ChiMomNP Posted February 25, 2011 Share Posted February 25, 2011 (edited) The high school is a 2. The middle school is a 3. This is in the Chicago suburbs. Our former school in Newport Beach, CA is a 10 as is the middle and high school. Edited February 25, 2011 by ChiMomNP Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jenL Posted February 25, 2011 Share Posted February 25, 2011 Our elementary school is a 10, middle is a 9, and high school is a 6. I'm curious as to what constitutes a 10 school as all the elementary ones around me are 10s; however, I hear so many complaints from parents about these schools. Be it administration issues, overcrowding, teaching to the test, lack of following an IEP, teachers not meeting the needs of the smart children, etc. Most of these schools have a high level of parental involvement, yet I hope that is not what helps them get their high ranking. A well-organized PTO/PTA isn't educating the children. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcconnellboys Posted February 25, 2011 Share Posted February 25, 2011 I can't seem to find any info stating what the rating is based upon. Did parents just vote for their school? Is it based on test scores? A combination of those things? How is the ranking calculated? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Word Nerd Posted February 25, 2011 Share Posted February 25, 2011 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TechWife Posted February 25, 2011 Share Posted February 25, 2011 I am curious, too, about what standards are used to deem schools "great." Our school is rated 10 - but 72% of graduates take remedial classes in college. That doesn't sound like a "ten" school to me. :glare: According to the web site, the rankings are based upon standardized test scores that are reported to them by the states. Perhaps the disparity between the ranking and the percentage of students that must remediate reflects the difference between teaching someone to take a test and teaching someone how to learn and implement what they know in a variety of situations. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigMamaBird Posted February 25, 2011 Share Posted February 25, 2011 Ours is ranked a 7. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supertechmom Posted February 25, 2011 Share Posted February 25, 2011 This goes to show why this score means nothing! My elementary through high school are ranked 7,9, and 8. Absolutely outstanding on paper! Blue ribbon schools. Ranked high as you can see! :D The lack of education is appalling. These same high scoring schools produce students that can't understand what they read, can't figure math without a calculator and can't pass a multiple choice tests much less write a paper. The school down the street ranked as high as the awesome magnet school . Neither produce a much better product. All those pretty learning centers, exhaustive activities, newest technology, has only produced a dismal failure. Kids who can't count change, can't read the menu and need pictures to order. Kids who get into college because the state regulates the SAT admission so the majority of public school kids can attend. Otherwise, most of them wouldn't be able to attend their own public university. The rank isn't a tell all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krisperry Posted February 25, 2011 Share Posted February 25, 2011 K-1 Elementary - 3 2-6 Elementary - 2 7-12 Middle / High School - 2 :001_huh: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AmyP Posted February 25, 2011 Share Posted February 25, 2011 Grades PK-2: 9 3-5: 10 6-8: 10 9-12: 9 My youngest thrived during my kids short time in public school here. She would probably thrive anywhere. My son does better at home though, and I really like the freedom homeschooling allows. We live in a VERY small town known (in this area) for its great schools. I know several families who pay out of area tuition and drive their kids from 30-40 miles away to attend the local high school. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paula in PA Posted February 25, 2011 Share Posted February 25, 2011 The actual elementary she would attend is a 6. The other three are 5, 7, & 8. Both the local junior and senior highs are 8. I guess it's a good thing none of them were below a 5. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JessieC Posted February 25, 2011 Share Posted February 25, 2011 Ours is a 3. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TinaBlue Posted February 25, 2011 Share Posted February 25, 2011 Our local elementary school is a 3. Definitely not an option for us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robsiew Posted February 25, 2011 Share Posted February 25, 2011 The schools in my area rank 7-10 with most being 8-9. One of the high schools is a 10. Not sure what the green shields are, but some have those... The school my kids did attend for a couple years is a 10. I used to teach in that school and I'm guessing the ratings are based on test scores as I know the school they attended had the highest test scores in the district. It is a highly sought after school as you can only get in by lottery. The parents are highly involved both inside and out of the classroom ...and to think we pulled our kids out! :D (Really, it is a great school!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ferdie Posted February 25, 2011 Share Posted February 25, 2011 Our high school is a 9, middle school a 10 and elementary school is a 7. I voted 9 on your pole as an average rounded. