ADVIS Position Statement on School Rankings

The Association of Delaware Valley Independent Schools (ADVIS) is implacably opposed to the rating or ranking of schools in any shape or form. Therefore, we do not cooperate, and advise our member schools not to cooperate, with any publication that seeks to rate or rank schools.  A school, or an education, is not a consumer product comparable to a toaster. A great education depends on three key factors: the quality of the faculty, the quality of the student body, and the quality of teaching. These qualities are not quantifiable.

ADVIS strongly advocates the following statement from the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) as the fundamental position to which we adhere.

NAIS STATEMENT: On Ranking Schools

With this, as with all questions related to elementary and secondary education, we must keep our focus on the children’s best interests. The National Association of Independent Schools is and always has been opposed to the ranking of schools. The "best" school— public, parochial, or independent— is the one that uniquely meets the needs of each particular child.

In the independent school sector, each institution, in its mission statement, defines its own objectives: the kind of program and campus culture the school provides, and often, the qualities that will help a student to succeed there. These schools were not created from one mold. They have different missions, offer different grade ranges, curricular emphases, pedagogical approaches, and extracurricular programs. Some schools are highly competitive by design, others intentionally create a nurturing atmosphere in which certain students will thrive; some focus on the arts, some on mathematics and science, others on outdoor education. Different schools offer programs for different types of students— bright students with learning differences, the gifted, students of average ability, children who face particular challenges.

Independent schools are to be judged, through their rigorous accreditation processes, according to what they individually set out to accomplish. Ranking such wonderfully different schools against one another misrepresents the institutions, misleads consumer-minded parents about the factors that should be considered in the complex process of choosing a school, but most importantly, can hurt children. Ranking elementary and secondary schools is a de facto labeling of vulnerable children and adolescents and is inherently wrong.

Ranking of schools encourages a destructive competitiveness, leading institutions away from offering rich alternatives and toward a stultifying sameness. It is a disservice to the schools, concerned parents, and children, and therefore, to our society.

Source: www.nais.org • © 1997 National Association of Independent Schools

Additonally, we recommend the following article by Tom Redmon, Executive Director of the Southern Association of Independent Schools

The Dangers of Pre-Ranking Schools By Tom Redmon, Ed.D.

Recent newsmagazine opportunities have given parents new tools for deciding on good schools for their children. But these tools were created for the wrong reasons and fabricated without allowing for diverse methods, philosophies, and environments of the nation’s independent schools.

The wrong reasons are clear:

? Magazines continue to need attractive storylines to get readers on a seasonal basis.

? Parents are looking for a quick list of the "right" criteria on which to make choices. We see it every day in advertisements that "rank" one product ahead of another, by name, nowadays.

?Parents assume that sanction by a major newsmagazine assures enduring value, if the choice is made according to the criteria offered. Just go UP the list until you cannot afford the transportation or tuition. There, says the magazine, is your school.  Simple.

The fabrication is just as clear:

?The formula chosen (perhaps with "expert" advice) by the magazine is only one of many

possible ways of judging schools. What about the other formulae not chosen? Who guarantees that this formula will work for all children in the nation, no less? Is the parent of a child willing to risk future outcomes of education on a popular magazine’s version of the latest "view" of what makes a great school?

?This pre-ranking may give parents what might look like a time saving device, but drastically undervalues the time and analysis needed to match parent/child needs with school opportunities,  Even worse, such wide spread publications can develop a "herd" mentality among parents who would otherwise make excellent individual decisions. Choosing a school because all the neighbors or business partners agree can lead to poor results for YOUR child.  No magazine formula can match the careful judgment of parents in this decision.

The better process is not complicated:

1. Get a good "directory" of schools in your library or bookstore.

2. Narrow your search to affordable schools (for YOU), offering the program you value, in your transportation area.

3. Take the time to visit the top four or five schools on YOUR list.  Remember, more than one school probably can do a great job for your child.

4. Look for teacher competence, environment, financial stability, sensitive administrators, and good governance; and there, for the very best reasons, is YOUR school.