| How schools fit into Public school rankings are | | | | jobs to make ends meet. It's also possible that |
| extremely important to many people. District and | | | | parents don't know that they have options in |
| state officials, principals, teachers, parents, and | | | | where they send their children to school - and can |
| students are all concerned, in varying degrees, in | | | | find better ones by looking at Public school |
| how their schools compare to others. In a society | | | | rankings. Families who are simply struggling to |
| that is increasingly trying to "keep up with the | | | | survive may not have school as a top priority. |
| Joneses", all investors in the schools (the same | | | | They probably don't even know that Public school |
| folks listed above) are constantly monitoring how | | | | rankings even exist and are available to them; |
| they stand in public school rankings , and trying to | | | | they are too busy living day to day to even look |
| be better than other schools. | | | | into Public school rankings. Often, parents at this |
| Lots of factors go into determining where a | | | | low level of income are themselves |
| school is placed in Public school rankings. While the | | | | undereducated, and simply do not know that |
| majority of the consideration is given to test | | | | there are better educational opportunities out |
| scores - how well students scored, as well as | | | | there which are identified by their placement in |
| how many have taken advanced assessments | | | | Public school rankings. As a matter of fact, due to |
| such as Advanced Placement tests - consideration | | | | the 2002 No Child Left Behind Act, and the 2007 |
| is also given to factors like socioeconomic | | | | reauthorization of that Act, parents of students |
| background. To be more specific, Public school | | | | who are attending low-performing schools at the |
| rankings are influenced by how many kids are | | | | bottom of Public school rankings have the right to |
| receiving free or reduced lunches each school day. | | | | withdraw their children from said schools and |
| Kids who come from a low socioeconomic | | | | enroll them in places that are on the top in |
| background, meaning their families are at or below | | | | regards to Public school rankings. |
| poverty level, tend to attend schools that are not | | | | It is definitely to the benefit of all parents, |
| up to snuff - and are in the lower end of Public | | | | whether they are below poverty level or at the |
| school rankings. It's not meant, by any means, | | | | more affluent end of the spectrum to consider |
| that they are choosing these schools. Maybe they | | | | Public school rankings whenever they are making |
| have no other options; it's easiest for their | | | | decisions about which schools their children will |
| parent(s) to send them to the closest school to | | | | attend. It is a decision that can have long-reaching, |
| home because they are working one or more | | | | indeed life-changing effects. |