So, a lot of people on the Main Line have been confused and disappointed to see the Great Schools ratings drop for “top”-rated districts like Lower Merion, Radnor and Tredyffrin-Easttown. Why have schools that just last year been rated “9” or “”10” now only rate “7”, for example? Especially when other ranking tools (like Niche) still rates them among the best in the state? It has to do with a new rating scale that takes into many more factors than test scores, which used to be the primary ranking indicator for Great Schools. So as not to misinterpret, instead of trying to explain it myself, here’s what the organization says. The more nuanced scale takes things into account like the diversity of the student population and improvement over previous years. While some historically lower-rated schools now have higher scores with this new scale, the opposite is true for our most revered districts.
Interestingly, most locals still trust their own judgment when it comes to which are the “best” districts, but this change in the most widely used school ranking site concerns me for relocators. They start their research on line and for families who are looking for “great” schools, I am not sure that they know what data is being used to rate the different districts. For some, the new criteria may more accurately reflect which schools are “better”, while for others who are more interested in academic achievement as measured by standardized testing, graduation rate and college acceptances, they may not find the new system as helpful. So, please, when you use any school ranking tool, understand what criteria and date it is using. For an interactive Main Line school district boundary map, click here.
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