Rate public schools: School Ratings & Reviews for Public & Private Schools: GreatSchools

Опубликовано: April 8, 2023 в 1:10 pm

Автор: alexxlab

Категории: Miscellaneous

About Public Schools

Here we cover the history of public schools, explain the various types and discuss their pros/cons. Learn more about technology on campus, health and nutrition issues, and the latest information related to a variety of student populations.

View the most popular articles in About Public Schools:

Should Public Schools Ban Cell Phones?
The Pros and Cons of Mandatory Gym Class in Public Schools
What are the Benefits of Public School Over Homeschooling?
How Diet and Nutrition Impact a Child’s Learning Ability
Who Oversees Public Schools?

Updated
January 13, 2023

by
Robert Kennedy

JROTC offers valuable lessons in leadership, character-building and citizenship. Here’s a look at the various JROTC programs out there together with a look at the pros and cons of the program.

Wikimedia. commons.org, public domain/Ph4 Victoria A. Tullock, USN

I was disappointed to read the story in the New York Times about abuse in an Army JROTC program. Why? Because I’ve always thought very highly of the program available in over 1700 public and private high schools. I will further disclaim that my eldest daughter was in the ROTC program in college. So, I know first-hand that it is well-run for the most part. The JROTC does an immense amount of good for young people at the high school level.

What is JROTC?

Congress established the JROTC or Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps in 1916. Each branch of the services has its own distinctive JROTC program. However, they all have the altruistic-sounding mission “To Motivate Young People to be Better Citizens.”

The U.S. Army Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (JROTC) is one of the largest character development and citizenship programs for youth in

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Updated
May 27, 2022

by
Kate Barrington

The 2020-21 school year was unlike any other and hopefully not one we’ll repeat anytime soon. The COVID-19 pandemic changed the face of America’s public education system and we’re still seeing the effects. In this article, we’ll explore the impact of the pandemic on America’s public schools, see how they responded, and talk about some tips for returning to in-person education this fall.

After a year and a half struggling to survive a global pandemic, the world is finally starting to get back to normal. Though challenges brought by the rising Delta variant still exist, many schools are planning to return to in-person instruction in the coming fall. This news comes as a welcome relief to parents who have had to juggle supervising their child’s remote education while continuing to work their own jobs.

Though the COVID-19 pandemic left no one unaffected, it exacerbated a number of existing issues within the public school system and created some new challenges. Returning to school in the fall of 2021 won’t be smooth sailing and parents had better start preparing themselves (and their children) now to ensure as seamless a transition as possible.

In this article, we’ll explore some of the effects the COVID-19 pandemic had on public school systems and talk about what the future holds. We’ll also provide helpful tips for students, parents, and educators as they anticipate their return to school in the fall.

Impact of the Pandemic on Public Schools

In March of 2020, the World Health Organization declared the spread of COVID-19 a worldwide pandemic. Being in the middle of their second semester, schools across the country (and around the world) were sent scrambling to make adjustments. Many schools closed for in-person instruction entirely, switching to virtual learning, and many parents withdrew their children from schools entirely in favor of teaching them at home.

In a March 2021 article published on Brookings, Daphna

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Updated
July 01, 2022

by
Kate Barrington

After more than a year of remote learning, schools are finally returning to in-person instruction but how has the pandemic changed the face of public education and what will it look like moving forward?

Just a few months after the dawn of a new decade, millions of parents found themselves scrambling to adjust to remote learning in the midst of a rapidly spreading global pandemic. It didn’t take long for parents to realize just how much they’d been leaning on the public school system until their kids were at home full-time. Parents became teachers overnight, struggling to maintain some sense of normalcy in regard to their child’s education, all while trying to manage changes in their own day-to-day lives.

A full year later, parents and educators are still struggling, and the country is facing some difficult questions about the state of America’s public school system. In some cities, affluent families have abandoned the public school system in favor of private schools but what effect with this mass exodus have on the future of public schooling? In this article, we’ll explore the ways the pandemic has changed public school systems and what parents can expect in the future.

