Why are private schools not transparent with their test scores?

[Anonymous]

What exactly are you looking for?

Most people I know were looking for a school that was a good fit. Not sure you can see that from test scores.

Can you see this from sports scores?

Do you have a problem with putting all the data ("relevant and irrelevant" through particular lenses), including test scores and fit, on the table?

Private schools are in the business of education. Tests and their scores are part of this process (or the schools would not administer these instruments). It seems counterintuitive that schools would prefer to squirm, duck and hide these test scores in preference to flashing and bragging about lacrosse and soccer Wins and Losses (sport scores)?
Are sport scores more important than test scores in D.C. area private schools? Why not equal transparency for test scores? I'm sure parents don't make decisions about attending schools predominantly based on sport scores. Why do others think this wouldn't apply to test scores?

[Anonymous]

It would be impressive to see something like "50% of the students at _____ score a 5 on the World History exam."

[Anonymous]

AP World History exam, that is.

[Anonymous]

I'm trying to figure out if it is one poster who is so cranked up about this, just posting multiple times. The posts read the same, a lot of extremely hostile language about the schools and insults towards parents who feel differently. Honestly, just calm down. Have some tea. The schools don't release their scores and they aren't going to anytime soon, if ever. Accept it. This is the world as it is.

[Anonymous]

Agree pp. Someone seems really angry...either an "anti-private school" person or someone whose kid didn't get into a top school even though they had "top scores". I don't think they understand that private is different than public.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

SAT score range - this is criteria for entrance not for exit. SAT score range does not tell you what the college will produce - just what it will tolerate. Is there a private school for which you can not find location and tuition?

Location and tuition are important to families -- but they are useless as indicators of school quality. Surely you understand this.

The whole point is that SATs would be used as an exit measure for high schools, and surely you understand this as well. As for teaching to the test, most privates, including ours, teach vocabulary just so kids do well on the SSATs (K-6) and SATs.

I actually don't think SATs are an indicator of anything that has to do with the school. It might measure basic intelligence or the ability to spit information back or the ability to take a test. Not really the measurement for the high schools. I think the kids that do well on SATs are going to do well no matter what school they go to.

[Anonymous]

I don't necessarily think that's true. The schools that focus on vocabulary and higher math skills are naturally going to have students who have a better shot at doing better on ths SAT than those who don't.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm trying to figure out if it is one poster who is so cranked up about this, just posting multiple times. The posts read the same, a lot of extremely hostile language about the schools and insults towards parents who feel differently. Honestly, just calm down. Have some tea. The schools don't release their scores and they aren't going to anytime soon, if ever. Accept it. This is the world as it is.

I agree with this. No need to get so worked up about it. It seems that OP is just trying to stir up some controversy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

What exactly are you looking for?

Most people I know were looking for a school that was a good fit. Not sure you can see that from test scores.

Can you see this from sports scores?

Do you have a problem with putting all the data ("relevant and irrelevant" through particular lenses), including test scores and fit, on the table?

Private schools are in the business of education. Tests and their scores are part of this process (or the schools would not administer these instruments). It seems counterintuitive that schools would prefer to squirm, duck and hide these test scores in preference to flashing and bragging about lacrosse and soccer Wins and Losses (sport scores)?
Are sport scores more important than test scores in D.C. area private schools? Why not equal transparency for test scores? I'm sure parents don't make decisions about attending schools predominantly based on sport scores. Why do others think this wouldn't apply to test scores?

I don't feel my son's private school is in the business of education - I think is a calling to help boys grow intellecually and spirtually. I believe our school would not even give report cards if it would be tolerated by parents - but it won't be.

I think the SAT preparation is as much a thorn in private school's side as testing is in MCPS.

Sports are for entertainment. Have you ever been to a little league game that "does not keep score" - the kids come off the field - we won by 3. It's fun. It would be like not announcing somebody being honored in the arts.

