Get help, advice and information on all your Reference and Education issues. http://advice-and.info/Reference-and-Education/school+rankings.htm Thu, 31 Jul 2008 20:22:41 GMT en Teachers and Their Place and High school rankings The No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) specifically determines the quality of teachers in a school as one of the basis for high school rankings. According to the provisions of NCLB, teachers are required to be highly qualified to teach core academic curriculum, and are required to prove their competency through tests. Teachers need to have a bachelors degree and must demonstrate their proficiency through completion of an academic major. Finding such teachers is proving to be easier said than done. Qualified teachers are hard to find and this shortage has inevitable repercussions on high school rankings for those institutions that fail to attract and retain top quality teachers. http://advice-and.info/Reference-and-Education/62553_Shortage_Of_Teachers_Impacts_High_School_Rankings.html Fri, 05 Oct 2007 22:40:29 GMT Increased Interest in School Rankings Its difficult to remember a time when the public school system in this country was under greater scrutiny. Newsweek is running features on the subject, there are a plethora of sites online that cater to a growing demand for comprehensive school rankings, and that most vociferous of public speech mechanisms, the blogosphere, has enough to say on the subject of listing schools based on rankings. Now, the richest man in the world has stepped into the picture. In the summer of 2006, Bill Gates and his wife Melinda announced the education program goals of their charitable foundation, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. http://advice-and.info/Reference-and-Education/61226_Who_Do_School_Rankings_Benefit.html Thu, 27 Sep 2007 06:46:06 GMT Our society is made up of near-constant comparisons. We want to know whos doing better in the polls. We want to know which car gets the best gas mileage. We want to know what team is superior in football, basketball, soccer, baseball and so on. We want to know which town is the most family-friendly, which one has the highest average income, and we want to know what kind of ice cream has the lowest amount of carbs without losing the taste. We even compare our bodies to those on TV and in the movies. Are we thin enough? Is our hair long enough? Do we drive the fastest car; have the biggest house, the nicest lawn? Even newborns are compared to others at birth to determine how good their color is! And of course, we want to know how great the school is that our kids are going to. After all, we rank everything else; why not have public school rankings as well? Some schools systems, a handful, at best, are moving away from public school rankings or eliminating them altogether. The reasoning behind this is simple. These districts believe, and can prove, that the schools with their boundaries are ALL excellent. Refusing to put public school rankings into use in their districts, these courageous districts are stepping out of the box and simply requiring ALL their schools and students to be the best. No need for public school rankings. To some, this may seem too namby-pamby. After all, isnt being the best part of the American Way? Not using public school rankings to determine which school is the best and which is the worst eliminating comparisons altogether is maverick, indeed. http://advice-and.info/Reference-and-Education/61222_Moving_Away_From_Public_School_Rankings.html Mon, 17 Sep 2007 17:32:58 GMT In a knowledge based global economy where your educational qualifications will invariably decide your social and economic status in life, its not surprising that such importance is attached to categorizing schools based on high school rankings. This is the reason why parents and students scan websites and pour through literature, searching for that dream educational institution thats placed on the top rung of the ladder for high school rankings. In fact, better education is one of the reasons people choose to move every year, looking to build a better educational foundation for their kids. You might think that while looking for schools its best to base your selection on a predetermined listing for high school rankings. You might not always be right though. Heres why. Are High School Rankings the Only Factor? http://advice-and.info/Reference-and-Education/61177_The_Disadvantages_Of_High_School_Rankings.html Fri, 12 Oct 2007 16:26:49 GMT With all the emphasis on mandatory testing and national standards its no big surprise that high school rankings have been getting a lot of attention. American high school students face a global economy, high technology demands, and the reality of living in a capitalistic society without the benefit of a solid financial education. Parents, teachers, and students look to high school rankings to help them evaluate their schools progress and to consider moves to new areas. Should Students Worry About High School Rankings for K-12 Gen Interest? http://advice-and.info/Reference-and-Education/60485_Will_High_School_Rankings_Affect_Your_Future.html Sat, 08 Sep 2007 03:49:54 GMT Any parent or educator knows that rating students and their schools is a big deal. State standards of learning, No Child Left Behind mandates, and independent websites all have their ways of evaluating the nations schools and children. There are some valid reasons behind this. The schools in our country are in sad and sorry shape. Economic status has more impact on a childs future than any other factor. So public school rankings have emerged as part of an overall attempt to identify failing schools and help them improve. So why are so many teachers and parents up in arms about testing? There are a lot of reasons. http://advice-and.info/Reference-and-Education/59680_The_Downside_Of_Public_School_Rankings.html Sat, 01 Sep 2007 19:44:22 GMT With the advent of school choice and the ever increasing ability of a family to move from one state or one neighborhood to the next, there is an increasing desire for parents to seek high school rankings. When doing so, there are so many factors to consider. Some of these pop right into mind: expenditure per pupil, SAT and other standardized test scores, AP classes offered, rate of crime in the school and in the neighborhood surrounding the school. But there is one factor that goes mostly unnoticed and might be important when assessing high school rankings. Does the school ascribe to the cutting edge idea of Professional Learning Communities (PLC)? PLCs and High school rankings http://advice-and.info/Reference-and-Education/59592_High_School_Rankings.html Sat, 01 Sep 2007 17:14:21 GMT Remember the Army slogan, I Want YOU for the U.S. Army!? The poster showed a very stern Uncle Sam jabbing his finger nearly out of the picture. What about the one by Smokey the Bear? Even YOU can prevent forest fires! Well, lets add another one, shall we? Its important for YOU to consider Public School Rankings ! when considering a move to