Evaluating Schools: Develop an Action Plan

When you visit schools, ask yourself if the teachers and students seem to enjoy being there.

Visiting prospective schools can be both exhilarating and overwhelming. The schools want to impress you with their beautiful campuses, high-achieving students and multitude of academic and extra-curricular offerings. After just a few visits, you might have difficulty remembering what you did and did not like at each of the schools.

By approaching these visits with an action plan and a standard set of criteria, you can learn a by observing the educational environment and listening to what your tour guides tell you. The following questions provide a good starting point as you evaluate and compare schools that you are considering for your child.

• First Impressions
  • Is the school location convenient for your family? What time does the school day begin? Will you be able to have your child to school on time every day?
  • Did you meet the principal or head of school? Are all administrators accessible and available to parents?
  • Do teachers and staff seem welcoming? Do the teachers and students seem to enjoy being there?
  • Is the school accredited? If so, by what organization(s)?
  • What is the tuition for the current school year? What has been the average percentage increase in tuition for each of the past five years? What is the projected increase for the upcoming year?
  • Is financial aid available? If so, how much is available and what are the determining factors?

In addition to First Impressions, other areas in which you will be interested are:

• Facilities
• Academics and Instruction
• Classroom Management
• Assessment
• Social and Emotional Curriculum
• School Life
• Parental Involvement

An Educated Choice provides our client families with guidelines for each of these additional areas along with our own assessment of schools in the San Diego area.