8 questions to ask when comparing Greater Boston public schools
For parents looking to move to a new town, the quality of a public school system can often make or break a home sale.
For parents looking to move to a new town, the quality of a public school system can often make or break a home sale.
“Choosing a school is a really tough but important decision,’’ said Holly Yettick, director of the Education Week Research Center, a branch of nonprofit Education, which publishes Education Week.
Yettick helped Boston.com identify some of the most important factors parents should consider, from elementary school to high school, and we highlighted some Greater Boston schools that offer them.
8 questions to ask before choosing a public school for your kid:
1. What are the classroom dynamics?
“Think about what you think a good education looks like,’’ Yettick said, emphasizing that this means different things to different parents. Some prefer learning models where teachers stand in front of a classroom and stress the importance of memorization. Other parents are more interested in interactive classrooms where students are coached and guided through self-directed exercises.
Schools with International Baccalaureate (IB) coursework generally have more alternative learning environments, since IB helps schools develop coursework that focuses on writing, broad themes, world cultures, and inquiry. The Mystic Valley Regional Charter School in Malden and Brockton High School are among the schools already participating in it.
For other parents, maybe they just want schools that let their kids get outside, like The Maria L. Baldwin School in Cambridge, which offers annual overnight camping trips to Cape Cod and Western Massachusetts. The activities are centered around “hard work, respect, cooperation, and communication,’’ the school’s website states. This school was also ranked one of the best elementary schools in the state for its diversity, school resources, and math and English test score improvement.
2. How big are the classes?
Many parents want to know how much one-on-one attention their child will get from a teacher. This is difficult to know without visiting a school and looking at the different class sizes, Yettick said. Average classroom size can be looked up on the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (ESE) website, but this information can be dated, which is why a visit to the school is a better idea.
Some parents might be okay with classrooms as large as 30 pupils to one instructor, but others may want more intimacy.
3. What after-school activities are offered?
Does your child play sports, or is he or she more interested in art and music? Figure out early on what after-school programs a school offers and whether they correlate with your kid’s interests, Yettick advised. She cautioned parents from automatically sending their kid to schools known for being the “best’’ in one area, however, for fear of exclusivity.
“’If the school has a big sports program, is it so competitive my child will be shut out of it?’’’ Yettick urged parents to ask. “Maybe also consider whether they have a good arts program with band and choir.’’
The Richard J. Murphy K-8 School in Boston was recognized for its diversity by Boston.com in 2013, and is known for offering after-school programs in art, music, chess, drama, history, renewable energy, and instrumental music lessons.
4. How long do teachers and administrators stay?
If a school has gone through several principals in a short period of time, it may not be a deal breaker, but it could point to leadership issues, Yettick said. A good way to figure out the details of rapid administrative turnover is to ask your prospective neighbors.
5. How many high school students participate in college-level exams?
Student participation in college-level exams like Advanced Placement or IB programs are generally a good indicator of how hard a school is working to prepare your child for college.
At Boston Latin School, which U.S. News & World Report ranked as the second-best high school in Massachusetts, the AP participation rate was 99 percent in 2015.
6. What is the graduation rate?
Another question to consider is how many of a high school’s students graduated in four years, Yettick said. This information can point to great things, like a school that works hard to ensure students’ success with a rigorous curriculum or even graduation coaches. But keep in mind that many have criticized graduation rates as being a product of the achievement gap between low-income areas and more prosperous ones.
Graduation rates can be accessed on the state’s Department of ESE website. Just make sure you take the percentages with a grain of salt.
7. How many students are college-bound?
Much like graduation rate or college-level exam participation, the percentage of high school graduates going to college reflects a driven student body. This is often a better indicator of a school’s quality than SAT scores, Yettick said, because some states (like Massachusetts) don’t require students to test, so the scores are inaccurately skewed to favor high-achieving students.
“I would not advise homebuyers to use SAT scores to judge high schools because the test takers are self selecting,’’ Yettick said. “This means that a mediocre school can have really great average scores because only a handful of honor students choose to take the test, and a great school can have mediocre scores because every senior takes the test, including those who aren’t the top students.’’
When it comes to college-preparedness, the Sturgis Charter Public School in Hyannis might have other public high schools beat. U.S. News & World Report gave the school the number one slot in the state for its “IB for all’’ motto. Students begin International Baccalaureate preparation as freshmen and transition to full IB curriculum their junior year, with no IB course alternatives. Courses focus on in-depth discussion controlled largely by students and emphasizes critical thinking and creativity.
8. How diverse is the student body?
As the U.S. becomes more culturally and ethnically diverse, so do its public schools. Exposing your child to different cultures and ethnicities helps create a well-rounded and tolerant citizen, but some schools are more diverse than others.
Boston Latin Academy and Somerville High are two high schools recognized for their diversity.
You’re probably wondering why test scores didn’t make the list. According to Yettick (and many others), test scores often reflect average parental income rather than school quality. Many vibrant schools in low-income areas have low test scores, but still have hardworking teachers that raise the achievement level of their students, The Washington Post reports.
Yettick suggested that people interested in using test scores to evaluate schools focus on student growth percentiles, which demonstrate how the students in the school improved compared to others with similar records of previous test results.
“That way, parents get a better picture of the ‘value’ the school adds rather than trying to compare a school that, say, only admits or attracts kids with a history of high test scores, with a school that attracts lots of struggling students,’’ Yettick said. “Maybe that school is fantastic, with kids starting the school year three grade levels behind ending up just below grade level,’’ Yettick added.
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