My daughter is 4, and will be starting Kindergarten in August 2011 (so another year from now). We have already decided that we do NOT want her to go to school in our current city's school system. We are trying to find a house to rent in the next city (which has a much better school system) in the next few months (lease is ending). As long as we get within that city's limits, I know we should be fine.
But, my husband is also trying to find a new job, and it could possibly end up with us moving away from this area. So, my question is, if we move (now or in the future) to a new city we aren't familiar with, what are some things we should look at when looking at potential schools? I know nothing about this stuff!!! haha Are there statistics, rankings, etc that we can check online?? What areas should we put the most emphasis on??
Are there certain Web sites that you can check for any school? Things I should expect the school's Web site to have?
Thanks for your help!! I'm so nervous about making sure she gets in a good school system like I had growing up (wish we could move back there!!).
Thank you for all of your answers! I will keep all of the info in mind as we prepare for my daughter's school days. :)
Private school right now is not an option. We are already barely making ends meet, so we can't afford to pay her way through school. Homeschooling is also not an option, as I work full-time outside the home & am currently the only steady salary for our family, and my husband travels a lot for National Guard duties & sometimes other work.
I recommend this site:
they have a rating system and tons of information of specific schools, you can look up by zip code, city name or ISD.
Good luck!
Definitely go and visit and meet with the principal and teachers. Go to a PTA meeting if you can. That will give you a good idea of parental involvement. I may take some heat for the next few things I'm going to say, but as a veteran teacher and someone who lives in a "gentrifying" area with some very interesting public school issues --here goes:
If there is good to high parental involvement, the school is usually above average.
Check the website statistics to see how many kids are on free breakfast and lunch. Unfortunately those with very high percentages of this are usually the under-performing, low end schools with little parental involvement.
Go ahead and look at test scores on the website. I hate the whole standardized test as a measurement for everything attitude, but the better schools DO have higher test scores!
Look at what extracurricular things the school has going for it. Have they endeavored to get grants and funding for special projects? Does it appear they go the extra mile to make your child's school special?
Google whatever county or city school system you're looking at for the info and visit!
You can usually access the "report cards" for school districts on that state's web site.
One suggestion I have for picking a good district is not just to look at the scores and rankings, but also look for one that is land locked and cannot grow so they are not spending money on new schools and are instead spending money on faculty, staff, and per pupil expenditures.
M.
I suggest the following sites:
http://www.usnews.com/sections/education/index.html
The US News site is for best high schools, but those are often indicative of great elementary schools in the same area. You can use both sites together to research a place which will be good for your child regardless of how many years you choose to stay there.
Luck!
C.
As a teacher and mom who just chose a school for my daughter, I'd recommend going in to meet the principal, and see if they'll let you sit in on a class in session. I always ask about class sizes, curriculum, and expectations, but I also just get a "feel" for the atmosphere of the school. Our public school had a very negative climate, with a principal who had no pride in her school and made a lot of excuses (we can't do this, no time for that...) So, since moving is not an option right now, I visited a few private schools and the third was a charm! Very positive atmosphere, and I was very impressed by everything I saw there. I felt comfortable there and knew it would be a great place for my children. Test scores will give you part of the picture, but I think you need to visit to get a real sense of the school and "follow your gut".
Try www.greatschools.com. All of the test scores are listed as well as parent involvement metrics, and other things. It's all rolled up into a "Great Schools Score." Like anything, you'd want to check the schools out in person before making a decision, but at least it gives you a starting point.
Are you open to private schools at all? I myself graduated from public school but both of my kids are in private school as well as my husband is the Dean of a private school. I personally will not put my kids in public school. I would homeschool if private school was no longer an option for us. Studies show that scores are much higher among private and homeschooled children!
It's so hard to know. Over the past 4 years, I've seen so many changes in our middle school, and in my opinion it has gone down hill very quickly.
