Academics · Subject Resources

The right school
for this child.

Choose your two or three must-haves, then rate each school on nine parts of its culture, from how students treat each other to how fast teachers answer families. The questionnaire scores fit with your must-haves counted twice, ranks the schools and points out the must-haves that rated low, what your child thought and the questions still to ask.

Add a schoolWhat you get

Schools

The worked example is made up: a neighborhood middle school, a charter academy and a small parish school, rated by one family whose must-haves are support, peers and communication. Saved on this device only.

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What you get

Academics · Subject ResourcesFree

What you finish with
A record per school: kind, grades and visit date, your must-haves, nine culture factors rated for fit, your child’s reaction, evidence from the visit and six questions to ask. Scores fit out of 5 with must-haves counted twice, ranks the schools side by side and flags must-haves rated low or not rated, your child’s doubts and questions not yet asked.
Who it is for
Parents and caregivers choosing among public, magnet, charter, private or online schools.
Format
Browser questionnaire with a saved record per school. Prints one school, every school in a table or a blank form for a tour; downloads a spreadsheet (.csv); exports and imports a file.
Access
Free. No account, no sign-in and nothing to install. Everything you type stays in this browser; nothing is sent to Caveat.
Where it lives
The Subject Resources space in Caveat Academics.
Support
Questions about access, an order or a correction: team@caveatacademic.com.

How to use it

  1. Pick two or three must-haves.
  2. Rate each school after a visit.
  3. Write down the evidence.
  4. Ask the questions.
  5. Compare the schools.

Add a school

Rating what you actually saw

Where to find evidence for each ratingFactorLook or askHow students treat each otherHallways and lunch, not only the classroomSupport for learning differencesWho provides it, how often, in or out of classCommunication with familiesHow fast an email to the office gets answeredApproach to disciplineWhat happens after a rule is brokenHomework loadA real assignment from your child’s gradeWhere to find evidence for each ratingHow students treat each otherLook or ask: Hallways and lunch, not only the classroomSupport for learning differencesLook or ask: Who provides it, how often, in or out of classCommunication with familiesLook or ask: How fast an email to the office gets answeredApproach to disciplineLook or ask: What happens after a rule is brokenHomework loadLook or ask: A real assignment from your child’s grade
Tours show the best hour of the day. Current families and an unplanned email show the rest.

Fit is not ranking

Test scores and ratings sites describe a school’s average student. Fit asks how this school would work for your child: the homework load they can carry, the support they need, the way adults handle conflict. That is why a 5 here means a good match for your family, not a better school in general.

Why must-haves count twice

When everything counts equally, a strong arts program can hide weak support for a child who needs it. Counting two or three must-haves twice keeps the score honest about what matters most, and the flags show any must-have that rated 2 or lower, so a high average cannot hide it.

Sources

  1. U.S. Department of Education. Choosing a school for your child (ed.gov).
  2. U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. School choice in the United States (nces.ed.gov).
  3. National Center on Safe Supportive Learning Environments. School climate: engagement, safety and environment (safesupportivelearning.ed.gov).
  4. National School Climate Center. What is school climate and why is it important (schoolclimate.org).

The worked example is made up, and the schools in it are invented. The score is your own judgment in numbers; it is not a rating of any school. Nothing you type is sent to Caveat. Support: team@caveatacademic.com.