Before You Move: Selecting a New School or School District If you plan to move or change schools, you need to get reliable information about schools you are considering. Two websites will help. Great Schools http://www.greatschools.net/ Great Schools is an independent, non profit organization that "provides parents with information and tools to choose schools, support their children's education. and improve schools in their communities." Go to Great Schools and select your state; School Choosers Guide for Each State http://www.greatschools.net/content/schoolChoiceCenter.page?state=VA Learning About Your Options Public schools, private schools, charter schools, No Child Left Behind, having Plan B, school choice options, Articles about where to begin, Making the Most of Your School Visit - worksheets for elementary school, middle school and high school. Apply and Enroll Making the Transition: 10 Tips for Adjusting to a New School Working the System: Strategies for Getting Into the School You've Chosen Tales from the Trenches Go to Research and Compare allows you to compare schools Find out with free monthly newsletters from GreatSchools. School Matters "Educate. Empower. Engage." Visit School Matters, a site where parents, educators and leaders can view performance, spending and demographic information for schools and school districts in any state. http://www.schoolmatters.com/ School Matters Can Help Parents... * Learn about Your Child's School * Compare Prospective Schools Before You Move * Select a New School * Prepare for School Board Meetings * Ask the Right Questions - Find out how students in your child's grade are doing on state assessments. Compare Tool The Compare Tool allows you to create a side-by-side comparison of test scores, student-body, and surrounding community of states, districts, or schools you select. Better Performers Tool The Better Performers tool allows you to find schools or districts with higher performance than your child's present school or district in the subject, grade level, and among the group of students you specify. Filters allow you to identify better performers with a demographic makeup similar to your current school or district. The Better Performers tool allows you to filter for relative spending levels among school districts too.