moving to Boston, but where?! (Natick, Andover: houses, movie theater, private schools)

[4kidsandadog]

hi 2kids,
I looked up 2006 mcas scores and didn't see Southborough rated up there with the well known great schools. I got a little worried about this since schools is our #1 consideration. Any thoughts? I don't want to put too much into MCAS scores, but I don't know how else to find reviews/ratings on schools........
4kids

[2KidsforMe]

Yeah, I have heard about the MCAS scores. Southborough shares it's high school with Northborough. All I know is that most people in town are very happy with the schools here. Scores are a factor, of course. I have just been impressed with the people I have met in town, and the general attitute toward education here in MA. I moved here from Southern CA, so I guess it is all relative. Keep digging, and I hope you find the town that best suits you.

[2KidsforMe]

One thing more I should add, Northborough/Southborough 10th grade mcas ranked 24th in the whole state for 2006. We had a larger number tested then some of the top schools, which could account for some of the lower scores. The scoring difference seperating the top 25 or so is not that big. All of these schools are very good. Go where you feel there is the best fit for your family.

[smarty]

Originally Posted by 4kidsandadog

hi 2kids,
I looked up 2006 mcas scores and didn't see Southborough rated up there with the well known great schools. I got a little worried about this since schools is our #1 consideration. Any thoughts? I don't want to put too much into MCAS scores, but I don't know how else to find reviews/ratings on schools........
4kids

Just beware when looking at these scores. It only reflect English and math. There are many things hiding behind those numbers. For example, many kids in those towns have tutors. Just look at where the Sylvan Learning centers are. They are paying $50-100/hr in additional to taxes. There are also kids with highly educated parents. Many have phds or mds. When you have smart kids that score high, does it mean the school is good? Studies have shown again and again that SAT scores correlate very well with parent's education level and income. I suggest to look at another metric not readily available. % of kids taking AP classes and how they score. A school willing to take all students that want to take AP class in my mind is better than the ones that screens. If only 5 kids took the class and score 5, I am not sure it is a better school that has 50 kids that scores 3.5. Of course, the better the score, the better the program.

You may want to look into other subjects like history, science, ... etc. You will see each school is stronger in some subjects.

Again, high or low scores in any school is no guarantee future success/score or your kid's score.

[puffle]

Originally Posted by 4kidsandadog

We are moving to the Boston area within the next 6 months, but have no idea where. We want great schools, family friendly neighborhoods, a nice yard for our four kids. Some towns that have been recommended to us are:
Dover, Concord, Sudbury, Wayland, Carlisle, Westwood, Acton, Boxborough.

We're hoping to find a town that has lots of sports/recreation programs for kids, not just academics. Our oldest starts middle school this fall and we want to get him off on the right foot in a really good school. Any thoughts?

Hi 4kids and a dog! Mine should be 4dogsandakid. Anyway, we are in the same boat except mine will go into 9th grade. We lived in Lexington where there is a lovely town center with two Stop and Shops in town and an incredible Rec. Center for the towns people. The Middle School my son went to was Diamond and was excellent as you will see on Greatschools as is Lexington High School. There is a Newcomer's Club which is very friendly. You will pay more there than Medfield which is much more rural with not much of a town center but does have public transportation. I am looking into Westford. More affordable, lakes and beaches as well as a ski resort and a great school system. It's about 30 min. to Boston and I believe will have or does have a Wegman's. Check it out!

[4kidsandadog]

This is all very helpful information! I hear what you're saying about the MCAS scores....excellent point. I will look into the whole AP course thing....

Wow, puffle, Lexington sounds great....good schools, town center, rec program........do you mind if I ask why you're moving???

I will check out Westford.
thanks everybody.

[4kidsandadog]

Ok, now to really confuse things! A friend of our who lives in Reading suggested we check out Boxford. She said schools are good and it is near the ocean, which we love. Also, it is equidistant from Boston and Portsmouth, NH, which we also love......
Does anyone know anything at all about Boxford or any surrounding towns that might interest us???

[CaseyB]

Originally Posted by 4kidsandadog

Ok, now to really confuse things! A friend of our who lives in Reading suggested we check out Boxford. She said schools are good and it is near the ocean, which we love. Also, it is equidistant from Boston and Portsmouth, NH, which we also love......
Does anyone know anything at all about Boxford or any surrounding towns that might interest us???

My daughter's college roommate is from Boxford. Masconomet Regional is the High School.

[smarty]

I saw an interesting survey a few years ago. Most parents are satisfied with their school. They also think that their school is best and their kids are the smartest. Who doesn't? Based on what I see is if your kid scores a 650 (SAT in Math or English) in 6/7th grade, your kid will do fine regardless of school system.

Again, the question is how do you define a good school? If you just look at the scores, just like Southborough it is an ok school compare to Dover or Acton.

[smarty]

Here's a source of survey. nces.ed.gov

Parents’ Attitudes Toward Schools
In 2003, more than half of all children in grades 3–12 had parents who reported that they were “very satisfied” with their child’s school, their child’s teachers, the school’s academic standards, and the school’s order and discipline.

In 2003, more than half of all children in grades 3–12 had parents who reported that they were “very satisfied” with each of the following aspects of their child’s education: their child’s school (58 percent), their child’s teachers (59 percent), the school’s academic standards (58 percent), and the school’s order and discipline (60 percent) (see table 38-1). Comparisons with comparable data for 1993 show no measurable differences in the parents’ reported satisfaction with each of these four aspects of their child’s education.

In 2003, a greater percentage of White children in grades 3–12 than Black children had parents who reported being very satisfied with each of the four aspects of their child’s education. The percentage of White children with parents who reported being very satisfied with their child’s school increased from 57 percent in 1993 to 60 percent in 2003, whereas no measurable differences were found between these years in the percentages of Black and Hispanic children with parents who reported being very satisfied with their child’s school.

Differences in parental levels of satisfaction with each of these four aspects of their child’s education were also found by poverty, grade level, and school type. In 2003, the percentages of children with parents who reported being very satisfied with their child’s school, its academic standards, and its order and discipline were higher for those who were categorized as nonpoor than for those categorized as near-poor or poor. The percentages of children in grades 3–5 with parents who reported being very satisfied with each of the four aspects of their child’s education were greater than the percentages of children in grades 6–8 and grades 9–12. In addition, the percentages of children in private schools with parents who reported being very satisfied with each of these four aspects were greater than the percentages of children in public schools, while the percentages of children in chosen public schools were greater than the percentages in assigned public schools.