The Current State of Public Education

After months of remote learning, many schools have started to return to in-person education. Though many schools are following a blended approach, teaching students both in-person and virtually, parents are finally starting to see a return to “normal” after a year of chaos. What school really looks like for students varies, however, depending on a variety of factors.

In some communities, schools are only open to teachers and administrators who continue to teach remotely. Other districts have opened their doors to students but continue

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Updated
May 27, 2022

by
Kate Barrington

All students deserve to have an equal chance at academic success but not every student learns in the same way. Alternative schools provide students with unique challenges or abilities an opportunity to succeed in a different educational setting. Keep reading to learn more about alternative schools and their impact on college admissions.

The American public-school system is always a hot topic for debate. While there are two sides to every issue, there is one point that cannot be debated – some public schools are better than others.

Public schools in wealthy and suburban areas tend to perform much higher in testing than urban schools and there is a significant difference in funding as well. Parents can’t always choose their school district, but if the public schools in an area are sub-par, there are other options to consider. Alternative schools like boarding schools, magnet schools, and even homeschools may provide better educational opportunities for students, but there are some challenges to consider as well.

When it comes to college applications, alternative school curriculums and transcripts are less straightforward for admissions officers to understand. In this article, we’ll explore the subject of alternative schools and their impact on the college admissions process for graduating seniors.

What is an Alternative School?

Every student is unique in terms of educational background, learning ability, and interest in school. Two students from the same class, when given the same test, can achieve very different scores because academic achievement is determined by more than just curriculum. A child’s performance is school is affected by in-school factors such as the teacher’s education level, availability of resources, and curriculum. But it is also affected by other factors such as the student’s socioeconomic status, home life, and personal or learning challenges.

An alternative school is a school that doesn’t provide the typical educational experience. Another

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Updated
May 27, 2022

by
Kate Barrington

Changes instigated by the Trump Administration have been met with a great deal of controversy but one of the biggest debates within the education sector is in regard to integration and charter schools. Keep reading to learn more about the charter school debate and what you should know as a parent.

When it comes to schools in the United States, the biggest differences lie in the gap between public and private school. What many people do not realize, however, is that there are many different subcategories for each.

For example, a charter school is an independently run public school that has greater flexibility than a traditional public school. Charter schools still need to meet state standards, but a significant portion of their curriculum and operation is influenced by the school’s “charter” – a performance contract that details the school’s mission, as well as the students served, specific performance goals, and its methods of assessment. As modern reform continues to shake the foundation of the United States education system, a debate about charter schools has risen to the forefront.

In theory, charter schools exist to provide underprivileged students with access to better education. The primary question, however, is whether charter schools inadvertently support segregation. Keep reading to learn more about charter schools and how they are changing the face of the U.S. education system.

Understanding the Basics Of Charter Schools

According to the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools (NAPCS), there are roughly 6,900 charter schools in the United States. Though they are technically public schools and therefore open to a wide range of students tuition-free, charter schools work differently than traditional public schools. A charter school operates under an independent contract (known as a “charter”) in front of an authority such as a government agency, university, or non-profit organization.

While a

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January 13, 2023

Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps or JROTC

JROTC offers valuable lessons in leadership, character-building and citizenship. Here’s a look at the various JROTC programs out there together with a look at the pros and cons of the program.

January 13, 2023

Choosing Between the SAT and ACT and How to Prepare

Taking the SAT or ACT is a major source of stress for high school students. Keep reading to learn how to choose the right test and how to prepare for it.

January 13, 2023

Prevent Brain Drain: Keep Your Kids’ Minds Sharp During Vacation

Long periods of time off from school can lead your child to lose valuable knowledge and skills. Learn more about brain drain and 4 ways to keep your child’s mind revving, even during vacation. incorporating quality learning exercises into their spring, summer, and winter vacations.

