If you’re moving, choosing a good school district for your children is likely a top priority. In fact, parents will often spend more to buy in a good school district or sacrifice on the home they buy to make sure they’re securing a location with good schools.
Figuring out what makes for a good school can be a challenge, though, especially if you’re doing it from a distance. The following are things to think about in your search for the best schools.
Online Resources
There are some great online resources that help you compare schools, and they’re especially useful if you’re moving to an entirely new area and need background information.
While online resources might not be able to tell you everything you need to know, they can help you get started.
For example, one of the well-known online resources to compare schools is GreatSchools.org. GreatSchools.org uses factors including test scores to rank schools. You can also use their user reviews from real parents to get more insights.
Another option is to contact local realtors, perhaps even before you start your actual home search, because they may have some information that’s useful to you.
Many schools will also have Facebook pages that they officially operate or unofficial pages that parents set up. Spend some time on social media to get more insight into schools.
SchoolDigger and Niche also have school rankings and district information.
You may be able to directly connect with parents through social media who are willing to have one-on-one conversations with you or answer questions you might have.
Consider Test Scores Only Within Context
Some people may rely only on test scores as they’re deciding on a school for their kids. Test scores can be useful, but you need to look at them within context.
You can’t figure out a school’s true value for the kids who attend by just looking at tests. Let it be a piece of the puzzle rather than the whole picture.
Class Size
A good piece of data that you should be able to find relatively easily online and that can be a valuable metric is class size. You want your kids in smaller classes because the teachers can dedicate more time and resources to each student. Research shows that smaller classes tend to lead to more achievement and better outcomes for students.
Parent Involvement
A school with a high level of parental involvement is an indicator of quality. Parental involvement can also be something you’re personally interested in. You may be able to figure out parental involvement by checking out the PTA page on the school’s website or looking to see if the parent organization of the school has social media profiles.
From there, you might contact the parent leadership of the schools on your shortlist to see what they have to say and what types of involvement opportunities are available.
Your Child’s Needs
While you want to think about the overall quality of a school, you also have to think about your child’s particular needs. For example, does the school have special programs and services if they apply to your family, like Advanced Placement or IEP? What is the learning style of the school, and is there a focus on a certain subject matter like STEM?
How diverse are the students, and what extracurriculars are available?
While a school might look great on paper, you may realize it’s not the best fit for your child after you do a little more in-depth research.
Visit If You Can
Maybe you’ve been doing most of your school research from a distance, but it’s time to begin narrowing down your home choices and thinking about making an offer. Before you do so if you have the opportunity to visit schools in person, do it.
You may think you’ve found an excellent fit for your family, but when you visit, you don’t feel like it’s the right place or vice versa.
You can tell a lot even if you don’t officially tour the school simply by watching drop-off or pickup. Is the principal around and greeting families? What about the teachers? Do kids seem excited to be there? Is there a lot of engagement?
Once you go in the school, is it clean and welcoming? Is the front office staff friendly and helpful? What do you see when you’re observing the classroom?
Your instincts can be just as important when comparing schools as the test scores or the data you gathered before your visit.
