School Guide frequently asked questions

How can I get a hard copy of the School Guide?

You can purchase a copy of the 2006-2007 edition of the School Guide for $9.95. Contact The Times' resale department: 206-464-3113 or resale@seattletimes.com to order a copy.

How do you decide which schools are included in the School Guide?

1) Location: Is the school located in the newspaper's primary circulation area -- King County, most of Snohomish County, Bainbridge and Vashon islands?

2) Enrollment: For most private schools, does the school have at least 70 students, not counting preschool enrollment? (In a few cases, we included smaller schools that are part of a larger group of affiliated private schools.)

3) State approved: If the school is a private school, has the school been approved by the state Board of Education? You can check a school's status at this Web site: http://www.k12.wa.us/PrivateEd/default.aspx, and click on "Approved Schools."

What about alternative schools? Home-school programs?

We did not include alternative programs that primarily serve students who have not been successful in traditional school programs. Most school districts have only one of these programs, so selection is not the same kind of choice issue for parents, and these programs are so unique that they don't lend themselves to being fairly surveyed in the same way as other schools. Parents are better off to call their school district office directly to get information.

We also did not include information this year about district programs serving students who are primarily home-schooled, for the same reasons.

Where does the School Guide information come from?

Most comes from the schools themselves. In the spring, principals were asked to complete an online survey asking questions about class size, academic achievement, extracurricular activities and more. Some schools were also contacted by phone. Test scores and other statistical information came from the state Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction and from the school districts. Some schools chose not to answer all the questions on the survey.

Can I update my school's online School Guide profile?

We may at our discretion accept limited updates about critical information from a school's administration for the online version of the School Guide, including:

• School contact information: Changes in address, phone, Web site address.

• Major changes that affect the school's key programs, educational philosophy or enrollment procedures.

If you are a parent or community member who sees information you believe needs correcting, please contact your school's administration and have the school contact us.

Can you help me learn about schools that are not included in the School Guide? There are some helpful resources available that will help you investigate Washington schools not covered in the School Guide:

• The state Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction maintains an extensive Web site with helpful data on test scores, teacher experience, demographics and more: http://reportcard.ospi.k12.wa.us/

• Greatschools.net offers a basic overview of schools across the country: http://www.greatschools.net

• Schoolmatters.com is a service of Standard & Poor's and provides demographic information and test-score analysis.

• Don't overlook the Web sites maintained by the schools and districts themselves. Their quality varies, but some offer a good overview of their schools' academic achievement, philosophy and more.