"Greatschools" website (Tampa, Lutz: neighborhood, luxury, school rankings)

[sueinge]

I see that lots of people recommend the Greatschools website to check out the ratings on area schools and I was wondering how accurate the number rating is they give a school. I understand the letter rating has to do with the FCAT scores of a certain school but it seems like the number rating has only to do with parent reviews. In some cases there are only a few reviews, and that average would make the number rating. It worries me to base too much merit on the ratings because 5 or 6 reviews of a school can't possibly really accurately give a picture of whether a school is good or not. Also, parents that have a gripe are probably more likely to post a negative rating than someone who is pleased with the school.

I realize the best way to find out if schools are really good or not is to go visit but I don't have that luxury right now as I am moving from out of state and it is the summer so the schools aren't in session.

Are there any other national websites to see reviews of schools? I have asked questions on this board about certain schools but usually only get one or two responses.

I wouldn't place so much importance on greatschools except for tons of people recommend it on this board.

[annesg]

Greatschools.net uses standardized test scores to come up with their numbers. So an "A" Florida school (rated A by the state) should come up high on greatschools.net, too.

Be aware that a school that rates a "10" in Florida may rate a "5" in another state and vice versa. It's all relative to the individual state and which standardized test scores it uses.

So, in NC the Greatschools.net rating is based on the EOG (end-of-grade) tests they give every year. In FL it's the FCAT.

What I find very valuable is the parent comments. I tend to disregard the least detailed complaints, b/c often it's the most unhappy who go out of their way to complain on sites like that. But often there are very specific comments (both positive and negative) that help, and an overall parent rating can help.

I just looked up my neighborhood schools. I know the elementary is rated an "A" by the state; Greatschools.net gave it an 8 and parents give it 4 out of 5 stars. The middle school is also rated an "A" and greatschools gave it a 9 and parents gave it a 4 out of 5. Put it all together and I figure they must be above average by a long shot, for Florida.

I hope that helped

[sueinge]

Yes, that clairfies it for me. It is so hard to pick a school from out of town and base it on a website's info, but I am relying on what it says for the most part.
Thanks!!!

[kdes]

What I have found over the years about Great Schools is that they refuse to post almost any information about the attitudes about teachers at a school even if names are not mentioned. As a Parent I have chosen to send my children to schools which great schools did not rank well, but as parents we all know teachers matter the most. Sometimes teachers at the poorest schools do everything in their power, spend extra time, communicate well with parents, and go beyond the call of duty. I would much rather be at those schools than ones sometimes ranked higher. Having been in schools systems myself for over 20 years, I have found that often times attitudes in a school exist starting with the administration. Magnet programs or schools which attract the upper academic students, may not be as accomodating.... as the attitude many times is if you don't like it here, you can leave, we will always fill the spot with another student. I am not saying this is true with every teacher in any specific location, but generalized attitudes do exist. I have not found Great Schools to be helpful in this area at all. We move often due to spouses career and I always try to connect with a local parent group to get a "feel of the land." Parents are usually very open and honest and with enough questions asked and enough people spoken to, I have gained valuable information. The other things Great Schools lists can be found on many other websites. I am not saying to say disparaging things about teachers, being a teacher myself, but parents certainly know who the "good" teachers are as well as the generalized attitude within the school. Parents are just as lavish with praise as criticism. But when 20-30 parents tell you the same story it begins to ring true. I always ask about teachers first, and after that I feel everything else will fall into place.

[lavender]

Wow, I just checked out the website and to give you some feedback, I checked out my son's school - Seminole High in Seminole. I do think this is a good school. However, the feedback on the website is almost nonsense! One of the things I noted was that it has a great IB program - doesn't! One student praised the fact that he got into a very good school after graduation (USF) but clearly could not spell - that worries me LOL - but hey I'm being a critic. I think the comments/recommendations were not particularly enlightening and somewhat misleading. They do have a great band program as shown by the inclusion in next years Rosebowl parade . I know one student from that program was accepted as one of the highest academic scholarships into Juilliard Music school, that is no mean feat.
But on the whole, I think seeking parent recommendations off a website that can be doctored or falsely entered upon is a more sensible route. Kdes says it right IMO

[PeterWhimsy]

Great Schools very biased toward private schools. Public school rankings based on test scores, private school ranking based on parent reviews, which are less reliable for private schools (usually private schools have a gag rule about posting negative reviews.)
Great Schools founder sends his children to a segregated private school in San Francisco. GS often removes fair but negative reviews of private schools from it's web site.

