Importance of SOL Scores in Determining Schools

Hi S.,

I'm not really sure about schools in Prince William County. I'm your neighbor in Fairfax County. In Fairfax you can pupil place a child based on before and after shool care if your home school doesn't provide the SACC program (before and after care) or if the SACC program is fully subscribed.

SOL scores, in my opinion, grade the teachers performance. However, this isn't always a fair grade because the teacher may have many students with many different issues like:English is their second language, they don't get enough parent support at home, they have learning disablities. Most teachers teach because they love children. Like all professions you will encounter some that perform better than others.

How active is your school's PTA/PTO? What type of budget do they have and how do they supplement learning at Williams? For example, do they provide Hands on Science or Mad Science after school? Do they supply "learning" assemblies to the children like visiting authors, the "bug lady" to the 2nd graders to supplement the science circ. on bugs, how do they do Colonial Day for the 4th graders and Medieval day for the 5th graders? All of these questions/answers will help you determine the type of school Williams Ele is. My suggestion to you is call the PTA/PTO president. As him/her to tell you about Williams. You will learn during this conversation. Tour the school schedule a meeting with the principal and get involved as much as you can. When my children were in kindergarten ( I now have a 7th grader and a 4th grader) I was in their classrooms at least twice a month volunteering. I get involved it the schools. I know all the teachers, administration and staff at the elementary school and I am now know everyone involved with my daughter at the Middle School. I have made some great friends and I know what's going on. In my opinion being active in the classrooms and being on the PTA is the best way to help your children with their education. You become "partners" with the people at the school who are educating your children.

Hope this is helpful.

M.

Have you looked at any of the catholic schools in the area?Perhaps one of those might be on your drive? The sols are very representative except for the schools that were built within the year.

Manassas has excellent schools. I believe second grade is the time there is offered accellerated classes for third grade. Do the paperwork. It is vital and will remove your child from much of the foriegn speakers and lower performers to build a higher level of education. It's a long time to wait sometimes, but be sure to do it especially if you stay there. Some of the elementary schools offer a second language. My children study french. It is one of the best elementary schools in the county. It's just up PW parkway. I'm not sure exactly where you are in Woodbridge. If you're closer to Dale city that helps. The catholic schools will help you to afford it too, if you want to look into that. I lived in Dale City before my children went to school. It is a friendly place. I hope you live in a good area.

There is the option for the specialty programs in Middle school as well as High school. They are aimed at focusing on different aspects of education based on a childs gifted abilities. Math/science is the one my children have been to. In High school there are options like those for middle school with things like biology, IT, there is the IB program as well as several others that I can't think of. They can choose thier school at that point, from the county. I do not believe Fairfax has this option. In fact I'm quite certain it doesn't. Too much traffic for that option I suppose. The kids are bused and yes they spend time on the buses, but they get what they are interested in. And they like it. Garfield High School is an excellent school in its field (mechanical engeneering I believe). It also has IB. All of the high schools offer pre-AP which count for college credit. (Yes, they have homework to match too. And to get the credit there is a fee, but it is less that the college class.) Good luck.

Fairfax county is run differently from Prince william county. Over time you will see that.
Why did you settle in Woodbridge?

I completely empathise with you. I too am extremely concerned with the education my son receives. I had a very similar issue to yours when my son was slated to head off to kindergarten a couple of years ago. The school in our neighborhood had terrible scores, and ranked a 1 on www.greatschools.net (based on state standards, schools are ranked 1-10). I vowed to never let him attend there, but alas ended up with no other option. I couldn't afford the few private schools that were nearby, and so I figured he'd have to at least stick it out for kindergarten. I was amazed at how much I liked the school, the teachers, other parents, and kids in his class. He got a wonderful start to his education, made great progress, and really enjoyed his time there. Nonetheless, the test scores and poor rank always weighed on my mind. We'd been planning to move from Manassas to Fairfax for a couple of years, so we finally took the leap over Christmas break. He now attends a wonderful school that is an 8 on the scale, but I feel awful for taking him out of the other school (the one I NEVER wanted him to go to in the first place). He was doing wonderfully there. Everything I experienced at the school was to my standard if not above it. On that note, I would have to say that it is very difficult to judge a school based on its test scores. I'd recommend talking to parents whose kids have attended the school and get their input. That was the most helpful for me. I didn't ever hear a bad thing, even though I read bad things.

S.,

I just tried to respond previously, but it looks as if my response didn't go through (of course it was extra-long and I type slow) here is a more condensed reponse:

I live in Occoquan, VA... (Occoquan Elementary could possibly be the WORST) this is manily a county-wide issue. I work at a children's boutique and I'm hearing from many parents and teachers (of both public and private schools) that come in, the same negative things about PWCP schools. It is mainly the elementary schools with problems and not so much middle or high schools... Here is a link that can give you all the stats on all the schools in PWC:

http://www.pwcs.edu/Departments/accountability/?Profiles/...

A big reason that these schools aren't scoring well, but not the only reason is ESOL students slowing down classes for those that do speak English. It is a lose/lose situation for both English AND non-English speaking students. Some classes are exclusive for these students, but others mix the students, and then, most of the time that is when scoring gets low. I've heard this from a countless number of parents...

Well, we are moving, partly due to getting a good education for our 4 kids (staying in the same general area)... that is one solution you could take. Also, there is the option of private schools. We (both my husband and I) also have been homeschooling our oldest child this year- but we don't want to do that next year.

Believe it or not, it IS manageable to homeschool with a busy schedule- my husband works 7 days a week, and I work 3 days (I additionally have my own small business with selling artwork at home which also takes up my time)... we've actually managed to also have this sched. while still having one of us be with the children while the other is at work. We don't get any time to ourselves, but we manage!

I have MANY sources of information on the schools if you have any more questions. Keep in mind this isn't my single opinion but the opinion of SO many people I have spoken to about this.

By the way, The IB program is making its way into pwc schools- perhaps when the time comes you could transfer your child to one of those schools? I'm thinking about that as well

-Rebecca

I fear that you put too much merit on test results. Some people just don't do well in testing. This has no bearing on their intelligence. Schools that teach lessons geared only for the SOL test stiffle true education. Our government wants all children to be squeezed through a mold and come out stamped USA certified. Thus there is no room for creativity where students can satisfy their curiosity in explorative projects. If you want the best education, try homeschooling. I did and our son is now an electrician and our daughter is a doctor of medicine. Stafford Mom

Look at the demographic breakdown of students. Remember test scores are output from students, and are not always a clear indication of teacher input. I have a 4th grader at Clifton and I don't know what our school's test scores look like, but we are drowning in the "Teach to the Test" practices here. My daughter always seems to get very good grades, and even manages to test well. I have heard rumors about the county starting SOLs for kindergarteners, but I hope they don't do it. My son is currently a kindergartener, and seems to be doing well. You and your husband seem to be doing all the right things to ensure that your child's educational needs are met. Good luck getting what you want. I hope they'll let you choose the new school.