The Pros and Cons of Mandatory Gym Class in Public Schools

What are the Benefits of Public School Over Homeschooling?

Who Oversees Public Schools?

Evaluating Public Schools

This section provides tools to aid in finding the best public school option for your child. Compare private and public schools, explore school zoning issues, and delve into the public school grading and ranking system. Find information on the safest schools and what they are doing right.

View the most popular articles in Evaluating Public Schools:

Can Students Be Legally Prosecuted for School Fights?
New Study Confirms That Private Schools Are No Better Than Public Schools
Public School vs. Private School
Year-Round Or Traditional Schedule?
10 Advantages to Public Education

Updated
June 24, 2022

by
Robert Kennedy

Teachers and parents must be prepared for anything that impacts the safety of our young people.

As I began my research for this article on school shootings, I thought it best to look at the history of shootings in American schools. I expected the timeline to cover the 19th and 20th centuries, but I wasn’t prepared to discover that the first shootings dated back to the 1700s. First, read K12 Academics’ History of School Shootings in the United States. That article covers from colonial days through to 2010. Then, to take us up to 2015 read Maria Esther Hammack’s A Brief History of Mass Shootings. Reporting in the New York Times, Christine Hauser’s article A Partial List Of Mass Shootings In 2022 chronicles the first five months of 2022. Having documented shootings, let us look at what you and I can do to keep our children safe in schools at every level.

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Updated
December 11, 2022

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by
Kate Barrington

When asked to rank the quality of their child’s school, most parents rated it a B average. And yet politicians would have you believe that the American public-school system is failing. How are America’s public schools really doing, and how do we know?

If you listen to what just about any politician has to say about America’s schools, you’ll hear the word “failing” quite a bit. The fact is that education is a hot topic and it is one that can be used to inspire people to vote. But how much can you actually trust what a politician has to say about the American public education system? How are the public schools in America actually doing?

In 2017, Jack Schneider released a book called Beyond Test Scores in which he suggests that it is well past time to start rethinking the way we measure school performance.

Schneider writes that while test scores are the go-to metric used to evaluate a school’s performance, they don’t really paint an accurate picture. Using Somerville, Massachusetts, a highly diverse urban school district, as a case study, Schneider presents a new framework to assess the effectiveness of the American education system. Read on to learn more about Schneider’s approach and to see data on how American public schools are really doing.

This video from CNBC explains why our public education system is failing us.

Changes to the U.S. News Ranking System

Each year, U.S. News publishes a list of the Best High Schools in America. For the 2018 school year, U.S. News ranked over 2,700 schools – some of the names topping the list were BASIS Scottsdale (AZ), Meridian School (TX), and the Baccalaureate School for Global Education (NY).

If you were to peruse the 2019

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Updated
September 28, 2022

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by
Kate Barrington

The results of a new study show that private school education may be no better than public school education. Keep reading to learn more about this study and to learn how to make the right choice between private and public school education for your child.

The results of a new study show that private school education may be no better than public school education. Keep reading to learn more about this study and to learn how to make the right choice between private and public school education for your child.

The world of education is ever-changing but opinions about private versus public school will always be at odds. It is a common assumption that private school education is of a higher quality than public school education, but the results of a new study suggest that this may not be the case.

After reviewing data from over 1,000 students, researchers from the University of Virginia found no evidence to suggest that students from low-income families and children enrolled in urban schools benefited more from private than from public school education. These results are particularly relevant as legislators fight to move toward a more privatized public education system. They also make it clear that the assumption that public schools are inferior to private schools is wrong.

The fact of the matter is that some schools are simply better than others, but the results of this new study suggest that the factors once thought to play the largest role in determining the quality of public versus private education may not be so important. In order to better understand the results of this study, let’s first take a closer look at some of the supposed benefits of private versus public school.

This video compares and contrasts public and private schools.

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Updated
May 22, 2022

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by
Kate Barrington

When it comes to public school, you may think that one school is like any other but you would be wrong. There are more than a dozen different types of public school – keep reading to learn more.

