Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I know this is controversial and I've said it before but I'll say it again...a sizeable chunk of the Great Schools desciples go straight for the "student demographics" pie-chart to make their real judgement on a given school. We know what they are really looking for....
I know this can happen anyway, but maybe Greatschools.org, like most tech, speeds things up. Perhaps to the point where a school "on the fence", that otherwise might be able to turn things around, gets trampled by the herd mentality and starts that downward spiral all schools fear (reputation falls > population/demo shifts > scores fall > population/demo shifts more > scores fall further). Similarly, a well regarded school has one or two "off years/classes" and they suddenly find themselves being sucked down the vortex. Or, most tragic perhaps, a struggling school is starting to make progress but is kept down because some online score/ranking is not improving fast enough so it continues to be overlooked by the herd and therefore never gains enough momentum to reach escape velocity.
With knowledge comes power, but with power comes great responsibility.
Parents rightfully so are more concerned about their kids and their kids future and not social engineering. Remember parents willing to use great schools are often more involved with their kids learning and have been and are willing to pay more for a house and property taxes to get the best. They if able are willing to pay more for what they consider the better college. The problem is that not all parents are what I call high fliers and those that are want that environment for themselves and their kids.
On the other hand they could just go to private school and avoid the flack and let financials rank and sort.
Secret out of the bag. Education and life are about ranking and sorting and it is sorta hard to duck. Perhaps preparation is the best tool prosper in a world that does it.
If test scores are dropping I would look at whether new tests like PARCC have just been implemented. States which have cycled in those tests replacing earlier tests have seen scores drop.
Wait til DeVos gets confirmed. Then see what happens to the Greatschools ratings, when she guts the public school system. She's the devil.
speaking of helpful posts..... calling someone the devil because you disagree with their politics.
to try and stay somewhat on topic ... I bet if they based funding on a school's comparison to the socio-economic average, and funded lower-income schools better, and higher-income schools worse - that the results would be positive. The higher-income schools, parents like me would "pick up the slack" and the schools would have every bit as much overall funding and maybe even higher parent participation. And lower-income schools, whether you found a way to increase parent participation, or make a real dent in student-teacher ratios, or even pay the very best teachers to go there, would do a lot better than they do now.
If test scores are dropping I would look at whether new tests like PARCC have just been implemented. States which have cycled in those tests replacing earlier tests have seen scores drop.
Yes, yes, yes and from a person who has seen it first hand. Not sure how Great Schools compares new tests to old test scores for improvement.
Yup. "It is not just academics, but who they will go to school with."
Fer sherr, it is alive and well.
YUCK, YUCK a realtor. Just kidding you would know as much as anyone. Even more than many in the school system as folks will be honest with your. How the heck are you Mike
speaking of helpful posts..... calling someone the devil because you disagree with their politics.
to try and stay somewhat on topic ... I bet if they based funding on a school's comparison to the socio-economic average, and funded lower-income schools better, and higher-income schools worse - that the results would be positive. The higher-income schools, parents like me would "pick up the slack" and the schools would have every bit as much overall funding and maybe even higher parent participation. And lower-income schools, whether you found a way to increase parent participation, or make a real dent in student-teacher ratios, or even pay the very best teachers to go there, would do a lot better than they do now.
Here's what will happen. The number of charter schools will increase with some being better than others. Parents will have choice what school to send their kids to instead of being assigned by folks at the board of education. If all goes well motivated low income students and their motivated parents will leave the public schools and cluster together in high achieving charter schools away from the negative peer pressure and inappropriate behavior rampant in their public schools. Wow they might even be able to be proud to be smart and get A's without the pressure to be a thug and join the crew.
Negative peer pressure is alive and well and kids who want to be well deserve the right to escape. Yes it may hurt the school they left behind but if the parents and kids still there care they have the option also.
Realtors in many areas love Great Schools and other ranking publications. Usually the high performing schools with high performing demographics are in areas with the more expensive housing. Selling there translates into a higher commission. Now folks like Mike J might be different but I know a breed of realtor who thrives on the hype.
and your basis for these comments are ....??
there's not an individual Realtor/brokerage website locally that I know of that links to greatschools. You can search homes by school on some websites, but no grand splashing of "GREATSCHOOLS!!!!!" on the web page.
Perhaps you've seen these sites, used these plural Realtors, etc. and can share more details.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
