In his weekly column in the Washington Post, writer Jay Mathews recently lambasted the National Association of Independent Schools' (NAIS) long-held position against ranking educational institutions. His article, much like the Challenge Index itself, offers an overly simplistic view of a complex issue.

The schools that belong to NAIS are all mission-driven; they define what they are going to do, how they will do it (the education philosophies that inform pedagogical approaches and curriculum decisions), and what students they can optimally serve (gifted students, students with learning differences, average students interested in the arts, etc.). As any student, teacher, or parent at one of these schools can tell you, the combination of these things, and a school's culture and community, make them wonderfully unique. That uniqueness is the key strength of independent schools; it allows families to find schools that will be a perfect match for their child's needs and interests.

Can you compare a school that serves highly academically driven students with one that serves students with profound dyslexia and determine that one is objectively better, or even more challenging, for all of its students? Does a school that serves many English language learners (who may be academically driven, but not yet ready to take AP exams in English) offer a less ideal environment than a school with a more homogenous population? Is a class in American Politics and Public Policy less academically rigorous than a class in AP American History?

Ranking educational institutions offers a value judgment about schools based on arbitrary criteria. Finding the best school for your child is not a matter of choosing the top school on a list. It's a complex process that requires understanding what your child needs from his or her school. Does she thrive in an environment that is competitive and goal oriented, or more nurturing and collaborative? Does he want to learn Japanese and play hockey, or does she want to take as many chemistry classes as she can fit into her schedule? How can various schools help your child develop leadership capacities, or nurture talents and address challenges?

Rankings like the Challenge Index don't help answer any of the important questions; they merely muddy the waters, suggesting that one criterion for evaluating schools is the best for all people. The Challenge Index is particularly troubling because it promotes several companies' branded courses over all others. It assumes that a broad survey of a particular subject that bears the AP moniker is better than a substantive course with the rigor and depth that you would find at the most selective colleges and universities. The Challenge Index measures only the number of tests taken, not how much students have gained from a particular course or teacher.

Most independent schools test students at key points to gauge their progress, and many schools use value-added testing instruments that evaluate how the student has progressed in a particular class or grade. All schools must evaluate their effectiveness in order to be accredited by organizations that belong to the NAIS Commission on Accreditation.

Independent private schools are not averse to evaluating their programs or to sharing information about themselves. What NAIS and its members object to is using data to mislead people about what matters in education. The Challenge Index may confer bragging rights for some parents ("we're number one!"), but it doesn't help families find the right schools for their children, or improve schools.

Patrick F. Bassett
President, National Association of Independent Schools

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NAIS submitted a letter to the editor of the Washington Post that was a shortened version of this message. We wanted to provide you with this longer text to share our position with you.