School is school – or so many parents think. What you may not realize, however, is that there are many different types of schools, even within the category of public schools. The school you send your child to will largely depend on where you live and what options are available but if you have multiple options to choose from, it is important to learn what you can about each one before making your choice. The school that is right for one child may not be right for another, so consider your options carefully.

Not only is public school very different from private school, but there are over a dozen different types of schools (both public and private) scattered across the country. In this article, you’ll receive a brief overview of each of these school options so, if the choice becomes yours to make, you’ll be fully equipped to make an informed decision. Keep reading to learn the basics about different schooling options in the United States.

How is Public School Different from Private School?

The main difference between private and public school is the source of funding. Public schools are funded by local, state, or federal government while private schools are generally funded through tuition paid by the students. Because public schools receive federal funds, they must also follow federal guidelines and that sometimes limits what public schools are able to teach. Private schools are not subject to the same standards so they have more freedom in developing their curriculum. Licensing requirements are fairly strict for public

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Updated
May 27, 2022

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by
Kate Barrington

Many people assume that public school and private school are the only two options but there are actually several kinds of public school. Keep reading to learn more.

There are nearly 50 million students enrolled in U.S. public schools and another 6 million who attend private schools. Depending on where you live, you may have the option to choose where you send your child to school, but how do you make a smart choice? The first step is to learn the difference between the different types of public and private schools. Once you have a deeper understanding of the options, you can think about your child’s individual needs and preferences to make the smart choice. Keep reading to learn about traditional public, charter, and magnet schools in particular.

The Pros and Cons of Public School

A public school is one that receives funding from local, state, and federal government funds which means that they are required to admit students who live within the district. A private school, on the other hand, is one that gets its funding from a private organization or from private individuals. This means that they are able to choose which students they do and do not admit based on whatever criteria they decide.

While private schools do have their advantages, you can tell by the statistics already mentioned that more students attend private school than public school. But what are the pros and cons of public school, and what are the different types? Below you will find an overview of the pros and cons of public school and the following section will provide information about two types of public schools – charter schools and magnet schools.

This

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January 13, 2023

Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps or JROTC

JROTC offers valuable lessons in leadership, character-building and citizenship. Here’s a look at the various JROTC programs out there together with a look at the pros and cons of the program.

January 13, 2023

Choosing Between the SAT and ACT and How to Prepare

Taking the SAT or ACT is a major source of stress for high school students. Keep reading to learn how to choose the right test and how to prepare for it.

January 13, 2023

Prevent Brain Drain: Keep Your Kids’ Minds Sharp During Vacation

Long periods of time off from school can lead your child to lose valuable knowledge and skills. Learn more about brain drain and 4 ways to keep your child’s mind revving, even during vacation. incorporating quality learning exercises into their spring, summer, and winter vacations.

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SCHOOL ZONING

Learn more about zoning rules, how they impact schools and your child. This section offers information on the history of school zones, what they are, and how they work. Get information on who decides school boundaries and the impact those decisions have on the community.

Why You Need to Research School Districts When Buying a Home

GETTING STARTED

An overview of school designations, best practices for evaluating your options, and tips on choosing the best school for your child. Learn about Blue Ribbon, Vocational and Special Education schools. Get tips on finding the right school in a new neighborhood, city or state.

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GRADING AND RANKING SCHOOLS

Explore the public school grading/ranking system, how it works and what it means. Get latest national rankings and read what critics of school grading have to say. Take a look at the nation’s top performing schools as ranked by U.S. News and Newsweek.

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PUBLIC SCHOOL SAFETY

A comprehensive look at the safety of US public schools. Learn what schools are doing to combat gangs and drugs, prepare for natural disasters, and protect your children from predators. From web cameras to armed guards, see what tools public schools are employing to keep kids safe.