I would not expect a school to share my childs academic scores any more than I would expect them to share medical information. To me it is a private thing beween me and the school. Of course my son has medical and learning disabilities so I look at education through different glasses than most.

I know many parent want soembody to answer for the money put forward, I think if you look at it that way then private may not be a good fit. Our school is measured everyday in my son's willingness to go to school, do his work and how much he enjoys his day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't necessarily think that's true. The schools that focus on vocabulary and higher math skills are naturally going to have students who have a better shot at doing better on ths SAT than those who don't.

Yea - but the kids that do higher math skills want/need/desire higher math skills therefore they do better on SATs.

It's just like a national merit scholar is going to be a national merit scholar no matter what school they go to - that is why they are magneted together to boost a school reputation and privates give academic scholarships to those kids - because people will measure the school by those kids accomplishments. It's sillly.

[Anonymous]

A good private school with good test scores will release them. A school should not have to teach to the test to have good scores. If the teacher makes sure her students master the appropriate skills for their grade level the scores will indicate that. It is important to me that a school is teaching the skills children need to learn on every level. It does not matter if the school is public or private this is the only way you can truly evaluate the curriculum.

[Anonymous]

Not the PP but seems to me that it has something to do with whether the information is presented to the students. If the vocabulary words are presented to students, and the math is presented to them, they have the opportunity to learn it for the SAT. If not, they won't. It doesn't have to do with higher level classes as much as it does with standard information presented in every class. All classes should be at that level so that the kids should be able to do well, I think is the point.

If you knew that your child's school graduated students with scores several hundred points lower than the next private school, and you were paying the same amount, or more for your child's school, would that bother you? If not, don't worry about it. If so, something to think about, that's all. No reason to get angry or defensive.

And why is that anti-private school?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A good private school with good test scores will release them.

That's clearly not universally true. Many great independent schools will not publicize such data. Here are just a few examples from DC & NY: Sidwell, St Albans, Collegiate, Brearley, and Horace Mann. All are unquestionably top schools, and all are very limited in what data they publicize. Boarding schools generally are more willing to disclose data, and I think that's because they need to market themselves in order to attract students from afar.

[Anonymous]

[b][quote] Many great independent schools will not publicize such data. Here are just a few examples from DC & NY: Sidwell, St Albans, Collegiate, Brearley, and Horace Mann. All are unquestionably top schools, and all are very limited in what data they publicize.[/quote][/b]

This is my point... how do you/we know that the "top" schools are really that great if objective measures are not open for review. The lack of transparency requires parents to rely on reputation, which may or may not be accurate, and many times a very short visit to "get a feel" for the school. As many posters have said, no one is going to make a decision about whether or not to send their child(ren) to a particular school based on test scores alone. That being said, test scores are one componant, and one measure of academic success, among various factors parents should have available to them in making a decision about school(s) for their kids. Also, as others have noted, it is sad that we know more about a school's sport's records than its academic record. And to those who would rather schools not post their academic records, my question is why? I'm not interested in any one student's record, so it's not a privacy issue, I'm interested in how well the student body does as a whole. To gain some insight into how well a school is performing... knowing that it is only one measure among others.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A good private school with good test scores will release them. A school should not have to teach to the test to have good scores. If the teacher makes sure her students master the appropriate skills for their grade level the scores will indicate that. It is important to me that a school is teaching the skills children need to learn on every level. It does not matter if the school is public or private this is the only way you can truly evaluate the curriculum.

Schools should provide each child the best learning environment for that specific child whether it be above their grade level or below or on grade level.

Pulic schools have to try to do that for every type - private schools have "personalities" and parents try to find the best school for their child. Sometimes the best school is a public school.

Some private schools are willing to take on more learning difference than other schools - SAT scores probably suffer. Some of those learning differences may not test well but I would not say that the value of their education is less.

Schools should provide children the tools they need to master basic skill but more importantly they should teach a child how to learn, how to reason, that leaning is important/fun/valuable, and that your skills are valuable to the world whether it is knowing every word in the dictionary or being able to lead a team to victory.