What is the Great Schools Ranking of Your Local PS Elementary School?

[Jean in Newcastle]

Oh OK so is that what the "X out of 10" number means?

 

From the site - "The test results for all schools for a given grade/subject are sorted from low to high and divided into deciles, or 10% portions. The bottom 10% of schools get a rating of 1, the next 10% get a 2, on up to 10, which indicates the school's result is in the top 10%. If there are several identical values that overlap from one rating decile to another, they are given the higher rating."

[Spy Car]

:iagree:

 

So have we figured out if the Great Schools ranking actually TELLS us anything? So far all I've been able to figure out is that some schools do better on their standardized testing than others. Since the state's test may be a joke, then it's not surprising if a school gets a 7-8. Or perhaps those schools teach to the test better than others with lower scores, despite the children not really knowing squat?

 

I would highly doubt that children who perform well on standardized tests know "squat." But I also highly doubt that performing well on standardized tests is any definitive guide to a child's education. These tests measure in part how well children "take tests", and how well prepared they are to be tested on the materials on the test. That is a small sliver of human knowledge.

 

Test scores ought not be confused with any sort of definite judgement of education, they are but one (imperfect) measure, but they are a measure none-the-less.

 

Bill

[mommymilkies]

So is it your contention that you can do very well on a standardized test without knowing anything at all about the actual content you're being tested on?

 

I do. At least for some people, like myself. I am a really great test taker. I never got below a 90% on any standardized test subject and made it through high school without any real idea how to do division. Just like my dh got a 28 on his ACT and still has literacy issues. Some people just test well and make good guesses.

[Alphabetika]

We have two elementary schools the same distance from our house in either direction. One is a 2, the other a 4. Our middle school is a 6, high school an 8.

[Word Nerd]

I do. At least for some people, like myself. I am a really great test taker. I never got below a 90% on any standardized test subject and made it through high school without any real idea how to do division. Just like my dh got a 28 on his ACT and still has literacy issues. Some people just test well and make good guesses.

 

 

It's easy to find the right answer to a division problem on a multiple-choice test if you know how to multiply, even without doing any division. That still doesn't prove you knew nothing about math. :)

[Spy Car]

It's easy to find the right answer to a division problem on a multiple-choice test if you know how to multiply, even without doing any division. That still doesn't prove you knew nothing about math. :)

 

 

Other than knowing that multiplication is the inverse of division, and knowing how to multiply :D

 

Bill

[razorbackmama]

So is it your contention that you can do very well on a standardized test without knowing anything at all about the actual content you're being tested on?

No. However, having been in schools where they teach to the test, I know that I learned the right answers to the questions, although I didn't have a full knowledge of what was going on. The students might know SOME content but perhaps not a fully well-rounded knowledge in a subject area, if the teachers are only covering what will be on the test (like what some of mine did).

[razorbackmama]

I would highly doubt that children who perform well on standardized tests know "squat." But I also highly doubt that performing well on standardized tests is any definitive guide to a child's education. These tests measure in part how well children "take tests", and how well prepared they are to be tested on the materials on the test. That is a small sliver of human knowledge.

 

The bolded part is what I meant. Sorry I used the word "squat."

[Spy Car]

The bolded part is what I meant. Sorry I used the word "squat."

 

No problem. I'm sure we would agree that standardized tests are very limited measures of either students or schools. I would not want anyone to think I believe otherwise.

 

Bill

[razorbackmama]

No problem. I'm sure we would agree that standardized tests are very limited measures of either students or schools. I would not want anyone to think I believe otherwise.

 

Bill

 

So here is where I'm coming from. My very-well-indoctrinated family members in another state teach at a #8 school. So of course that means (to them) that their school is awesome. Which it very well may be. But it's in a #44 state.:glare:

 

On a personal level, I can TOTALLY hear them saying that we need to move back there so our kids can get a "proper" education. (Based on what my dh has told me about his education at that school, I highly doubt the "proper" aspect of it.) MEANWHILE, we have nothing but #2 schools all around us. But for all I know, maybe the CO test is just harder due to higher state standards (I have no idea, but considering that CO is #17 as a state, I wouldn't be surprised), and while the schools around me are all #2s, they might actually be better at educating than the #8 schools in another state.

 

I may not be making much sense. It just seems that it's comparing apples with oranges in a way, unless you are strictly comparing schools within states, since the Great Schools ranks depends so much on what the state's standardized tests happen to be like.

 

I do agree that standardized tests are at least SOME measure. Gosh, I use them myself in our own homeschool! :D When it comes to comparing schools in one state to schools in another state though, that's where it gets tricky. It's like saying that 1 (inch) is the same length as 1 (centimeter). The unit of measurement is different, so the actual number doesn't really tell you much.

 

BUT all in all...like I said earlier, selfishly I'm glad my schools are all #2s because I can point to them and say, "That's reason #4,795,838" why we homeschool whenever our family gives us a hard time.

[Word Nerd]

No problem. I'm sure we would agree that standardized tests are very limited measures of either students or schools. I would not want anyone to think I believe otherwise.

 

Bill

 

:iagree:

[Word Nerd]

No. However, having been in schools where they teach to the test, I know that I learned the right answers to the questions, although I didn't have a full knowledge of what was going on. The students might know SOME content but perhaps not a fully well-rounded knowledge in a subject area, if the teachers are only covering what will be on the test (like what some of mine did).

 

That makes sense, and I agree.