Assessing proficiency in private schools

[Anonymous]

I have a question for the poster(s?) who think test scores would not be helpful:

Why?

Sure, test scores are not the only piece of the puzzle. Fit, reputation are also important. But many of us think that having one additional piece of info - the test scores - would be helpful too.

But why do you polar releasing the scores so strongly? To the point of trying to stop us from talking about it?

[Anonymous]

Here's my question: is the PP who keeps poo-pooing the value of test scores a private school administrator?

Honestly, a school's reputation may be useful data if you are applying to Beauvoir. But what are the rest of us supposed to do?

[Anonymous]

A thoughtful letter addressed to the individual school is likely to get your point across to them more directly.

A discussion on DCUM where you advocate change and other people advocate the status quo is not all that likely to get you what you want, even if an administrator from a private school happens to be reading it.
But by all means, continue discussing.

[Anonymous]

Why are some advocating the status qui? It baffles me. That's what I want to discuss.

A letter to the school will get my kid rejected.

Reputation is not enough. First, nobody rational just applies to the top schools with great reputations; that would be scholastic suicide, you need to round out the application with safety schools. Second, testing was instituted in publics for the very reason that on the school tour you will see happy, smiley teachers, but that's no guatlrantee they can teach.

So my question: why do you like the status quo?

(note, this is not the same as the earlier discussion re should we have test results).

[Anonymous]

Quo, not qui. On the iPhone you can't see what you've typed after a certain point.

[Anonymous]

I'm complaining because private school folks read DCUM and maybe they will take note. No, you're not my audience because obviously you've made up your mind on evidence that works for you. And good for you.

The attempt to shut down (dare I say "censor") this discussion makes me want to laugh, though! You do realize you are telling the schools that we don't even want to have this conversation....

Telling me you "think" "10 or 20" schools have good test results isn't particularly comforting, BTW. We're supposed to believe you in the face of schools refusing to publish for motives that have been rightly questioned here? And what about privates beyond these lucky 20 you postulate?

Are you suggesting private school folk reading DCUM do not have the intelligence to weigh discussion and dialogue, data and anecdotes, whim and caprice, and then draw their own conclusions (like yourself)?

[Anonymous]

A thoughtful letter addressed to the individual school is likely to get your point across to them more directly.

A discussion on DCUM where you advocate change and other people advocate the status quo is not all that likely to get you what you want, even if an administrator from a private school happens to be reading it.
But by all means, continue discussing.

I prefer the open forum discussion rather than potentially sabotaging my child's entry into a private school of their choice.

[Anonymous]

I have a question for the poster(s?) who think test scores would not be helpful:

Why?

Sure, test scores are not the only piece of the puzzle. Fit, reputation are also important. But many of us think that having one additional piece of info - the test scores - would be helpful too.

But why do you polar releasing the scores so strongly? To the point of trying to stop us from talking about it?

I'm quite sure this poster, much like picking her private schools, when picking a surgeon to operate on her child, would not care about surgical results and data, rather visit the surgical suites looking for the best fit and agreeable music.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have a question for the poster(s?) who think test scores would not be helpful:

Why?

Sure, test scores are not the only piece of the puzzle. Fit, reputation are also important. But many of us think that having one additional piece of info - the test scores - would be helpful too.

But why do you polar releasing the scores so strongly? To the point of trying to stop us from talking about it?

First, there are multiple posters. I'm the one who said I'd oppose it if my DC's school wanted to publicize test scores but I'm not trying to stop people from talking about it on DCUM. FWIW, I thought the poster(s) saying that was/were commenting on repetition/circularity rather than the topic per se.

As to why I wouldn't want test scores released -- DH and I (both the products of public schools and happy with the education we received in them way back when) opted out of public schools for DC precisely because we think standardized test scores are a poor measure of what constitutes a good education or a good school. But NCLB has mandated that public schools will be judged on this basis.

Having paid beaucoup dollars to opt out of this madness and having specifically sought out a school with a very different set of educational values, I'd be really pissed off if pressure from potential applicants led DC's school to start competing on this basis, putting a big emphasis on ERB results, and attempting to attract more parents/families who care deeply about such scores. I feel really strongly that such an emphasis distorts a school's priorities and I'm glad our school resists participating in this particular cultural phenomenon.

YMMV -- in which case you already have many more options than I do.

