Schools in Philly (Philadelphia: real estate, school rankings, closing)

[MikeNigh]

I've been keeping track of things like housing costs and school rankings and it appears that in just the past six months (great schools / trulia) quite a few schools in philly are now "in the green". Anyone else notice this? I'm pretty sure I could have agreed schools seemed like there was more less no options but it appears to be improving quite quickly.

[rotodome]

In your mind, what positive changes have occcurred in the Philadelphia School District recently that support this conclusion? I'm curious, because this is basically the opposite of what I've seen, read and heard virtually everyplace else.

The district is still in full crisis mode. And if the fact that they just had to close the school libraries at (poster schools) Masterman and Central last month is any indication, then things really aren't looking so hot right now. And unless something dramatic has occurred in the last few weeks that I'm unaware of, I don't see the funding situation improving next year.

[sj08054]

I am also interested in hearing how the school are turning around when there were massive cuts along with school closing this summer.

[Benjamin Dover]

The school system is very close to collasping. Its the worse it has ever been

[MikeNigh]

Well great schools appears to have given them a few extra points. I'm going to assume no one else was paying attention to that in the last year or so.

[rotodome]

Originally Posted by MikeNigh

Well great schools appears to have given them a few extra points. I'm going to assume no one else was paying attention to that in the last year or so.

Greatschools is website like Yelp that allows anyone to submit anonymous star ratings for schools (and a lot of times it's kids submitting them), and then where possible it pairs those star ratings with a "point system" based on voluntarily reported "test scores" from at least one year ago. Since all schools don't report, sometimes it's just the stars. And even of the schools that DO report, they are not all even using the same tests.
And then Trulia is a website run by realtors and real estate industry, meaning it is in their interest to blow smoke up peoples' arses.

Neither of those websites is especially scientific in their methodology, and are not great sources of facts about schools. IMO I think one would do better to pay attention to actual news of local/national events, and allow that to inform one's web browsing, so that info from sites like these can be taken with the appropriate grain of salt.

I have a school age kid, so I am very interested in this subject, btw.

[Angus215]

Greatschools has 2 ratings . . a "star" rating, which is based on reviews from the general public (and therefore not very useful), as well as a 1 to 10 numeric rating, which I believe is largely if not entirely based on test scores. Those scores would not have changed in the last 6 moths, since test results are released only once a year and they still have 2011-12 scores. A quick look at Philly public high schools shows that there are a handful of magnet schools that rate relatively well, but most are a 1 out of 10, or close to it. There are those few magnet schools that are good, however, and some people are able to navigate their way through it.

[MikeNigh]

What is a good school ranking site then?

[rotodome]

Originally Posted by Angus215

Greatschools has 2 ratings . . a "star" rating, which is based on reviews from the general public (and therefore not very useful), as well as a 1 to 10 numeric rating, which I believe is largely if not entirely based on test scores. Those scores would not have changed in the last 6 moths, since test results are released only once a year and they still have 2011-12 scores. A quick look at Philly public high schools shows that there are a handful of magnet schools that rate relatively well, but most are a 1 out of 10, or close to it. There are those few magnet schools that are good, however, and some people are able to navigate their way through it.

Essentially what I said in the post immediately above.
But it's worth noting that the test score data is both incomplete and inconsistent from school to school.

And even if that testing data was a conclusive measure of school quality, any numerical rating for any magnet or other public school would be based on test scores achieved prior to all the dramatic staff & program cuts that have occurred in recent months.
Certainly it couldn't be pointing to schools improving in either the recent past or immediate future.

[rotodome]

Originally Posted by MikeNigh

What is a good school ranking site then?

I wish I could give you an easy answer. But right now I would be less concerned about the minutiae of school rankings, and more concerned about whether there will actually even be a functioning School District in Philly next year.