Is anyone thrilled with their child's school? (Davis, Santa Cruz: mortgage, neighborhoods)

[CAVA1990]

Originally Posted by Charles

I'm pretty sure it is mostly test scores with some slight normalizing accounting for some demographics.
More specific information for CA is here, read page 6.

http://www.cde.ca.gov/ta/ac/ap/docum...nfoguide09.pdf

I think you missed my point. The test scores are a product of the quality of the students and parents rather than the quality of the teachers, facilities, and curricula.

[jaynetarzana]

Originally Posted by Charles

I researched the schools and the community in Orange County for over a year before we moved back (search and you'll see hundreds of my posts on the OC CD forum from 2009). I downloaded megabytes of school, demographic, and community data and analyzed them. So, since I did that, I wasn't surprised. Also, we were moving back to CA no matter what and we were going to move to a neighborhood that had very good schools - even if it meant I'd have to commute - which I am doing.
I'm very certain you can find good schools in most price ranges in CA as long as you make some trade offs, like in our case, commuting for lower priced housing and good schools. We couldn't afford a lot of the good school districts in LA CO and for what we could afford we couldn't really get a comfortably big home for six of us and we simply like the look and modern layout of south OC. So, that's why we're so far out in south OC.

But, everything depends on where your job will be and your budget and your commute tolerance. Once we know those things, I'm certain we can find decent schools for you.

You have checked this out, right?

School Performance Maps

I think that you and I are one in the same when it comes to this stuff, Charles. Not only have I checked it out, but I have practically memorized the school performance map. I know which areas have the best schools. DH works in IT so he is more than likely going to find a job in the Bay area.

[MtnSurfer]

Originally Posted by jaynetarzana

I think that you and I are one in the same when it comes to this stuff, Charles. Not only have I checked it out, but I have practically memorized the school performance map. I know which areas have the best schools. DH works in IT so he is more than likely going to find a job in the Bay area.

Well, then I hope you make it back out here jaynetarzana. There are a lot of good school districts in and around the Bay Area. Another consideration might be private schools in areas where you like everything else like SC.

Derek

[clongirl]

Originally Posted by CAVA1990

I think having parents in the classroom is somewhat disruptive and not particularly helpful to student achievement. I'm sure my kids wouldn't have liked it. Kids need a place where they can develop independently from their parents. Fortunately it wasn't done much in my kids' classes. I'm from the old school of non-helicoptering.

You think? Are you a teacher by any chance? The teachers in my children's elementary school actually encourage volunteerism from the parents. Sign up sheets are always outside my children's classroom door. It's not just classroom participation but fundraising, organizing in the library, helping with weeding/gardening, etc. Strange that they would want us to do this if it were disruptive as you said.

I've actually heard recently that in some lower performing schools, some school districts are considering making volunteering a requirement since so few parents are involved. I'm pretty sure that recent studies have shown that when parents are involved with the school in general (not necessarily in the actual classroom) then the students perform better. When mom/dad takes the time to make education a priority and be involved, then so do their offspring.

Test scores actually have very little to do with the quality of students/and their parents. My children take most of these tests w/o my knowledge of what's on them or when they are given. I cannot actually help them study for them. Most of the preparation for these tests are rote memorization thanks to the NCLB program and have more to do with school funding than judging what the knowledge of the kids since the tests are quite dumbed down.

I actually have children currently in the public school system here. I'm pretty keen on this topic since I can compare firsthand from having kids in the private Catholic school system in San Francisco to the Irish National School system, to the Gailscoil (Irish immersion/non-denominational) and the California public schools (both Bay Area and Sacramento). I'm also from a family of educators.

[MtnSurfer]

Originally Posted by CAVA1990

I think you missed my point. The test scores are a product of the quality of the students and parents rather than the quality of the teachers, facilities, and curricula.

I think it is all of it. There is a synergy in the better school districts where students are encouraged to excel along with their peers. Yes the parents participate. But the teachers are doing more than babysitting, handling discipline and ESL issues.

Of course there are exceptions in mediocre school districts where the parents and child pick up the slack, while the no child left behind classroom remains behind as a whole. I've heard recently in some CA school districts they are redifining the traditional grading system. So now a passing D is 55%+ and an A is 85%. That way more ppl can graduate and move on.

Derek

[psr13]

Originally Posted by JohnG72

The only blatantly horrible schools Ive seen in California so far are LAUSD.

I'll note that I know 2 Garden Grove SD teachers and have relatives in other OC schools. No major complaints that I'm aware of.

I grew up not long ago in the Garden Grove schools. They are typically very good for the demographics they serve. I would send my kids to all but one of the schools I went to.

[CAVA1990]

Originally Posted by clongirl

Test scores actually have very little to do with the quality of students/and their parents. My children take most of these tests w/o my knowledge of what's on them or when they are given. I cannot actually help them study for them. Most of the preparation for these tests are rote memorization thanks to the NCLB program and have more to do with school funding than judging what the knowledge of the kids since the tests are quite dumbed down..

So do others think that's true? Are these test scores a function of school funding and have nothing to do with socio-economic variables or demographics? Isn't funding between schools in CA fairly equal? Does that mean test scores there are as well? Perhaps you have different standardized tests than we have here in VA. Here our SOL tests are fairly predictive of PSAT scores and its generally the smarter kids and better students who do better on them.

[Charles]

Originally Posted by CAVA1990

I think you missed my point. The test scores are a product of the quality of the students and parents rather than the quality of the teachers, facilities, and curricula.

I don't think I missed your point, but I think I agree with it.

[jaynetarzana]

Originally Posted by CAVA1990

I think having parents in the classroom is somewhat disruptive and not particularly helpful to student achievement. I'm sure my kids wouldn't have liked it. Kids need a place where they can develop independently from their parents. Fortunately it wasn't done much in my kids' classes. I'm from the old school of non-helicoptering.

My daughter is in kindergarten so parents being in the room is a great help to a teacher trying to handle 24 kindergarten students with one aide. The teacher especially appreciates when DH has been able to go because there are a handful of children who do not have a male role model in their lives. I imagine that our involvement will be more outside of the classroom as our daughters progress through the grades. What I was trying to get across is that DH and I are willing to put in the effort to help with our children's education in any way we can. Parent involvement in schools is so important. I know that our school would not run smoothly if it weren't for the parents who spend countless hours volunteering in different areas.

[Charles]

Originally Posted by CAVA1990

So do others think that's true? Are these test scores a function of school funding and have nothing to do with socio-economic variables or demographics? Isn't funding between schools in CA fairly equal? Does that mean test scores there are as well? Perhaps you have different standardized tests than we have here in VA. Here our SOL tests are fairly predictive of PSAT scores and its generally the smarter kids and better students who do better on them.

Genetics plays a role.

High performing schools due to high performing kids who are offspring of higher performing adults who have high paying jobs which allows them to buy expensive homes which correlate strongly with the high performing schools.