xpost: what makes a good school a "good school"

when it comes to elementary/middle/highschool, what distinguishs a great school from a good school to an average school and a poor school?

would you send your child to an average good school?

what do you look for?
thanks!

Re: xpost: what makes a good school a "good school"

I think 'good' is a variable that depends on what you are looking for and on your child. A special needs child might have better success in a school with a very involved SEPTA than they would in someplace known for their highly motivated academic structure. A child who excels in sports would probably be happier in a larger school with a great sports reputation.

I wanted a small school with a lot of community involvement. Some people don't look for that. My girlfriend wanted a school with a very diverse cultural landscape.

But regardless of what school you choose, the most important factor in a kid's educations is their PARENTS. An involved parent makes all the difference in the world.

Re: xpost: what makes a good school a "good school"

totally agree with the community involvement! i want my child to go to a school that offers lots of family friendly events.

i just dont know how to process all the info they give you on greatschools.net

for ex, ok, so the test scores are good, but what about the community? are the parents very involved? are there lots of things to do?
are these things factored into the school rating? i feel they should be.
so if the school is rated a 10, is it simply based on tests scores abd teacher to student ratio? what about a school that is rated a 5? how does that school fare? would you send your child to a school that is rated a 5?
so frustrating

Re: xpost: what makes a good school a "good school"

Honestly? I have NO idea. When I was looking for a home, I actually knew a few districts I was interested in and then did some research by looking at the school websites, going onto community forums and talking to parents in the district to gage their level of involvement. I also looked at the towns as a whole - did they have a well kept Main street? Did they have lots of community activities? Did there seem to be an overall cohesiveness? I have a lot of friends who are teachers and asked their opinions of different districts too based on reputation in their professional circle.

I spent time driving through the towns. I noticed some towns were a lot more active on school days - bus stops with lots of parents chatting, people walking their kids up to the school. I actually went to a PTA meeting for the district I ultimately decided on before making a final decision to see how many folks were there!

My real point is actually that YOU as a parent have the greatest chance of making or breaking your kids academic success. You can send your child to the best of the best school.. but if you aren't personally committed to being involved in their education than they won't get as much out of it as they could. Conversely - you can send them to an 'average' district, stay engaged and wind up with a stellar experience.

The only districts I would 'rule out' personally are ones that have a reputation for physical violence/danger. Other than that.. I'm confident that I can help my kids have good experiences wherever they land!!

Re: xpost: what makes a good school a "good school"

wow!! you def did your homework!!! all the points you made are exactly what i want in a school/town..
and i do agree that my involvement will greatly help my child!!!
i would like my child to end up in a school where many of the parents get involved and everyone is more or less "likeminded"

thank you for your views!!