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Home > Blogs > Get on the Bus > Archives > 2005 > August > 18 > Entry
What else makes a good school?
On Tuesday, I gave my take on how to use test scores to judge you child’s school.
But let’s get beyond testing. As I said in that post, the scores are not always the best measure of school quality. Here’s some of ways I judge a school. I hope you’ll add to this list through the comments.
I think the principal is very important. A good principal, in my eyes, should make a connection with the kids. The principal should be an instructional leader focused on education, not just someone who makes sure the buses run on time. And a good principal is tough but fair.
Pay attention to how you are treated in the building. Is the staff welcoming and appear happy for you to be there? Or do they appear annoyed or otherwise unhappy to deal with you?
Look at the kids. Do they seem happy to be there? If you really look for this you will notice a difference. In good schools, kids are happy. In bad schools they are not.
A clean building is another good signal. An unkempt school is a very bad sign.
Do the teachers seem enthused about their work? In bad schools they can seem bored, tired or even angry to be there.
Pay attention to specials like music, art and physical education. Good schools value them, bad schools treat them as extras.
If you see parents around, that’s good. The best schools have strong parental involvement.
So that’s my list. What would you add or subtract?
Permalink | Comments (3) | Categories: Testing
Comments
By Rick
August 20, 2005 11:17 AM | Link to this
I recall from years ago when I did a lot of research on education that there was a research movement called the Effective Schools somthing or other. They compared schools with similar demographics, usually of schools with ower-income students. They found five characteristics, four of which I can remember. They are: 1) High expectations of students, 2) High expectations of teachers, 3) Inviting to parents and lots of parental involvement, and 4) A dynamic, involved principal.By Denise
August 19, 2005 11:13 AM | Link to this
There is a lot more to music and art education than learning to play an instrument or painting a picture. As research has shown, the skills that students learn, especially through music education, have a direct and positive impact on skills needed for classroom learning, including better communication and study skills. There are studies everywhere touting the correlation between art/music education and better test scores, specifically in math, due in large part to the self-confidence students gain in the study of art and music.By Hack Lotz
August 18, 2005 3:55 PM | Link to this
Figures you’d think music and art are important. Kids don’t go to school to have fun; they go there to learn!! I look for schools where the kids have their keisters in their seats and their mouths shut.