If they are, then we have an average school in the city. If they're going up more quickly, then we're an above-average school. To make a fair judgment, also consider whether your school population is changing. An influx of low-income students can deflate test scores. Likewise, if more middle-income children enroll, scores may rise without any effort on the school's part.
Schools are under tremendous pressure to raise scores on standardized math and reading tests.
To spend more time on those subjects, some elementary schools are cutting back on science and social studies, says Barbara Radner of DePaul University. According to teachers in her workshops at DePaul, some elementary schools have stopped teaching those subjects altogether. Skipping science and social studies in elementary school spells trouble for students later on, as Radner has observed in many high school classrooms. Radner says that books are the best clue to whether science and social studies are being taught. Ask to see examples of textbooks or trade books teachers use for those subjects, she advises.