Choosing a home in a quality school district is a major focus of most parents seeking to purchase a home. However, it is often hard to determine which is a "quality" system. The favored selection criteria often become test scores because they seem like a fairly objective measure of the current students’ academic performance. Although test scores are one criteria, parents should be aware of the many other factors that are needed in a quality school district.

Standardized test scores can be unreliable for many reasons. Certified educators tend to not favor standardized testing because they recognize that the tests focus on short-term, low-level facts that will soon be forgotten. Time limits for the tests encourage speed at the expense of accuracy. Students are not encouraged to be careful and think about their responses, but rather to choose their gut reaction quickly from several choices.

These standardized tests often fail to determine the academic ability of a student accurately. Research has confirmed that often very gifted and hardworking students will not perform well on standardized tests. It has also been proven that many students who do perform well on these tests possess the capability to quickly choose the right answers, but may not really understand the concepts behind the facts.

Finally, great teaching can sometimes cause scores to actually go down. Great teaching instructs students to think critically and creatively. It encourages them to be curious about the world and understand broader concepts. Teachers who focus on preparing students for these standardized tests may impart factual knowledge, but not the kind of real-life experiences and thought processes that the students need to learn.

Having determined that test scores can not be the ultimate criteria for a quality school district, what should you look for in choosing a school district? Perhaps an objective way to start out is by considering the size of the school. Generally speaking, small schools tend to be better because of the individual attention that students receive. Therefore, student/teacher ratios are also important. The students themselves can find more opportunities for involvement and play a larger role in the school itself, when the enrollment is lower. However, you may also want to keep your child’s interests in mind, as many smaller schools may not offer the same wide range of activities that larger schools often do.

Another good indicator is how the students are encouraged to learn. It is best if students are taught to think critically and are encouraged to improve themselves rather than just obtain a letter grade. Parents should then also be provided qualitative data assessing their students’ progress. Students need to learn life skills rather than how to recite facts and need time invested in their personal academic progress.

When choosing a school district, do not rely only on test scores. Visit the school. Talk to the principal. Spend a few hours in a classroom at your child’s grade level. Study the curriculum and extra-curricular activities available. If your child is gifted, ask about whether college courses are available to seniors. It may take a little more effort to really determine what the school is like instead of relying only on published test scores, but the end result will reap benefits that are definitely worth it.