Pittsburgh Business Times 2008 PA School District Rankings (Philadelphia, Scranton: renting, crime)

[orrmobl]

I have found this list to be a very good, unbiased reference.

If a moderator could turn this into a sticky, that would be great.

Thanks!

http://www.svsd.net/important-news/i..._rank_2008.pdf

[MoorestownResident]

Not sure how unbiased it is, Pittsburgh area has the top school and 5 out of the Top 10. If that's factual, that's not good for Philly, IMO.

[rainrock]

Originally Posted by MoorestownResident

Not sure how unbiased it is, Pittsburgh area has the top school and 5 out of the Top 10. If that's factual, that's not good for Philly, IMO.

Exactly.I'm sure if the Scranton Business Times made a school report 4 of the top 10 school districts would be from Lackawanna County.

If a school report gets a sticky it should be the one that was posted last week from Philadelphia Magazine. This report encompasses the schools in this region including South Jersey. Why anyone would be interested in what a Pittsburgh paper has to say about Philadlephia area schools is beyond me.

This is the report that should get a sticky.


The Top 50 School Districts 2008 - Philly Mag

http://www.phillymag.com/files/images/Full_ranking.pdf

[MoorestownResident]

Originally Posted by rainrock

Exactly.I'm sure if the Scranton Business Times made a school report 4 of the top 10 school districts would be from Lackawanna County.

If a school report gets a sticky it should be the one that was posted last week from Philadelphia Magazine. This report encompasses the schools in this region including South Jersey. Why anyone would be interested in what a Pittsburgh paper has to say about Philadlephia area schools is beyond me.

This is the report that should get a sticky.


The Top 50 School Districts 2008 - Philly Mag

http://www.phillymag.com/files/images/Full_ranking.pdf

And if Philly did a ranking, most of the top schools would be in Philly/PA burbs. There really isn't an unbiased report coming from these glorified chamber extensions.

[orrmobl]

You guys are WAY too skeptical. At least the PBT ranks the entire state, not just the Pittsburgh region. And note how high all the schools around here rank...I'm pretty sure its unbiased and based upon metrics vs the usual "you know such and such is the best district around here" bs that is heard at get togethers and spread on this site as well.

It always amazes me how many people live in the best district, yet they all live in different places!

I still say Philly Mag should be called Main Line Mag and the Inky has too many staff in too many affluent areas to be unbiased.

[MoorestownResident]

Which is why you look at comparable metrics to formulate opinion - % of kids in AP or honors classes, national blue ribbon designation or not, SATs, % of kids going to prestigious schools. Those are all reported and it's all you need to know.

[rainrock]

Originally Posted by orrmobl

You guys are WAY too skeptical. At least the PBT ranks the entire state, not just the Pittsburgh region. And note how high all the schools around here rank...I'm pretty sure its unbiased and based upon metrics vs the usual "you know such and such is the best district around

Come on Oorm. There is no story for the Pittsburgh Paper if the Pittsburgh school districts come in at # 14 -37-52 etc.etc. etc. They are trying to sell papers. Someone from the paper came up with the idea of doing a report on quality of schools in the state, the only way that was going to succeed in selling news
papers is if somehow Pittsburgh made a very very strong showing. Wahla Pittsburgh has the 2 of the 3 best school districts in the state and 5 of the top 10 despite representing 17% of the state.

Pittsburgh has incentive to be biased in this instance since their readers are all from Pittsburgh. Come on now its a feel good story, thats all.

On the otherhand Philadephia Magazine is trying to sell subscriptions to the Main Line, to Bucks County, to West Chester,South jersey,Philadlephia etc. Once they start showing biasness to one specific locale it destroys their regional credibility. The Main Line is only 2.5% of the total population of the Philadlephia area, it would be idiotic of Philadelphia Magazine to make up stories that glorify only the Main Line.

[orrmobl]

Come on now Roin, it's either true for both publications or untrue for both.

With less students to teach, why is it not plausible that the best district test wise is in Pittsburgh? If Tredyffrin and the other Main Line districts were further down the list I might be skeptical but the analysis seems comprehensive to me.

And I'm not sure how much time you've spent west of Philly, but the people get more and more honest and honorable the further west you go. They may be country and reactionary but they are as honest as the day is long.

[Pittsburgerhere]

Wow! Folks, this is what PSSAs are for. The kids in Philly and the kids in Pgh take the same test at the same time at scheduled times during the year to measure the progress of the schools. Central Bucks always factors into the top schools, but Mt. Lebanon and Upper St Clair have always been phenomenal school districts, above the rest and the graduate success rate proves that as do the statewide assessments. All you can do is consider the top rated schools in your area and not concern yourself with the other side of the state. Keep in mind that there are 500 school districts statewide, when it comes down to it, anything in the top 50 is a great school. 11-20 are no doubt phenomenal schools that turn out successful students no differently than 1-10. And if you check the bottom of the list, there are more schools in the Pittsburg area close to the big 500 than in Philly. I hardly see any Pgh bias there. If I were to throw in my opinion...it isn't as much the quality of the schools themselves as the quality of people who live in the district, because after all it is what happens in the 2-6 years that shapes what the teachers have to work with. It is easy to see that the schools at the bottom of the list are the same areas that are riddled with crime and drugs and very little parenting and it's no coincidence that the ones at the top of the list are also nice places to live with respectable, involved parents. As long as you are a good parent and you care enough to even look at the rankings, you should stop complaining about biased lists. Chances are, you children are getting a great education. And what the lists don't tell you is how difficult the social pressures are in those top ranked schools. (Yes, I graduated from one of the top 5) Sometimes it is better to be NEAR the top of the list than AT the top. My children currently attend one of the top 20 and I am confident that they are receiving the same quality education that I did surrounded by regular down to earth people without the added social pressures

[JHG722]

Who cares. Obviously I'd rather be #1, but I'm not going to cry about ONLY being #13. I graduated, so it doesn't matter much anymore.