InsideSchools.org very good for NYC schools.
SFKfiles good for San Francisco schools.

[algia]

I used to think it is a reliable source. I no longer think that.

My ONLY suggestion at this point as far as re-searching schools, from elementary to high school and beyond, is to literally VISIT; and also try to speak with as many parents as possible, some are really biased meaning if their kid is doing well then the school must be good! or viceversa.

I checked this website, spoke with the staff, had phone conferences, and now my son is having the worst experience ever because his teacher is one of those people unfamiliar with Autistic children, or anyone on the spectrum and has managed to single him out purposely for two months now for the dumbest things normal kids do all day!

[FloridaKash]

Originally Posted by algia

I used to think it is a reliable source. I no longer think that.

My ONLY suggestion at this point as far as re-searching schools, from elementary to high school and beyond, is to literally VISIT; and also try to speak with as many parents as possible, some are really biased meaning if their kid is doing well then the school must be good! or viceversa.

I checked this website, spoke with the staff, had phone conferences, and now my son is having the worst experience ever because his teacher is one of those people unfamiliar with Autistic children, or anyone on the spectrum and has managed to single him out purposely for two months now for the dumbest things normal kids do all day!

I thought you left Florida.

Florida school's are a pain with special needs kids. One of my children needs some extra help and it's very difficult to get it. We'll get there though.

I have sent my kids to 2 different school's using Great Schools as pretty much my only resource. So far so good. I suggest only picking school's rated 8 or higher.

[algia]

We did...

Its up HERE were having issues. This school here is rated 10! Acually, all arund here they are all rated 10. That however has nothing to do with it. Its the actual K teacher that has no knowledge of Autism (or children in general), and she has made his transition miserable so far as if not having Disney close wasn't enough! We're coming back to Disney in a month! LOL

Now, (and I am speaking ONLY about Lutz, as I can't speak for a school I don't know about) but in Lutz their school was fantastic by comparison. (Now that I have something to compare with) The reason was that his teachers actually UNDERSTOOD his condition. The thing is this, up here, if your child is normal, he/she will do great, as soon as there's a disability the "special" treatment starts & not in a good way. Believe it or not, if we can't get him the help he needs, I'll be suffocating again back in Tampa because my baby comes first. I'm not going to freeze up here if he is not getting what he needs.

Do you have CMS or KidCare? he had CMS, and with that he had speech, behavior etc therapies. I forget what area you're in, but schools in Lutz are very good. I don't know what ppl complain about...my issue with education in FL was the lack of funding, and that it is always the 1st thing they take money FROM! besides that, if one applies himself, one succeeds! doesn't matter what school you're in.

Originally Posted by FloridaKash

I thought you left Florida.

Florida school's are a pain with special needs kids. One of my children needs some extra help and it's very difficult to get it. We'll get there though.

I have sent my kids to 2 different school's using Great Schools as pretty much my only resource. So far so good. I suggest only picking school's rated 8 or higher.

[hilldomain]

Originally Posted by algia

I used to think it is a reliable source. I no longer think that.

My ONLY suggestion at this point as far as re-searching schools, from elementary to high school and beyond, is to literally VISIT; and also try to speak with as many parents as possible, some are really biased meaning if their kid is doing well then the school must be good! or viceversa.

I checked this website, spoke with the staff, had phone conferences, and now my son is having the worst experience ever because his teacher is one of those people unfamiliar with Autistic children, or anyone on the spectrum and has managed to single him out purposely for two months now for the dumbest things normal kids do all day!

You are in a special situation. Autistic children have special needs and so the selection process would be different no? The advice of visiting still applies. But what do you look for? I went to my daughters new school and it is rated a 6 on GS. the worst in town. They wont allow us to send her anywhere else even though she is a genius. We would have to move to the other side of town. This is a very small town mind you its just the way the districts land. The school was run down and they didn't even rake the leaves in front of the entrance even though new parents were registering their children. You would think they would put their best foot forward. Maybe they did which makes me more depressed. It just seemed like they were just getting by, doing the minimum.