How to Rate Middle Schools

Emerging adolescents can succeed in schools designed around their needs.

Middle School is a critical time in your child's educational life; It is a time when social, emotional and educational needs change drastically. Middle school students need schools that are academically diverse and challenging. Knowledgeable and compassionate teachers consider the needs of the adolescent in general, as well as the needs of your child in particular. Get information about the schools in your area and choose a middle school that designs an environment and curriculum geared toward these needs.

Instructions

1. Consider the size of the school. A large school has the opportunity to offer more programs and provides more choices for social interaction, but a quiet student can be overwhelmed and overlooked. A small school offers an individualized setting, but less opportunities for extracurricular activities.

2. Find information regarding teacher salaries and education levels. Type the name of a specific city, district or school into a search engine. The National Education Association provides the average teacher salary for each state.

3. Call school districts or visit their websites to get information about the curriculum. Middle schools should offer a range of levels in core subjects. Consider the elective courses. Electives in arts and humanities are particularly effective for engaging middle school students.

4. Speak to a counselor or adviser at a school. Ask about the organization of the students within a grade level. A popular model is to separate a grade into smaller groups of students who share the same teachers and a single adviser. This model offers the benefits of a larger school while focusing on the individual student.

5. Visit the National Center for Education Statistics website to find assessments by state, district or school. Call school districts or visit their websites to find state standardized test scores.

6. Talk to students and parents that attend a school. You can usually find direct answers to your questions from parents and students. Visit websites like Rate My School, which is an online community where students and parents can post questions and answers about their school.

References

• National Center for Education Statistics:
• PayScale: Hourly Rate Snapshot for Middle Schools Teacher Jobs
• Scholastic: Model Middle Schools
• Bureau of Labor and Statistics: Employment and Wages in Elementary and Secondary Schools
• National Education Association: Teacher Salaries by State

Resources

• SchoolDigger: The Easiest Place to Search, Evaluate and Compare Schools, Districts, and Cities
• GreatSchools: Involved Parents. Successful Kids