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oops, duplicate account :/ Posted February 25, 2011 Share Posted February 25, 2011 Elementary-2 Jr. High- 1 High School- 2 I had NO idea it was that bad around here! Wow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flux Posted February 25, 2011 Share Posted February 25, 2011 Where does one find out how one's state ranks? Is that on the same site? Good luck wading through the Nation's Report Card, I guess they aren't just going to come right out and say, State X sucks. Or maybe they do and I just couldn't find it.? I just googled and came up with this, not quite sure exactly what they mean by "best educated". For something simple but more current, everything I found wanted $. I hope someone else has a good link for this info. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paige Posted February 25, 2011 Share Posted February 25, 2011 There are numerous schools that rate a "10" in my city: Cassidy Elementary School - in the swanky part of town; only the rich and famous may attend, in general. Their middle school and high school will also rank high, I'm sure.... But my child may not attend there.... Clays Mill Elementary School - I'm surprised by this one and by the middle school listed right below it.... Jessie M Clark Middle School Maxwell Spanish Immersion Elementary School - again, many parents from wealthier families put their children in the immersion program and the school's overall test results are raised because they are there. This school is in a poorer part of town and the general population of the school does not score well.... Meadowthorpe Elementary School - the gifted program is housed here. Again, the general population does not do as well as the special population - and that is true for most of our schools here. Dunbar high has a gifted math and science pod. They have terrific math and science scores because of them - but they serve less than a hundred kids out of a total population of more than 2000.... I would not give any of these schools a score of "10"..... That's where I grew up! I think I had a very good education and I went to the same middle and high schools that Cassidy feeds into. I'll have to go check what my old school's grade is. My kids' school (in a different state) is an 8. I think it deserves the 8 but that they will be scoring much lower soon because of all the cuts the state and county are making due to a budget crisis. They were much better even 2 years ago. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tree House Academy Posted February 25, 2011 Share Posted February 25, 2011 The school my sons would attend ranked a 9. Now, I don't know how they get these numbers, but I can tell you that, since my son spent 3 years attending that school before I pulled him out, that a "9" is total and utter b*llsh*t! He came of out of that school having never learned phonics, never learned to spell, and they were requesting to test him for GIFTEDNESS! If that was gifted, what was a struggling student? I also worked in that school as a sub and a volunteer and I can 100% say that all they did was teach to the "test" - the standardized test, that is. They stopped all instruction in Jan and drilled the kids ad nauseum for "the test" until April. They kids took the test and got out of school in May. If that is a "9," I'd hate to see a "3!" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oops, duplicate account :/ Posted February 25, 2011 Share Posted February 25, 2011 Elementary-2Jr. High- 1 High School- 2 I had NO idea it was that bad around here! Wow. A half an hour away the scores are in the nines and tens. :001_huh: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dawn in OH Posted February 25, 2011 Share Posted February 25, 2011 The local elementary school got a 9. As did 2 of the 3 other local elementary schools. The worst rating was a 6. The middle school got a 7. The high school got a 9. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nmoira Posted February 25, 2011 Share Posted February 25, 2011 K-8 school is 4, high school is 8. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roxanne23 Posted February 25, 2011 Share Posted February 25, 2011 (edited) . Edited January 4, 2023 by roxanne23 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oops, duplicate account :/ Posted February 25, 2011 Share Posted February 25, 2011 Elementary-2Jr. High- 1 High School- 2 I had NO idea it was that bad around here! Wow. Sorry, but I just couldn't resist. This takes a lot of the pressure off regarding test scores. :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlockOfSillies Posted February 25, 2011 Share Posted February 25, 2011 The local elementary schools rank about 7, the middle school a 5, and the high school a 6. But this lists private schools that have closed down, so I don't know how fresh the information is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Girls' Mom Posted February 25, 2011 Share Posted February 25, 2011 There are so many schools here in Fort Worth. The closest one to us ranked a whopping 2. There's a very good reason why charter and private schools are so plentiful around here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ibbygirl Posted February 25, 2011 Share Posted February 25, 2011 I always knew our designated school was bad. It used to be a "D" school. I don't know if it still is. On the link that you provided, Bill, it ranks a "2". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Desert Rat Posted February 25, 2011 Share Posted February 25, 2011 The school my son would attend is a 3. Hmm....Wonder why I homeschool. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spy Car Posted February 25, 2011 Author Share Posted February 25, 2011 Bill, does your elementary school have a web site that might tell us more about what they are doing/ using? Don't know if that would be inappropriate to ask. I'm just curious about what a 10 school looks like. The school website would not tell you anything. And the curriculum is nothing "special" and no different that what the rest of the LAUSD uses. In fact there are some programs, like the "Open Court" reading program that most district schools do use that our teachers "pretend" to use. Instead most teachers (and they share resources on grade level) have essentially created their own curriculum that insulates them (and the children) from the wild swings of the district choices. We have better choices IMO as home educators than the school has. Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marie in Oh Posted February 25, 2011 Share Posted February 25, 2011 the school our kids would go to is rated a 9, both elementary and high school. I looked at the schools I went to, and both are rated a 9. I find it all very interesting. I know our local schools are supposed to be terrific. I just looked at the homework of a friend's 2nd grader and I was flabergasted. My K'er could do it. The complaint at church is that the kids can't read til end of 1st grade, except for the homeschoolers, who can consistantly read by mid-year of K. I don't know, I just wonder how these highly rated schools get their ratings when I see what I see. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spy Car Posted February 25, 2011 Author Share Posted February 25, 2011 That's good to know! I imagine seeing that ranking was very reassuring. :001_smile: I apologize for the mistake. For some reason I thought your son was attending a private school (first grade?), but maybe I'm confusing that with the preschool he attended? No problem. His nursery school was a non-profit co-op that used a publicly owned space. As to the rank, it is better than a kick in the head, but I trust my eyes (and my wife's, as she is very involved at the school). And we still feel a need (and desire) to "supplement" my son's education. A "10" is relative. A great deal goes on in his school. They do things it would be difficult to replicate. We do things they can't match and aim for a more WTM like ideal than what one finds in even 10 rated public schools. It is a very "relative" grade, if you know what I mean? Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joker Posted February 25, 2011 Share Posted February 25, 2011 (edited) :lol::lol: Our school ranked an 8. I haven't read any other posts but that 8 tells me this website is not even close. My dd went back in 5th grade and the students didn't have down their basic multiplication and division skills. I asked one of the 5th grade teachers the other day what they were working on and he said they were adding and subtracting mixed numbers.:001_huh: My 3rd grader is doing that. ETA: I also checked our middle (9) and high school (10). Edited February 25, 2011 by Horton Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barb_ Posted February 25, 2011 Share Posted February 25, 2011 No, someone look it it up for me the other day, I was sure that you had to be above at least 2 of the 3 of Arkansas, Louisana, and Mississippi, and AZ was actually 42! I am not sure where that 49 number is coming from. (Although 42 is nothing to write home about.) http://www.arizonaea.org/profiles.php?page=32 Apparently 2008. I hear this statistic batted about at least twice a month so I think officials and residents are still smarting :tongue_smilie: Digging a little, I found we've actually pulled it out since then and we're all the way up to 45! Barb Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kalanamak Posted February 25, 2011 Share Posted February 25, 2011 I'm curious, if you go to www.greatschools.org and search for your local elementary school. How does it rank? Bill I'm tired of hunting... can anyone point me to what criteria they use? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
m0mmaBuck Posted February 25, 2011 Share Posted February 25, 2011 The elementary we are assigned to has a Great Schools rating of 5. The middle school rates a 9 and the high school a 9 as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted February 25, 2011 Share Posted February 25, 2011 I'm tired of hunting... can anyone point me to what criteria they use? If you click on the school you want and then click on the number showing the ranking, it will say that they base it on state testing. You can click to see how the school did percentage wise in different grades in different subjects. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barb_ Posted February 25, 2011 Share Posted February 25, 2011 Here is a thread with a link to those rankings. http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forums/showthread.php?t=243267&highlight=49th Actually, I think this has the most recent results (September 10, 2010) http://www.alec.