Reply to Did you leave a DCPS for North Arlington schools?

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[quote=Anonymous]OP here.  I appreciate the discussion here and honestly I think most parents don't give greatschools.com that much weight.

Greatschools.com simply takes all state public schools, rank them by their standardized test scores, and then break them into ten groups. This might be useful if there were only one factor that could possibly contribute to a school's test scores and that factor were the same for every school in the state. This is quite obviously not the case.  Many factors contribute to a school's test scores, but none of them is visible or can be properly appreciated from the greatschools.com website. And keep in mind as well that for simple mathematical reasons, a school rated a low "6" can be improving steadily, yet still fall to a "5" simply because a few high "5" schools off in another part of the county somewhere managed to improve even more rapidly.  Still, people are always going to be curious, so even those who know better will go look up greatschools.com ratings, even if just to get it over with.

There are much, much better sources out there.  School system and local school websites have a plethora of useful information. This typically includes PTA contacts who can and typically will offer another parent's view free for the asking.  Nothing beats actually visiting the school, and observing a class while school is in session, and speaking to parents who have been there for a few years.

I am personally looking for MS and HS where my kids would be academically challenged, get a solid education, and still enjoy a normal happy childhood in a family friendly neighborhood.  We are more interested in the journey, than the final destination.  It's okay if they don't get in early decision to Harvard.  Don't get me wrong, I would be thrilled.  Parents fail to realize sometimes it's the child, not necessarily the school.  Some students are independently driven, and hard working, and they will get into their top choice school whether they attend W-L or Yorktown.  They both seem like wonderful schools, and one may be a better fit for one child/family than the other. [/quote]

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