Still, parent and student reviews are a valuable resource when read critically. One of the first things to look at when evaluating a school review is its date. Usually, the more recent a review is, the more germane it will be. A school's conditions and staff change over time, often dramatically, so although older reviews can provide useful information and suggest trends, focusing on more recent reviews is a good strategy.
Here is another review, written in June 2007, of the same school:
We have been at Turtle Rock for a year having attended several different schools over the years as we have moved about. Our experience at Turtle Rock has been very positive, we have found the teaching to be excellent and the activities challenging, innovative and interesting. The atmosphere is nurturing and positive. Our daughter has responded very well to the high expectations and encouragement.
In contrast to the previous review, this one is positive. It, too, offers perspective—the reviewer's daughter has attended other schools, so the comments presumably reflect comparisons the author has made among them. Moreover, although the reviewer isn't able to address changes over time (a key feature of the previous review), the student has been at the school long enough—one year—for the impressions to be meaningful.
Unfortunately, the review doesn't contain enough details for the reader to do more than simply make note of it as a positive review. We don't know what grade the student was in, and without specific examples of the "excellent" teaching, "challenging, innovative and interesting" activities, and "high expectations and encouragement," getting a real sense of the school is difficult.
Although reading all the reviews for a school can provide a general indication of parent and student satisfaction or lack thereof, ultimately on-line reviews are most useful as red flags and springboards for further research. If possible, that research should take the form of in-person visits to the school and conversations with as many other parents and students as possible. Armed with these personal and on-line data, parents will have a much better chance of choosing a school that offers the qualities and features they're seeking—and is a good fit for their child.