One of my friends moved (for several reasons including schools at the time 2 in elementary), and she was so thrilled because this school system was so much better. Well 3 years later, she was constantly having problems. She's now sending her daughter to a private high school.
You can find some information online, one website I've found is www.greatschools.com.
You can go to the US Department of Education then find the state you will be living in and every school system should have a report card available on-line. This was part of the no child left behind that was put into place by GW Bush. I have been using this information too for the same reason. I also found another website just by googling that even had racial statistics and income estimates.(which was important to us bc many of the schools around here are very ritzy and I do not like that keeping up with the jones thing.) Good Luck!
Hi S.,
You are doing the right thing for your child! Education is very important for kids . Listen My husband & our family moved every 2 yrs in the last 9yrs. I always did my homework as a parent. I always say "I can make a house a home anywhere as long as the girls have a GREAT education." So far it has worked. Our oldest will be is HS next fall and the youngest will be in 7th. And they are both A and B honor roll students and active in band and sports.
This is what I LOOK for and DO:
1. Call the school and see if you are able to visit the class while the students are in the middle of class ( A TOUR) ( Not in gym ,lunch, recess, or art,ect) You want to be able to see how the teachers interact with the children and how they teaches.
2.Ask for the teacher VR's student ratio (1 to 15-1 to 16) is OK but if it is more I would be leery.
3.Look at the area such as; Crime rate, City School Taxes,and like you said the stats. This can tell you alittle about how much the city puts into the school district.
4. You can go to the City Hall web site of the city, or you can go to the schools web site If you know what school you are interested in.
5. THE ### 1 THING IS TO ASK PARENTS THAT HAVE STUDENTS OF YOUR CHILDS AGE THAT HAVE ALREADY BEEN IN THAT GRADE. PLUS IN HIGHER GRADES TO SEE IF THE GREAT EDUCATION DOES NOT STOP AFTER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.!!! Like, What teacher did ur child have? How and what kind of teachers are they? Is the principle an active member of the classes? So on, and any other questions you and your husband might have.
Yes you might have alot of questions but IT is your child's education that is the up most importants.
6. And we are active people in our childrens live and school activities. so we know what is going on in thier day to day live.
Well now that I wrote a book of DO's. I hope that this will help you and I hope that you find a GREAT school for your baby. And MOM don't be scared Be happy that she is all GROWED UP now.
C.
I'd take some of the sites with a grain of salt. For instance, my high school ranked #17 nationally a few years ago - it was far from the best high school in our district let alone one of the best nationally. There are a lot of subjective criteria that go into US News and World Report's rankings.
When we selected our house, we Googled SAT scores for the school systems we were looking at in our area. There was about a 20 point difference on average between what we chose (lower) and the one we left.
At the end of the day, we decided that it was our job as parents to reinforce their learning at home, and we used that as a basis of our decision.
One thing to keep in mind - the economy has devastated public school systems. Most districts nationwide are facing layoffs, and the state of schools as we know them today will be much different in a few years. A lot of extracurricular activities will be dropped, class sizes increased. So, keep that in the back of your mind as you're searching, because it may have a dramatic impact on how things are today vs. a few years (our son is also getting ready to turn 4).
The websites suggested are excellent resources.. But they do not always tell the whole story.
I know you will visit any school you are considering and that is important.. Also remember the more YOU are involved at the school the better your child will do and the help you will give the campus is invaluable.
Another thing is that our neighborhood schools are all rated "exemplary" . We are very fortunate. The middle school has a history of not always being great, but after the dedication of the staff, students, parents a community, sticking with it, it really improved for many years.. Unfortunately a few years ago we hit a bump, long story, ended up and were rated "low performing" because of the state test and 1 student.. I am not kidding.. Families started fleeing this amazing school instead of finding out what happened and what they could do to help..
So please do not always drop a school, just based on ratings, actually go and get a feel for the campus and the people involved.
I am excited for you and your daughter, the school years are so exciting and the new friends and families that will be life long friends are amazing..
