Better School Scores Worth the Possibility of Not Continuing on with Friends???

If you have the opportunity to start her off in a school with high test scores, I would. Growing up, I went to the school in the district with the lowest test scores and by the later years there, it was awful. I had good teachers and a solid education, but parental involvement was low and the kids weren't raised to value education. As a straight A student, I was subjected to a lot of bullying.

My parents moved us to a better school district, one of the best public schools in the country. What a difference! I was around kids whose parents had also raised them to aim for college and life was much better. It's just an entirely different experience going to a school where kids aren't aiming for college and one where college is an expectation.

I will start by saying that scores are only one part of a school. There is an article on Mamapedia (under Voices) about a mom whose daughter is in their neighborhood school and what she did to make a difference at the school, for her own children and others.
The scores of a whole school have very little to do with how an individual will do, unless the home school is really bad (and you should visit all of them to get a feel for what school would best suit your family's dynamics). There are several factors involved in how an individual child will do (and these have no relation to the school itself): the child's intelligence, the parents' involvement in the child's education, the parents' education level and socioeconomic status are all correlated (not causal, necessarily) with school success. What I am trying to say is that most children can get a good education at any school if these factors are in their favor. Because you care enough to ask the question, your children are likely to do well in whatever school you choose.
How these factors affect test scores for the whole school is that if the larger part of the population has these factors in their favor, then the school as a whole will test better. I have studied the test scores in depth for our school district and compared the subgroups' test scores. We have some unique situations that enabled me to compare demographics and test scores.
Here is the mamapedia link: http://www.mamapedia.com/voices/walk-to-school-2

WOW what a quandary! In my opinion, your daughter’s education should come first so I agree with you. You’re looking towards the future for your daughter, not the here and now. Your daughter will benefit more from the higher education and better schools.

What I would suggest though is enrolling her in sports, dance, swimming or martial arts in your area so that she can make friends in your neighborhood just in case. However she is still young. Girls are social creatures so even if your daughter went to your neighborhood middle school later, she will make friends. No doubt. My daughter is in Middle School right now and she has one girl who is her bestest friend and they went to different elementary schools. They just met last year in Middle School. Good luck in making the right decision for your family!!!

The scores may not tell the whole story. Go talk to someone at your home school (ie; the principal) and ask him/her why they think the scores are lower before you decide.

If your home school is an ELL school (English Language Learners), the scores may be lower, but aren't a true reflection of the level of learning going on. These tests aren't perfect. I would look into it before you transfer.

No, the school is not necessarily worth the better scores. Once you parent long enough, you will probably hate the fact that teaching these days is all about the scores, which tends to take a lot of creativity and interest out of their teaching. I took my kids out of one very highly rated elementary school because they were bored by the rote, unindividualized teaching. (Both kids have an above 4.0 GPA in their wonderful high school.)

I would let your child stay with her friends, for now. If you find the school is bad in some way, then change it. After almost two decades of having kids in schools, I can tell you that it all depends on what teacher your child is lucky enough to get. Great teachers are in good schools and bad schools. My kids have had so-so teachers at highly-rated schools, and vice versa.

Plus, once your child is older, you will find that it's a real pain to have all her friends live far away because she is going to a different school. It's REALLY nice when your kids have friends in the neighborhood.

p.s. For the most part I don't disagree with Brandy, below. But three additions to my post:
1) Many charter schools and alternative schools don't teach to the test.
2) My daughter, a senior, is still good friends with the three girls she entered kinder with.
3) There is a happy medium between low testing schools and very high testing schools. The point is that just because the school may be the highest-testing school in a district, doesn't mean it's necessarily the "best."

before you transfer your child to another school district, take the time
to find out about whether they are counting in the non english as a first
launguage speakers with the strictly english speaking population when they
figure in test score averages.because it can make a very big difference
as to how averages are figured. also i would talk to other parents who have
transferred their kids to the schools you are looking at before filling out any paperwork
K. h.