[Anonymous]

One poster:

Why are some advocating the status qui? It baffles me. That's what I want to discuss.

A letter to the school will get my kid rejected.

Reputation is not enough. First, nobody rational just applies to the top schools with great reputations; that would be scholastic suicide, you need to round out the application with safety schools. Second, testing was instituted in publics for the very reason that on the school tour you will see happy, smiley teachers, but that's no guatlrantee they can teach.

Another poster:

I'm quite sure this poster, much like picking her private schools, when picking a surgeon to operate on her child, would not care about surgical results and data, rather visit the surgical suites looking for the best fit and agreeable music.

Quite persuasive arguments for giving students, parents and patients the relevant data to make informed decisions about their choices and how they should spend their dollars and resources.

[Anonymous]

I guess it depends on how you define status quo at a particular school. My child's school is run well and my child is thriving. Our conversations in the car are filled with wonderful tales of the day's activities. I don't need ERB scores to feel better about my decision to go private.

[Anonymous]

First, there are multiple posters. I'm the one who said I'd oppose it if my DC's school wanted to publicize test scores but I'm not trying to stop people from talking about it on DCUM. FWIW, I thought the poster(s) saying that was/were commenting on repetition/circularity rather than the topic per se.

As to why I wouldn't want test scores released -- DH and I (both the products of public schools and happy with the education we received in them way back when) opted out of public schools for DC precisely because we think standardized test scores are a poor measure of what constitutes a good education or a good school. But NCLB has mandated that public schools will be judged on this basis.

Having paid beaucoup dollars to opt out of this madness and having specifically sought out a school with a very different set of educational values, I'd be really pissed off if pressure from potential applicants led DC's school to start competing on this basis, putting a big emphasis on ERB results, and attempting to attract more parents/families who care deeply about such scores. I feel really strongly that such an emphasis distorts a school's priorities and I'm glad our school resists participating in this particular cultural phenomenon.

YMMV -- in which case you already have many more options than I do.

Sounds like Watergate ... or some surreal attempt to obsfucate for your own personal agenda.

Let me understand. Since you think standardized test scores are a poor measure of what constitutes a good education or a good school and you're paying a pretty penny for your children's education in private school, you prefer schools (like yours) to bury this information to ward off crazies, like myself, from igniting potential applicants and suitors into pressuring your private school to change its current policy and philosophy?

Amazing!

[Anonymous]

I guess it depends on how you define status quo at a particular school. My child's school is run well and my child is thriving. Our conversations in the car are filled with wonderful tales of the day's activities. I don't need ERB scores to feel better about my decision to go private.

That's great. But what if another family wants to know how their school performs on the ERB metric? Do you object to this?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

First, there are multiple posters. I'm the one who said I'd oppose it if my DC's school wanted to publicize test scores but I'm not trying to stop people from talking about it on DCUM. FWIW, I thought the poster(s) saying that was/were commenting on repetition/circularity rather than the topic per se.

As to why I wouldn't want test scores released -- DH and I (both the products of public schools and happy with the education we received in them way back when) opted out of public schools for DC precisely because we think standardized test scores are a poor measure of what constitutes a good education or a good school. But NCLB has mandated that public schools will be judged on this basis.

Having paid beaucoup dollars to opt out of this madness and having specifically sought out a school with a very different set of educational values, I'd be really pissed off if pressure from potential applicants led DC's school to start competing on this basis, putting a big emphasis on ERB results, and attempting to attract more parents/families who care deeply about such scores. I feel really strongly that such an emphasis distorts a school's priorities and I'm glad our school resists participating in this particular cultural phenomenon.

YMMV -- in which case you already have many more options than I do.

Sounds like Watergate ... or some surreal attempt to obsfucate for your own personal agenda.

Let me understand. Since you think standardized test scores are a poor measure of what constitutes a good education or a good school and you're paying a pretty penny for your children's education in private school, you prefer schools (like yours) to bury this information to ward off crazies, like myself, from igniting potential applicants and suitors into pressuring your private school to change its current policy and philosophy?

Amazing!

New poster
You said it.

[Anonymous]

It's not a personal agenda -- it's a different view of what education should be. I've found a school that shares that view but, unfortunately, it has really high test scores. If word of them leaked out, I'd probably have to deal with the likes of you on a regular basis.