Education Expert - School Expert Witness - Sexual Abuse - School Accident

Like an individual, a school system has a complex personality. The size of the system, the scope of its curriculum, the opportunity it provides for personalized instruction, the depth of services to meet family needs, and its degree of academic rigor are just a few of the factors that determine the personality of a school system.

Our attorney clients have made convincing use of school information about the following areas, which we have gathered on a customized basis or extracted from our databases:

School Records Review

Programmatic Differences

Programs for Children with Special Needs

Pupil to Teacher Ratio

Performance on Scholarship Examinations

Instructional Expenditures per Pupil

Size of School System

Number of Schools at Each
Grade Level

School Building Size

Awards to School Systems

Elementary School Accreditation

School System Tax Base

School Records Review:

In the process of assisting attorneys we routinely review school records. In one recent case we noted that when the child was with our attorney's client she had an unblemished record of attendance. When the child was with the other parent a long string of tardies and absenteeisms was in evidence.

Programmatic Differences:

The availability of course offerings in specialized programs can play an important role in explaining school differences. In one case in Columbus (OH) a key issue seemed to come down to the fact that a 6th grade child was involved for four years in an elementary school "Spanish immersion program." The proposed new school did not even offer Spanish until the 9th grade. Similar program differences can be found in many areas of the curriculum.

Programs For Children With Special Needs:

Many of the children involved in cases have identifiable handicaps, talents or gifts that require special attention. Schooling opportunities can be particularly relevant when such children are involved. Well known Boston-based family lawyer Monroe L. Inker used our data and specialized services in a recent case. We reviewed the school records of the "gifted" child involved and compared the youngster's ability to programmatic offerings in two locations being considered for residency. Inker clearly understands the importance of school issues in such cases. He remarked:

"In custody cases, especially when dealing with gifted children, it is of critical importance to understand the two school systems involved. In the case of the gifted child, it is important to decide which community offers the type of programs that will nurture and stimulate the child's given talents. SchoolMatch® has been most helpful in evaluating the school systems involved so that we may offer testimony showing which system offers the best advantage to the child."

Pupil to Teacher Ratio:

Educational researchers have debated the pupil-teacher ratio question for many years. While the research yields little conclusive evidence, many educators believe that large classes impede individualized instruction and attention.

Some experts also think that very small classes may inhibit pupil interaction. Parents and even judges, on the other hand, frequently have strong beliefs about this subject. Most tend to believe that small classes are better for their children, especially in the elementary grades. Some boards of education have adopted policies that set clear goals for class sizes at specific grade levels. Many subscribe to the notion that small classes are particularly important in the primary grades when children are learning essential reading and mathematics skills. Moreover, efforts to provide specialized instruction in areas such as the sciences and foreign languages have necessitated small classes in certain subjects in many secondary schools.

Pupil Performance on Scholarship Examinations:

Although it may come as a shock to many educators, journalists, and leaders in business and government, there is ample evidence to indicate that most parents do not want their children in the most academically rigorous school.

Many people make the common mistake of accepting a definition of "best school" as one that is most academically successful. Their children can suffer the consequences--as many do--on a daily basis. A child changing schools can find himself or herself facing significantly different norms for academic success. By dropping an average child, for example, into a very academically rigorous environment, a parent can create a prescription for failure. Conversely, our experience leads to the conclusion that very few parents or courts are impressed with school systems where pupil performance is below average on scholarship examinations and other standardized tests.

The key would seem to be matching the students to a school environment that is challenging but not overwhelming. Such matches are purposely made in the selection of colleges and universities as a routine assessment procedure. Parents, students and the institutions themselves struggle to achieve a reasonable match. Higher education has developed much more sophisticated consumers. Such procedures in the selection of elementary and secondary schools are quite important.

Instructional Expenditures Per Pupil:

Schools, like other institutions, are dependent on resources for success. How a school system chooses to allocate those resources is a measure of priorities. The typical school system is a human resource-intensive organization. Extremely high percentages of operating budgets are allocated for salaries and fringe benefits. Consequently, discretionary funds are often in short supply. In some systems textbooks are out-of-date, equipment is less than sufficient, and teachers lack necessary supplies to be effective.

When looking at elementary and secondary schools, the relative number of dollars expended for instructional materials would appear to be very important. Such expenditures not only reflect school system reality in terms of resources for teaching, but also are to some degree a measure of policy priorities.

Size of School System and Number of Schools at Each Grade Level:

The size of the school system and number of schools at each grade level generally have little effect on students' day-to-day activities. However, school system size could be critical if parents feel the need to reach school board members or administrators to discuss problems. Furthermore, larger systems would be more likely to offer specialized schools in vocational education or other areas.

In a smaller school system parents or taxpayers may have more say in policy decisions of the board of education and the school administration, but their children's opportunities for specialized educational programs may be limited.

School Building Size:

If children are being moved, for example, from a moderately small, homogeneous building to a very large one that houses a large and diverse student body, the result for the children can be a kind of "culture shock." In general, large school buildings with large faculties and student bodies provide advantages in terms of breadth of course offerings and extracurricular opportunities. On the other hand, small school buildings with small student bodies afford youngsters opportunities to participate and succeed in more activities within a less competitive environment.

Awards to School Systems:

In recent years, the federal government, various state governments and some organizations have begun recognizing and rewarding schools for meritorious achievement. The number of school systems receiving these awards is quite small. Often these awards can be important in pointing to excellence.

Elementary School Accreditation:

Another mark of recognition that is limited to just a few school systems is the accreditation of elementary schools. While secondary schools have been subject to accreditation for many years, the process is relatively new at the elementary level. Consequently, only a small number of elementary schools are accredited. This, too, can be a distinguishing factor.

School System Tax Base:

In general, a school system's tax base is the amount of taxes paid by the taxpayers within the system's boundaries. Clearly, the size of the tax base can have a direct impact on school quality. Affluent communities and communities with large numbers of taxpayers can afford better schools. So can communities that collect taxes from large corporations or industries--and in these communities the burden on individual taxpayers is less. Conversely, communities without these advantages may be unable to afford better schools without levying high taxes. The size of the system tax base is another factor we consider.