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Do Your HOMEWORK When Choosing a NEW SCHOOL for Your Children

By Thomas Sheridan

Choosing the right school for your child can be a daunting, pressure-filled task. Most parents today realize that not all schools are right for all children, and they are taking advantage of opportunities like open enrollment and school vouchers.

School choices are even more critical during transition periods, for example when your child advances from elementary to middle school and from middle to high school, or when your family moves to a new school district.

It is during these times when parents have more homework to do when deciding where their kids will go to school. Luckily, good resources are available. And many are free. SchoolMatters.com, an online database of schools, is a Web site where parents can easily find pertinent school information. Below are the ABCs of what to research when you are trying to choose the right school for your child.

A is for Achievement

The first thing to research is how well students in a school perform. Every state has its own assessment, and scores can be found online.

Test data is often available in various formats. At SchoolMatters.com, they’ve broken into to three categories. The first is key data. It gives parents a quick snapshot of scores by showing the percentage of students school-wide who are meeting reading and math proficiency as determined by state assessments.

The second category breaks down those scores by student groups: male versus female, ethnicities, and income-levels. The third category shows test data by grade level and over time. This helps parents see growth or declines that may impact their decision of where to send their child to school.

B is for Balance

Because school is about more than learning to read and write, it’s important to review elements of a school outside of the classroom. For instance, what extracurricular activities does the school offer? Does your child excel in chess, but the school doesn’t offer a club? What if your son or daughter is a star athlete and the school doesn’t offer sports, or requires parents to pay for participation?

The classroom environment is also one of the most important qualities in a good school, which means it’s always wise to visit a school before making your final decision. Most schools generally welcome prospective family visits. Call the school, make an appointment with the principal and see first-hand how students, teachers and administrators interact.

A better understanding of all activities and services a school has to offer will ensure your child receives a well-balanced education that takes care of not only his or her mind, but also body and spirit.

C is for Comparison

Another step in choosing the best school for your child is make school-to-school comparisons.

Make sure to probe your top choices by finding out what other parents said about the school, how extracurricular activities compare, and search out direct links to the school Web site to see what they say.

By understanding the differences between schools, you’ll be able to pick the one you feel is right for your child.

Research Leads to Grade A

Parents should take advantage of the many online resources to find the best match for their children. Many homeowners wouldn’t buy an appliance without first checking its consumer rankings. Why choose a school without researching consumer reviews? Your child can’t afford to lose a semester or a year test-driving a new school.

Thomas Sheridan is Vice President of School Evaluation Services, a division of Standard & Poor’s. Today, School Evaluation Services provides parents with the largest easily searchable collection of education data ever assembled on www.schoolmatters.com.