Ask an Expert: Judy Goddess
Using California School Law To Advocate For Your Kids

Higher scores don't necessarily mean better students. They may indicate that the students simply started school better prepared, or that the teachers have just done a better job teaching what will be on the test. Or a lower-scoring district may have more students who don't speak English as their primary language. Scores presented as a snapshot this way simply don't reveal anything about the quality of teaching.

Declining enrollment, on the other hand, concerns me because it implies that parents are deserting the public school. Some parents always choose private education, of course. But when too many parents refuse to enroll their children in public schools, it begins to have a snowball effect. Other parents will make their decision based on hearsay, without even visiting the local public school. Their perceptions can be very difficultÑalthough not impossibleÑto turn around.

I always suggest that parents visit the schools their child might attend, sit in classrooms, talk with the teachers and parents who are active in the school, and then decide which school is best for their child. Choosing a school is a very important decision that requires more than reviewing scores and attendance figures. You're wise to wonder what's really going on when you compare the scores of two different districts.

(Note that there is a way to use historical trends in test scores to reveal which teachers are more successful than others. This is called value-added assessment. Tennessee has been using test scores this way with great success since 1992.)