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PUBLIC VS. PRIVATE SCHOOLS

A comparison of public and private schools, the pros and cons of each, and a look at the cost of getting a stellar education at both. Take a look at some of the most expensive schools, notable public school alumni, and learn more about “private” public schools.

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Local Alternative Evaluation – Arlington Public Schools

In 2014, the General Assembly repealed the Standards for Evaluation of Education in Grade 3 History, United States History to 1865, and United States History: 1865 to Present. In addition, the Assembly’s actions required local school units to continue to teach content and measure student achievement through local alternative assessments, including authentic assessments or performance assessments. Current guidance on further implementation of local alternative estimates is included in Guide to Local Alternative Estimates: 2021-2022 and Beyond .

School units must continue to develop balanced assessment plans for each course under which local alternative assessments are administered and continue to use resources provided by the VDOE that promote consistency across the Commonwealth. These plans should specify different types of assessments, including performance-based assessments. Performance-based assessment measures knowledge of a subject by requiring students to apply the content and skills they have learned to a real-world problem. PBAs should provide students with the opportunity to demonstrate the acquisition of the “five Cs”—critical thinking, creativity, communication, collaboration, and citizenship—instead of traditional assessments that focus more on actual rote memorization. nine0005

Information on assessment plans for World History 3rd grade and US History 6th grade I and II is detailed below.

World History Grade 3

Third grade World History students study 9 subjects (Civil Law, Government, Geography, Economics, Ancient Egypt, Ancient China, Ancient Greece, Ancient Rome and Ancient Mali). In each module, students will participate in a variety of assessment activities that may include, but are not limited to:

Diagnostic assessments: brainstorming, four corners, written or oral assessment, KWL charts, etc.

Formative assessment: weekend tickets, quizzes, survey, teacher observation, etc.

Final grades: teacher-created grades (multiple choice and performance assessment) and department performance grades (DBQ, queries, skill-based grades)

During the 2021-22 school year, students will participate in three general assessments developed by APS as part of the Balanced Assessment Plan. These scores are as follows*:

How did the geographical features of the area influence life in Ancient Egypt?

How was the contribution of Ancient China and Ancient Greece to modern life similar and how did they differ?

What made Mali one of the wealthiest kingdoms in history?

*Some schools and programs may offer slightly different assessments based on program and student needs.

6th Grade US History I & II

Sixth grade US history students study 4 subjects (U.S. Geography Over Time, Conflicts and Change, Progress and Perspectives, Turning Points, and the Emergence of Modern America). In each module, students will participate in a variety of assessment activities that may include, but are not limited to:

Diagnostic assessments: brainstorming, four corners, written or oral assessment, KWL charts, etc.

Formative assessment: weekend tickets, quizzes, survey, teacher observation, etc.

Final grades: teacher-created grades (multiple choice and performance assessment) and department performance grades (DBQ, queries, skill-based grades)

During the 2022-2023 school year, students will participate in three general assessments developed by APS as part of the Balanced Assessment Plan. These scores are as follows:

How has geography shaped life in the past? Students explore various resources to identify one or more of the ways geography has affected life in the past.

Cause and Effect: Students explore various resources to identify multiple causes of an event.

Comparing and contrasting points of view: Students explore various resources to answer a question in a way that contrasts historical, cultural, and/or political points of view. nine0017
Research Questions: Students will develop a research question on a topic and select appropriate sources for research.

Standards Based Assessment – Arlington Public Schools

Standards Based Assessment (SBA) is a method of assessing student performance. The SBA program is designed to help students, families, and teachers understand how students are doing while working to develop their skills. This is not a way of understanding what children can do based on tasks or productive thinking. nine0005

Traditional assessments do not always describe a student’s skills. The ABCDE score pushes students towards an A and leaves no room for differentiation of exceptional skill levels and may inadvertently create conditions for comparison and judgment that are counterproductive to learning.