not same situation as yours but...we live in a not so good school district. low scores all that. my kids have a friend right across the street, same age. i was not comfortable sending my kids to a public school, especially the one that wasn't performing well, so i found a great catholic school. my girls' friend went to public school. i could tell mom was bothered why she thought her school was good enough for her child not for me. we just have different standards. i also noticed she started pulling her child away from my kids. nothing i can do about it. we just have different standards when it comes to schools we choose for our kids.
my kids have developed nice friendships with their classmates, and i am happy with the school i chose and the teacher.
to me, friendships are important but NOT more important than the quality of education.

Oh I feel for you. The school district that we live has been dropping it's scores steadily. You could tell that education wasn't fostered in the homes of the other students. I think there was a lack of parental supervision all together because my daughter started getting an education alright and not the one I was sending her to school for. Plus my daughter was not challenged enough and being worked to her full potential because alot of the kids where behind what they should have known. We worked on a transfer to another school in are township but they wouldn't allow it. they told us they are in the middle of redistricting some of the schools and she could be part of a lotto for the start of the 2011 school year but no guarntees where given. Even tried to have her transfered to a different district that had a great school and they where to full. Very frustrating.

So we started the private school search because I wasn't going to gamble with my daughters education. We found a wonderful Catholic School to send her to after alot of hard searching. I do not regret it at all even though she had to leave her friends, she was in 2nd grade when the change came about and in 3rd now, she had alot of emotions about leaving and she seemed like she was on an emotional roller coaster. So do not go against what your heart is telling you. What is in your favor she is young and just starting into school. Everybody is a friend when they are your daughters age. So if thats your only draw back for it there is no need to worry.
My thoughts are with you. Just remember change sometimes is harder on the adults than it is the children. Lots of luck!
Tifany

YOur daughter is 5. She will make friend at her new school without any problems.
I have moved 6 times and we are getting ready to move again. The younger they are when switching schools the better off they are.
Your concern should be your daughter's education. Go with the better schools.
When she gets to HS you want to check the AP scores and the end of class assessments in the core subjects to see how that high wchool is performing.

Short & sweet. She'll make new friends. Put her in the better school.

How close can she be to anyone at 5 y/o anyway??? Isn't this the first year of school? Every kid there will be new. Who are these classmates she has now if she hasn't even started school? Are they neighborhood kids she would see anyway?? Are they from day care or something similar? Would they even be in her school? School is more important then someone she may or may not even remain friends with.

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Page, she's 5. You don't think she'll make new friends? I'm surprised the friends are even being considered into the equation. It's not like she's in middle or high school & has had these friends for 15 years. Still, when did the kids become the boss?

ALL schools are about the scores on standardized tests so they can get funding. I hate this. Besides the material is WAY too easy... they cater to the dumbest kids because god forbid someone actually expect more out of them or they fail & have to stay back. God forbid parents actually have kids & then do the job with follow through for 18+ years. Raise the bar, people will meet it.. don't lower it so the smarter kids are bored... and no one learns anything. And you are right Page, they do not let the children think, they are taught one way and the answers are what they are. No creativity, no opinions, no thinking outside the box. Schools don't even teach real history... kids are reading in HS what we read in middle school. Or not reading any of those books at all. At my kids school the teach them tricks or stupid ways to help them to learn instead of just teaching them flat out. (sorts??? WTH is a sort??? looking for patterns?) I don't even get how those things are relevant. What happened to phonics? Anyway... of course there are good & bad teachers in good & bad schools. You won't always get the good ones, you won't get the ones who care about your kid, or who take the time to try to teach each kid to their style of learning.
And like Michelle said, if education is important to you, and obviously it is seeing as you researched this already & are considering it, you would want your kid in a place where other parents share your opinion and value their child's schooling as much as you do. That's what's really nice. Having your child have friends with the same motivations & expectations as yours. Having their parents value education like you do. Not keeping your kid someplace just because she has friends there.