What is the most accurate school rating?

General Forum
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I am planning to move to a New York City suburb next year, and the quality of the school system will be the deciding factor for whether I choose Westchester, Long Island, or New Jersey, as well as the specific town, village, or city within these regions. I have a 6-year-old currently in the 1st grade.

Is GreatSchools.org the best resource for identifying a good school district? What other resources could serve as alternatives or supplements?

I’ve heard that GreatSchools can have some flaws, but if a school has a rating of 8 or higher, is it generally safe to assume it’s a good school? If the rating is below 8, could it be influenced by bias, even if the school is good, or does it likely indicate the school isn’t great?

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GreatSchools.org is a popular portal for investigating school ratings and feedback. It offers information about public, private, and charter schools around the United States… sooo I think its cool, you can go ahead…

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No, that is not true at all. They make no pretense of discussing anything concerning the real teaching or goings-on in the classroom. They mostly represent test results and the neighborhood’s socioeconomic class homogeneity.

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When I decided to move to a New York City suburb for my child’s education, I initially turned to GreatSchools. org for insights into the quality of various school districts. While it offered a helpful starting point, I quickly realized its limitations, such as potential biases and outdated information. Therefore, I also explored other resources like Niche. com, SchoolDigger. com, and local parent forums to get a well-rounded view. Visiting schools in person and speaking with teachers and parents provided the most accurate understanding. Generally, a GreatSchools rating of 8 or higher is a positive indicator, but it’s essential to dig deeper if a rating is below 8, as it might not fully reflect the school’s quality.

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HeyFrank,
When you look at school ratings, think about what criteria they use and if there are any limits or biases in how they collect data. Also, visiting schools, talking to teachers, and thinking about what your child needs can give you more useful information than just ratings.