“Why would anyone… need to change their current grading practices? The answer is quite simple: the estimates are so imprecise that they are almost meaningless.” Robert Marzano

State-of-the-art descriptions are used to report student skills for each standard required by the Virginia Department of Education and Arlington Public Schools. Example Performance Level Descriptors (PLD):

Meets standard The student consistently demonstrates mastery of the standard.

Approaching Mastery The student is in the process of mastering the standard.

Mastery Development Student demonstrates initial understanding of the supported standard.

Insufficient evidence The teacher has no evidence to determine the student’s skill level for this skill. nine0082

For each standard, at each level of instruction, teachers create and use meaningful, clear benchmarks that students achieve to show that they meet the standard set by Virginia and Arlington.

Journey to Excellence

Schools in Arlington, like all schools in Virginia, are challenged to ensure that all students master the skills and knowledge outlined in the Virginia Learning Standards, or SOL. nine0005

The SBA differs from the traditional “evaluation” in that it eliminates the problematic “Fail” and “Nil” indicators. Instead of starting from scratch, students start with an accurate description of “no evidence,” meaning that students simply haven’t reached that part of the learning yet. Most students will go through the Development and Approach phases as they learn and develop their skills.

In fact, many students spend most of their time learning in the Approach phase as they develop skills and content knowledge. nine0005

Once a student meets the skill standard set by Virginia and Arlington, their skills are accurately recorded as Meets Standard.

Because each student is unique, SBA accepts any demonstration of skill as valid, so teachers use a wide range of student work examples, artifacts, conferences, and analyzes to meaningfully understand each student. Teachers strive to create authentic learning experiences and help students demonstrate their skills in authentic settings. nine0005

This “omnimodal” assessment method allows any student to demonstrate their skills in any way. It recognizes student uniqueness and promotes impartial and non-competitive learning, and is aligned with the standards-based teaching methods we use at APS, such as with the Reading and Writing departments of the Teachers College.

Reporting Proficiency

The student’s highest demonstration of skill is constantly recorded, and this demonstration can be obtained from any reliable source: Perhaps one student did really well on the test. Perhaps another was able to speak verbally about mastering the subject during an individual teacher conference. Perhaps another one has demonstrated true craftsmanship by creating something meaningful. Because all expressions of skill proficiency are valid in omnimodal assessment, we do not report “scores” on “items” or “tasks” but describe the current exact level of proficiency on each standard, regardless of which skill was demonstrated. nine0005

A comprehensive progress report is sent home at the end of each quarter, allowing families to see growth over time. One benefit of the SBA is that students who have taken longer to reach “Meets Standard” than others are not penalized. Traditional assessment uses mathematical averages and calculations to create a numerical “grade” that does not accurately reflect a student’s skills. In these mathematical systems, students who take longer to reach mastery receive lower “grades” or “points” than students who start at a high level of mastery. This has the unintended effect of discriminating against students who need more time or have unique ways of understanding. nine0005

Conclusion

Both the assessment literature and our educational philosophy at APS value each unique child. Standards-based assessment eliminates unhealthy, stressful, and inaccurate systems of extrinsic motivation, such as traditional grading, in favor of accurate, cost-effective student acquisition reports.

References

“The Case Against Grades” by Alfie Kohn: http://www.alfiekohn.org/article/case-grades/

The Case Against Awards and Praise” in a letter from Harvard Education Letter: http://hepg. org/hel-home/issues/10_2/helarticle/the-case-against-rewards-and-praise

“The Case Against Grades” by Michael Thomsen: http://www.slate.com/articles/double_x/doublex/2013/05/the_case_against_grades_they_lower_self_esteem_discourage_creativity_and.html – American Psychological Association: http://www.apa.org/monitor/dec02/selfesteem.

Meets standard	The student consistently demonstrates mastery of the standard.
Approaching Mastery	The student is in the process of mastering the standard.
Mastery Development	Student demonstrates initial understanding of the supported standard.
Insufficient evidence	The teacher has no evidence to determine the student’s skill level for this skill. nine0082