Choosing A High School

by KYW's Dr. Marciene Mattleman

Choosing a high school is the theme of the current issue of The Public School Notebook and if your child, grandchild, relative or neighbor is in middle school, now is the time to learn about Philadelphia's high schools.  Some schools allow prospective applicants to visit; but by October 29th, 8th graders must select five schools and return application forms to their school counselors.

In addition to demographics, information is provided on special admission high schools and requirements, citywide admissions, charters serving high school grades and neighborhood high schools, as are data enrollments, income levels, attendance, suspensions, and graduation rates.

Special activities, sports, points of pride, titles and championships, foreign languages, recent improvements, and numbers of advanced placement courses provide a full picture.

High school is a critical period in kids' lives and there are many choices. Middle school students should begin now because grades, attendance and test scores are used in determining qualifications for many schools. And 8th graders should hurry to use this valuable, free resource in making a wise decision that will affect their futures.