Report cards don’t tell the whole story
State school report cards can be useful tools for parents.
They contain a wealth of information including average class size, the number of computers per student, how much the district is spending per student and how students compare academically with students from similar districts.
The report cards, released last week, are part of an initiative by the state Department of Education to provide more information to the public about schools.
It should be mentioned that these report cards are not the same as the ones delivered to parents by students at the end of each marking period.
However, if used wisely, they can serve a similar purpose, offering parents and the public a chance to judge how their schools stack up.
These cards can give parents a better understanding of what goes on in the district, and a base of knowledge to better understand other school issues.
Having a sense of enrollment trends, for instance, can make it easier for the public to understand whether building referendums are needed or whether proposed budgets are adequate. Information on test scores allows the public to judge whether students are learning what the state thinks they should know, offering a chance for parents to ask for curricular and other changes that might be necessary.
According to the report cards, the district’s enrollment rose by 447 students and spending per student increased to $8,754 from $8,241 in 2000-2001.
In addition, 93.7 percent of SBHS juniors passed the High School Proficiency Test, compared to 85.8 percent of juniors statewide in 2000-2001.
Also, the number of high school seniors taking the Scholastic Aptitude Test in 2000-20001 dropped from the previous school year, with 75 percent taking the test, compared to 83 percent in 1999-2000.
But, scores were up. The average score in math for SBHS seniors taking the Scholastic Aptitude Test was 538, compared with 514 statewide. In the verbal section, the average score was 507 among SBHS seniors, compared with 496 statewide.
At the same time, it is important to remember that the numbers offered do not tell the whole story. The report card is a "snapshot" of the district, and we should be careful not to read too much into it, especially when discussing what kind of education a child is getting.
The only sure-fire way to determine what kind of job your district is doing is to pay attention to your children and to get involved. Talk to your kids about their school days; find out what they are learning and doing. Spend time with them on homework and attend PTO and PTA meetings and parent-teacher conferences. Make yourself a part of your school’s community.
The more involved you are, the more control you can have over what happens in your school. You owe it to your children and yourself.