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Report_Card_on_American_Education Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dangermom Posted February 25, 2011 Share Posted February 25, 2011 My school ranks a 7. In which case, I upgrade my self-score to a solid 8+, or something. I don't think badly of my local school, but I know they waste plenty of time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spy Car Posted February 25, 2011 Author Share Posted February 25, 2011 I'm tired of hunting... can anyone point me to what criteria they use? They are evidently based on the results of State test scores, for what that is worth. Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aubrey Posted February 25, 2011 Share Posted February 25, 2011 Ours was a 4--a brand new shiny school I have to drive by to go anywhere, complete w/ spiraly slides you can see from the car. :glare: Not that the kids want to go there...and, er, not that I like to slide *myself,* lol.... This is the most encouraging thread I think I've ever read here. It puts solid statistics behind what dh has been telling me all along. :001_smile: ETA: This is the nicest school we've ever lived near. And they offer NO music, choir, art, etc. I mean, you know, the basics that you see in all the pretty elem pics. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joker Posted February 25, 2011 Share Posted February 25, 2011 They are evidently based on the results of State test scores, for what that is worth. Bill Okay, then I get why the schools here ranked so well. We moved to this county because we had heard it was the best in the state. They meant the best at taking the FCAT I guess. I know this district does so well because they seriously "teach to the test". The majority of the kids' homework in on FCAT Explorer (or some such FCAT website). They already had them doing FCAT prep when my dd was in 1st grade and the FCAT doesn't start until 3rd. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teamturner Posted February 25, 2011 Share Posted February 25, 2011 9 for elementary, 9 for middle, 10 for high school, and 9 for senior high school. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Disney Dreaming Posted February 25, 2011 Share Posted February 25, 2011 All primary/elementary schools(6), 2 middle schools, and 2 high schools ranked from 8-10. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spy Car Posted February 25, 2011 Author Share Posted February 25, 2011 Okay, then I get why the schools here ranked so well. We moved to this county because we had heard it was the best in the state. They meant the best at taking the FCAT I guess. I know this district does so well because they seriously "teach to the test". The majority of the kids' homework in on FCAT Explorer (or some such FCAT website). They already had them doing FCAT prep when my dd was in 1st grade and the FCAT doesn't start until 3rd. I think it is fair to say that a "10" means the schools are successful in teaching the sorts of things that get them "10s" on standardized tests. It does not mean the children are learning Latin, are diagraming sentences, are well acquainted with ancient history, or anything of the sort. Just that they are meeting "public school" standards as best as test scores measure "performance." Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom0012 Posted February 25, 2011 Share Posted February 25, 2011 (edited) Ours rates a 10, not that that means anything. My sdd, who has lds, went there and skated through with all As and Bs even though she couldn't write a sentence and didn't have even the most basic understanding of math by the time she left. Lisa Edited February 25, 2011 by LisaTheresa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flux Posted February 25, 2011 Share Posted February 25, 2011 Actually, I think this has the most recent results (September 10, 2010) http://www.alec.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Report_Card_on_American_Education Thanks. I went there but only noticed the "buy now" button, not the "click here for full report" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kim in Appalachia Posted February 25, 2011 Share Posted February 25, 2011 our elementary school is a 4, our HS is a 2. Yes, we will always homeschool. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
My3Monkeys Posted February 25, 2011 Share Posted February 25, 2011 Ours ranks a 2. I'm going back to feeling like I'm doing a superior job:D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BBG580 Posted February 25, 2011 Share Posted February 25, 2011 7 for ours. It is seriously overcrowded though, no matter what the test scores I think kids deserve better at age six than being 30 in a class with one teacher. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murphy101 Posted February 25, 2011 Share Posted February 25, 2011 Ours is an 8 or 9 pending on if I cross the street or not. We are literally right on the district line. I wouldn't give them that score tho. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G5052 Posted February 25, 2011 Share Posted February 25, 2011 (edited) The elementary schools are actually OK by some's standards around here, but then it rapidly goes down from there unless you get into the special magnet school for high school which focuses on an area that mine aren't into. The regular high school scored a 4. We'll just have to keep at it! P.S. I just looked at the schools I went to. All 10's. I guess that's why I'm picky... Edited February 25, 2011 by GVA Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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