Selecting the School That Is Right for Your Child: Gather Information About Schools (continued)

Public school report cards should include:

• Students' scores on state tests, broken out by student subgroups
• How many students performed at the "basic," "proficient," and "advanced" levels on the tests
• Graduation rates
• Numbers and names of schools that need to improve in the district
• Qualifications of teachers
• Percentage of students who were not tested.

Parent Tip:

Know Your Options Under the No Child Left Behind Act for Children in Public Schools That Are Unsafe

Parents of Children in unsafe public schools may have the opportunity to transfer their children to safe public schools.

Children should not have to attend unsafe schools. NCLB requires public schools to offer parents the opportunity to transfer their children to safe public schools if the state designates their public elementary or secondary schools as unsafe. Your children must also be offered opportunities to transfer to other public schools in the district if they have been the victims of violent crimes while in school or on school grounds. To find out if your child's school has been designated as unsafe by the state, you can contact either your local school district office or the state department of education. A list of state contacts can be found at www.ed.gov/about/contacts/state/nclb/sea.html.