a new city or state. Yellow-Bellied Sapsuckers This is not some new teaching technique, but points to something unique. Public School Rankings can show you which schools have something different to offer, and how well they do so compared to other similar programs. While you should never choose a school for your child based solely on the fact that it is unique and out-of-the-box, schools that rank high in Public School Rankings and that have unique, diverse programs in place indicate that they are concentrating on ensuring the best possible education they can give. http://advice-and.info/Reference-and-Education/58768_Public_School_Rankings.html Wed, 29 Aug 2007 10:14:18 GMT Who cares about comparing schools? After all, the experts are constantly advising parents NOT to compare their children to each other, their cousins, friends, and neighbors. It can damage their self-esteem, causing the little darlings to feel like they dont measure up to their parents expectations. However, comparing secondary schools for High school rankings is one situation in which kids students must be compared to their peers. High school rankings are one of the main ways that experts (think teachers, administrators and school board members), community members (business leaders, parents, taxpayers), and government leaders (mayors, governors, local and state senators and representatives) determine how well a school is doing compared to its counterparts. Looking at the High school rankings gives a lot of valuable information to all of these groups. http://advice-and.info/Reference-and-Education/58607_Who_Cares_About_High_School_Rankings.html Wed, 29 Aug 2007 10:14:23 GMT Newsweek, websites, and local blogs- everyone seems to have a hand in rating the nations schools. And that little thing known as the No Child Left Behind Act does its part too. Parents browse school rankings for K-12 gen interest on the Internet with increasing frequency. Well, its no surprise. National and state standards are being tightened, but no one in the country actually seems happy with the state of education. So I have to ask, just how useful are the school rankings for K-12 gen interest? The long and the short of it is this. Read them. Take them with a grain of salt. Ask questions. School Rankings for K-12 Gen Interest-Read them http://advice-and.info/Reference-and-Education/58356_Scoring_Schools_With_School_Rankings_For_K-12_Gen_Interest.html Wed, 29 Aug 2007 10:14:27 GMT Throughout life, we are constantly comparing ourselves to others. New moms compare pregnancies, labor, and their babies growth and development. Parents of school-age children compare their childrens success in school and their prowess in sports, arts, and intelligence. Teenagers compare wardrobes, grades, boyfriends or girlfriends, and their cars. High school graduates compare colleges or universities based on the party-factor, excellence in their choice of study, athletic programs, or the vision or philosophy of the school. Even brides compare their wedding plans to those of other brides, from celebrity weddings to those couples who get married on TV to their own friends who have already walked down the aisle. Businesses also rely on comparisons and rankings to determine their success. Their position on the stock exchange, popularity of their brand-name and the amount of consumer use or consumption of their product can all be considered to determine not only how successful the business is, but how it compares or ranks to others. Comparing Public School Rankings for K-12 is no exception. Schools, parents, students, administrators, government officials, the general public as well as the media are all interested in Public School Rankings For K-12 Gen Interest. Almost all groups are concerned with how their particular school figures into Public School Rankings For K-12 Gen Interest. http://advice-and.info/Reference-and-Education/58354_Pros_And_Cons_Of_Public_School_Rankings_For_K-12_Gen_Interest.html Mon, 20 Aug 2007 16:27:19 GMT Lists assessing high school rankings for K-12 are hugely popular right now because of the intense scrutiny of American education. These rankings are important because parents make moves to areas, or away form them, based on how schools rate. The schools then get more money per pupil, or less if they are losing students. Using high school rankings for K-12 is different from using them for the lower age groups. To gauge the effectiveness of a high school, these are the things you need to look for. Graduation Rates for High School Rankings for K-12 http://advice-and.info/Reference-and-Education/58344_High_School_Rankings_For_K-12__Gen_Interest.html Sun, 19 Aug 2007 09:48:05 GMT There are many factors that go into Public School Rankings For K-12 Gen Interest. To compare schools based on only one or two items of data would be inaccurate and foolhardy at best. For example, simply relying on test scores and graduation rates would give the user a skewed if not a faulty view of Public School Rankings For K-12 Gen Interest. The really good Public School Rankings. for K-12 Gen Interest scores look at all kinds of things to decide which ones are the best, the worst, and in between. http://advice-and.info/Reference-and-Education/57495_Public_School_Rankings_For_K-12_Gen_Interest.html Sat, 11 Aug 2007 03:50:44 GMT What data is considered for High School Rankings for K-12 general interest? Newsweek Magazine is the most popular publication that ranks public high schools, and most high schools strive for inclusion. Newsweek journalist Jay Mathews devised the formula used by the magazine to determine which schools make the list. It looks at how many students took the Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate &or Cambridge tests, and divides that number by how many graduating seniors the school has; and that is the standard for determining High School Rankings for K-12 general interest. http://advice-and.info/Reference-and-Education/57493_Principals_Affect_High_School_Rankings_For_K-12_General_Interest.html Sat, 11 Aug 2007 09:39:04 GMT In the fall of 2005, the Boston schools began exploring the education reform strategy of extending the school day for its middle schools. The extended school day gives students more time for learning at a crucial time in their education. The middle school years provide the much-needed preparation for students to enter high school, college and the workforce. Last year, the Boston schools applied for and was awarded a 40,000 planning grant for three schools. The Boston schools have been awarded grants again this year for another three schools. These three Boston schools were among ten schools across the state that included five school districts. The other four districts are Cambridge, Fall River, Malden, and Worcester, who shared with the Boston schools a total of more than 2.2 million in implementation grants to extend the learning time at the ten schools. http://advice-and.info/Reference-and-Education/49417_Three_Boston_Schools_To_Extend_School_Day_For_2006-2007_School_Year.html Sat, 12 May 2007 09:02:05 GMT