Compare Public Schools

More than eighty percent of American students are enrolled in public schools. It’s no secret that all parents want to find the best public schools for their children. To locate the best public schools in the area, it’s necessary to compare schools. Parents can compare public schools online so they can find the best school for their children. Another great resource is to talk with friends and neighbors for their suggestions on the best schools. In this article, we will look at how to find schools in your community, gathering information, and some factors to be considered.

Finding Schools in Your Community

It’s very easy to find schools in your community. Firstly, there’s the Internet where you can search for public schools in any specific town or city. Secondly, you can talk to your family members, neighbors, parishioners, office colleagues or friends to find out about local schools. At the same time, you can also go to the school districts to get information on the public schools.

Search: The definitive site to search for public schools in your community.
Great Schools: Find public schools in your town or city.
Montessori: A way to locate Montessori schools in your community.
Chicago: Helps parents locate public schools in Chicago.
NYC: Use this tool to search for public schools in New York City.

Gathering Information

After you have shortlisted a number of public schools, it’s time to compare schools. The easiest way is to visit the website of the school. Take note of the size, facilities, courses, and other relevant information. If possible, try to schedule a visit to the schools to get a deeper impression of the teachers and environment. There are also websites that compare public schools in various categories so it’s helpful to look at these reports too.

Public School Review: The website allows you to compare up to three public schools in a certain county.
High Schools: Here’s a list of the top 100 high schools in the United States.
School Matters: Another website where parents can compare up to three different public schools.
PSK12: This website provides a ranking of public schools in all the states.
Locate a School: The page offers profiles of schools and information on school districts.

Academic Reputation

The academic reputation of a public school may be the best gauge of the quality of education. This is why parents place a lot of importance on the academic reputation of a public school. Since the school already has a proven track record in producing the best students, parents can just focus on preparing their children to be admitted. Choosing a public school with a good academic reputation is possibly the safest path to take. Getting accepted by the school may be another matter.

Best High Schools: Newsweek presents the best 1600 high schools in 2010.
Best Public Schools: A listing of the best elementary, middle, and high schools in America.
School Digger: Come here to find rankings of public schools across all states.
Top 100: The best 100 public schools in the United States.

Size of School

When you are trying to compare public schools, another important consideration is the size. A big school has more students so the classes are bigger, which means that there would be less individual attention from the teachers. On the other hand, a smaller school provides a more intimate environment where teachers can offer more personal attention. Some children would thrive in bigger schools while the opposite is true for others. It’s up to the parents to discover which is more appropriate.

Choosing a School: A guideline to help parents choose the perfect school.
How to Choose: Consider these important things when you are choosing a school.
School Choice: Some pointers about how to choose a suitable school.
Choice of School: Follow these steps to choose the best school for your child.
Best Public School: Find out the criteria of a best public school.

Location

The location of the school should be seriously considered when selecting the school. Since modern children are lacking leisure time, it’s advisable not to send them to a school which is far from home. It just means that they would be spending a great deal of time on the road when they could be pursuing other interests. Parents have to remember that children would also have to do their homework after they come back from school. They would be quite tired after a long journey from the school to the home.

Portland: Use the school district maps to locate schools in Portland.
Choosing a Public School: Some good suggestions to help parents find a good public school.
School Selection: The ultimate guide for parents who are selecting a school.
Indianapolis: Use this tool to find public schools in Indianapolis.
Denver: A great way to locate public schools in Denver.

Additional Resources

Here are some additional resources to help parents compare schools.

Find the Best: Compares the best public schools in the country.
Best & Worst School Districts: Forbes reports on the best and worst school districts for the money.
Boston: Some of the best public schools in the country.
Yonkers Public Schools: The fourth biggest school district in the state of New York.
Marion County: This school district is located in north central Florida.