problems with teaching and learning.

Diversity
Percentages of students from various ethnic backgrounds is public information. If diversity is important to you, find out. If you notice that the school has a high percentages of Hispanic students, this could mean that there are many kids who speak Spanish as their first language.  Find out what the district’s policy is regarding Spanish instruction. In some districts, there is no Spanish instruction (English immersion). In other districts, students gradually move from all-Spanish to all-English instruction over several years.

Programs
Maybe you’re looking for a really great art program or a huge computer lab or after school sports. Some schools have full or part day pre-school (also called ECE- Early Childhood Education) or academic tutoring.  Ask about what’s available.

Teachers
In my opinion, high-quality teaching is far and away the most important factor. It doesn’t matter if a school has a shiny new playground and a friendly principal if your child’s teacher is struggling. So, good schools have good teachers, right? Unfortunately, it’s not that simple.  Schools with high percentages of low-income students usually have less experienced teachers.  And experienced teachers are often better than new teachers, but not always.  Consider this: high poverty schools (with lower test scores) face a great deal of pressure to improve.  Teachers in these schools work very hard and they receive a ton of professional development.  When I was working as a literacy coach, teachers and principals came from all over the district to observe our expert teachers — in the lowest performing school in the state.  Conversely, high-income students tend to score well on standardized tests.  Teachers in these schools have very little pressure to perform.  That doesn’t mean that good schools have bad teachers (or that bad schools have good teachers); there is probably a little of each.  So, why don’t good principals just get rid of the struggling teachers? This is actually a very complex question, but the short answer is: the teachers’ union makes that very difficult.

So, What Do I Do??
Instead of looking around for a “good school”, think about what that means to you. For me, I want a school close by with decent diversity and some after school programs. I’ll talk to some other parents and listen to what they say about particular teachers. If the principal allows it, I would request a specific teacher.  At the end of the day, the best you can do is choose a place that feels comfortable to you. If your child ends up in a classroom with a struggling teacher, ask to switch… it’s worth it.