Back-to-SchoolHelping you make sense of schooling todayAugust 2000 • Vol. 2 • Issue 6P arents have more choices than ever before. That meansthat parents need more infor- mation about precisely how to look for and find the school that best meets their child’s needs. Here are five ways to choose a good school, and things to look for in the school your child’s attending right now. Good schools have clear standards that tell you what children should know and be able to do at every level. Parents should ask: are there standards in every grade? What is it that your child is going to be expected to know and how will that be deter- mined? You want to know concrete things being taught, not “your child will learn to be a productive citizen.” Does the school provide challenging courses for all children? There’s growing evidence that schools pre-select which children get advanced coursework, yet all children benefit from higher standards. Studies show that children who don’t take rigorous courses are less likely to succeed in college, and earn less afterwards. Effective schools set the bar high for everyone and work to help them achieve their goals. Great schools make the curriculum and tests used relate directly to theirIs Your School Great?Use This Checklist to Find OutBY JEANNE ALLENstandards. What kinds of testing or assessments are done? Some states— like Michigan and Virginia— have knowledge-based tests that require students to pass in order to be promoted. Is the test your school uses norm- referenced? If so, your child may be above the national norm, but that doesn’t tell you he or she is learning. What are the results of the textbook or programs the school uses? When is the last time any of the materials and approaches teachers use put to the test to determine whether the school is using the best proven methods possible? Effective schools take parents very seriously and allow them a wide variety of choices with and among programs. Do you feel welcome and encouraged to make inquiries like those recommended above? Is there more than one route to make a suggestion, to plead your case, or to have concerns aired? Do you have power? Who are the teachers and what have they accomplished at this school and at other positions they may have held? Growing research demonstrates that a teacher’s effectiveness has everything to do with how well children learn; which is also dependent on their knowledge of the subject matter. Is the math teacherqualified? Has the school tried to attract the best and brightest from math and science profes- sions, from universities, and even from among other profes- sions? What are the rewards for successful teachers? How does the school measure teacher success? In high achieving schools, teachers are evaluated using student perfor- mance as one barometer, and mediocrity is not tolerated. How big is the school? School size is a critical factor in a school’s ability to build community and to handle the unique needs of all its chil- dren. Elementary schools with more than 600 children are too big. Experts say the ideal high school is between 600–800. The argument that larger schools can provide more programs doesn’t hold water anymore. Small schools can handle the arts, music, computer, and sports in a creative and sometimes more focussed way and small schools allow children more opportunities to participate in leadership roles. There will always be other concerns and issues to address when trying to find the most effective school for your child. These five will get you started in the right direc- tion and let the school know that you plan to be an informed and effective advo- cate for your child that they can count on.
