Private School Rankings: How Valuable Are They to Parents?

Young parents looking for the best school for their children often search for school rankings or private school rankings. In fact, every month over 8000 parents type 'school rankings' or related searches into a Google search window. In Canada, the conservative think tank the Fraser Institute puts out annual Report Cards ranking all the schools in each Canadian province, with private schools often ranking at or near the top of most of these lists. But can schools truly be ranked? And how helpful are these rankings to parents, whether or not they are looking for a private school or a public school? School authorities themselves insist on cautioning against ranking schools in any way. Several years ago, when his private school was ranked number one in a Report Card, Hugh Burke, headmaster at Meadowridge School near Vancouver, BC, said he was more "appalled" than pleased. Jack Rice, Principal at a Canadian Montessori school, says he tells parents to put away their check book until they tell him why they think his school is right for their child. Gord Allan, one time administrator at a Vancouver private school says, "There's no such thing as the number one school. But there is such a thing as the best school for your child." Parents can meet school representatives face to face at a private school expo.  School open houses allow parents to get a feel for the life of the school. Or parents can tour schools they are interested in, with the principal or another school representative. Experienced parents say that the search for the right school ought to be treated with the same seriousness and diligence as the decision to purchase a new home or change jobs. Arthur Ryan is one parent satisfied with the time and effort he and his wife put into choosing the right school for their daughter. Primary factors in their decision were answers to the questions like: Can the school articulate its vision, values and mission statement simply and with clarity? Would our child's needs be best served by a single-gender or coed learning experience? Are the school's values reflected in the scheduling of academic and extracurricular activities? Every child and family has unique needs and values, including the academic and social life of the individual child, as well as practical considerations such as driving distance, boarding fees and much more. In the end, a private school ranking should have very limited influence on parents' final decision, as parents and teachers agree.