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I have seen websites such as greatschools and schooldigger and seen the published rankings..as a new parent I am trying to understand, whether to take these numbers literally (I mean, how seriously) or else how do we find out the general trend in the quality of a school district?
Some school areas are consistently top ranked and easy to spot, but how about others?
For example, Scotch Plains vs Westfield? The latter has higher rankings in all levels of schools, but I've read several posts that Scotch Plains is "also very good."
Or Metuchen vs North Edison?
So how did some of you decide - did you attend school open houses/word of mouth/forum advice :-)
I don't really know that many people here in NJ and don't want to go just by the internet or what a realtor tells me (no disrespect to realtors!)
Your #1 priority should be to talk to parents who have (or had) kids in the school district you are looking into and see what they think. They will give you the best advice. You can also go visit the schools and get a first hand look at what goes on there. The last thing you should do is seek information on a public forum like this one, since most of the people who voice their opinion here have no first-hand experience and only go by what they heard or read somewhere, and a lot of bad information just gets tossed around and taken as fact.
I advise you tour whatever schools you are considering---and even some you are not.
When I was "looking around" I toured some private schools first--which was very eye opening in terms of the varying educational philosophies flying around. Things such as what math or reading program was being used--stuff I would not have even thought of had I not attended a few open houses. From there, I toured several elementary schools--something you can do on your own or through a realtor. I think starting with the private schools gave me a good set of questions to then take to the individual public schools I checked out. I considered all kinds of things such as:
- what reading and math programs were being used
- how often they had art, music, gym and WHERE these classes were held (ie art in a cart vs an art room).
- second language program and when it is introduced
- tenure of teachers and general qualifications was a good data point
- class sizes and district boundaries
- ask about their special ed department--if a school has a strong special ed program, there is often very good overlap that benefits all students. ALl kinds of small little touches (technology in the classroom, tennis balls on the feet of the chairs to keep the noise down etc etc). Extra aides that may be slated for one student but who help out the rest of the class.
If you are looking at elementary schools, I would look at other "soft" things such as their PTO website, the facilities where the kids play, how much outdoor space they have...do they have swings etc.
I would ask for the after-school program brochures (again--can vary wildly from school to school.) Things such as a robototics program, or chess club or lego club are good indicators that you are dealing with a community that values science and math.
Be sure you visit when school is in session---and then again at dismissal. You can learn a lot about a school by observing their dismissal process---how many kids take the bus vs. are picked up in person. Are there a lot of parents (mostly moms) milling about the entrance---believe it or not, that kind of thing can show you if you have super involved parents (and therefore a strong PTO)....etc You cannot imagine how completely different a school can be on paper vs. in person. For example-in our town, one elementary school has an INCREDIBLE art program; the one a mile away absolutely does not. The difference? A principal, an art room, and an art teacher.....
If you are looking at HSs--ask about their AP program--how many classes are offered and what % of kids take them. Graduation rates are important but most good public HSs also have lists of where their students end up in college. I'd ask to meet with the guidance department to understand their college placement program etc etc.
I can honestly say that, if you take the time to physically shop for a school as you would for any other important thing (health club, a car..) you will be amazed by how much grief you can save yourself up front......
Finally--there is an excellent website called neighborhood scout--something like that--that has really good demographics on individual school systems etc including average expenditure per student etc etc. Between that web site--and this one--I did a lot of really good up front research that allowed me to narrow down my search to a few towns. This website has an excellent forum on education--there you can get a bunch of information on the varying math programs currently in vogue. (For example--do you prefer "Singapore Math" or "Everyday Math" or "Mathematics Your Way"---do they use "Words Their Way" etc etc.....)
I graduated from Scotch Plains-Fanwood H.S. in 2002 and later completed a BS in Marketing at the Rutgers Business School. Today I am the marketing director of an international consumer market research company - no complaints. Kids in my class went on to Princeton, TCNJ, Rutgers, Villanova, Northwestern, Northeastern, Upenn, Penn State and many other top notch colleges. And some did not. The school has gotten quite a facelift since I've graduated, with a new wing and more air conditioning etc. I found the teachers to be very good, especially the ones teaching AP classes. Some of the history and english teachers there really made a difference to me. The foreign language departments take themselves very very seriously, and as the former president of the Spanish honor society I can tell you that it was very active at all times. There are some very good business-entry type classes and programs at SPF-HS, like DECA for example - which allows students to learn about marketing and business related skills. The regional and national competitions are a blast when you're 16 and just trying to figure out your future career goals.
Spent a majority of my childhood in Scotch Plains after having lived in many other parts of the world - and have since lived in many different parts of NJ. I'm happy to answer any questions you have about the town itself (wishing I could afford to live there today!).
Spent a majority of my childhood in Scotch Plains after having lived in many other parts of the world - and have since lived in many different parts of NJ. I'm happy to answer any questions you have about the town itself (wishing I could afford to live there today!).
You're 4 years out of college...no need to rush back to the burbs just yet...enjoy Hoboken or something similar
Very good advice. I would also throw (I don't think this was mentioned) is possibly attend some PTA/PTO meetings if possible. Check out what is being discussed.
There is definitely some good advice here, but be aware...you say you are a new parent so I am assuming you have about 5 years before elementary school...things change. This year alone has seen some of the biggest and fastest changes. Full day kindergartens going back to half day for example. World language in many elementary schools cut back or eliminated.
Also, the reading and math programs that are being used now could change. Schools are constantly re-evaluating their programs.
So my advice would be to consider the community as well as the schools. These districts move in and out of ranking positions - but not by much. Attending PtA meetings will help you decide about the level of parental involvement and how you see yourself fitting into that community.
I have my homework cut out for me! I really appreciate the time and effort that has gone into these responses. Neither my husband or I grew up here in the US, so this is all very helpful.
Can prospective parents just attend the PTAs? Open houses are probably only at the beginning of the school year, or more often?
My son is 3 years away from KG. But I see the importance of checking out not just the prospective house and street, but also the school, now. Thanks!
1) Open houses for private schools are typically in Oct/Nov. but I think you can request a tour at any time before the January application process.
2) Speaking strictly for our school, I don't think technically just anyone can go to a PTA meeting--though I suppose you probably would not be stopped from attending. Usually the township websites may post when the PTA meetings are and then I guess you can inquire about attending.
Let me know if you need any other advice--we just went through this process in the past four years so it is fresh for me!
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