1/11/99 For Immediate Release
Media Contact: Gwen Seeley-Joosse
(312) 573-4647

Why You Won't Find Chicago's Top Independent Schools in U.S. News & World Report's Rating of Area High Schools

Chicago -You won't find top area independent schools, including The Latin School of Chicago, Francis W. Parker School, and the University of Chicago Laboratory Schools, in the most recent issue of U.S. News & World Report which ranks high schools and is scheduled to be on newsstands today. These schools and other area independent schools chose not to complete the survey that was used to rate schools on various subjects. The reasons were many:

• Latin, Parker, and Lab set their own mission, curriculum, and pedagogy, which is why they are selected by those who attend--they fit the needs of the individual. "Latin, Parker, and Lab are outstanding schools," said Frank Hogan, headmaster at Latin, "but not because I or U.S. News says so. We do an excellent job of educating and meeting the needs of each of our students and of fulfilling our mission, and for this we are outstanding schools." To survey and compare different schools with widely differing missions and students is not good practice.
• Many of the questions asked in the survey did not reflect the attributes of the schools. For example, only one question in the 16-page survey asked about participation in extracurricular activities. Latin, Parker and Lab pride themselves on their arts and athletics programs--integral elements of any outstanding school. In addition, the survey allowed for no on-site visitation or discussion of the school's mission.
• We welcome school evaluation and accreditation. The National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) along with the Independent Schools Association of the Central States (ISACS) do not encourage or promote the ranking of member schools. Such practices can mislead parents about the factors that should be considered in choosing a school. Instead, ISACS has a rigorous accreditation process that focuses on whether a school has fulfilled its mission. A rating based on a questionnaire alone, filled out by the school, can be inadequate and misleading.
• U.S. News & World Report's ranking of colleges have already proven to be enormously controversial, creating such headlines as "Schools Say They Must Fib to U.S. News and Others to Compete Effectively"--Wall Street Journal, and "The U.S. News ranking is subjective, yet schools grovel for a good position and prospective students are misled"--Los Angeles Times. It has also prompted accusations that many colleges and universities inflate their statistics to achieve a higher rating. Latin, Parker, and Lab chose not to be affiliated with such practices.

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