Great School? Maybe Not . . .

Top Ten Signs of an Academically Mediocre School

Your academically typical child needs out-of-school tutoring to make grade level
Your child struggles academically, but gets the same instruction as other students
Your academically advanced child is taught the same material as other students
At school you are warned not to let your child get "too far ahead" in a subject
Your child learns more in some core subjects outside of school than in school
The things your child studies seem easier than what kids you know at other schools are learning
Your child rarely if ever has academic time one-on-one or in a very small group with the lead teacher
Your child's principal says low grade level pass rates are to be expected, given the student population
Your child didn't test gifted, and so is not expected to exceed grade level in basic subjects
Jockeying for teachers is critical to parents in your child's school, because the quality is so uneven

All of the above, plus:

You can't tell where the principal stands on issues important to your child, even after you've asked
Your child's principal makes excuses rather than acting eager to resolve problems your child faces
Your child's learning varies widely in different subjects, and nobody has suggested disability testing
Parent volunteer time focuses mainly on activities unrelated to the school mission and academics
Test scores in your child's school are entirely predictable based on race
Between bored and misbehaved children, many students aren't engaged in work in your child's class
You're not sure what your child is learning at school until graded tests and report cards come home
Safety problems slide until someone gets hurt or a scary incident occurs