washingtonpost.com: Washington Area School Guide

The School Guide includes nearly 1,300 public school profiles and allows users to compare schools according to various data, including test scores, school demographics and principals' assessments. Users can select the Top Schools or All School Profiles tabs above to begin searching for schools.

		What to Look for in a Good School Washington Post reporter Jay Mathews's Top 10 list based on his research and reader responses. By Jay Mathews


		Live Online Discussion Washington Post reporter Jay Mathews answered questions about the School Guide and school choice. By Jay Mathews



		Public School Choice in D.C. Area Local school boards and the federal "No Child Left Behind" law give parents and students some options. By Ann Marchand



		About This Guide The bulk of this data comes from the 2000-2001 Washington Post School Survey of area schools, the lastest data available for the 2003 School Guide. washingtonpost.com posts new data as school districts respond to our requests for updated information. By Danylo Berko and Hal Straus



	*The Challenge Index: John F. Kennedy High School in Silver Spring has increased its number of AP tests from 89 in 2000 to more than 400 last year.

	*Testing: Mark Twain Middle School in Alexandria, a Fairfax County, Va., Public School, improved its performance on the SOL tests, going from provisionally accredited in 1997-1998 to fully accredited in 2002-2003.

	*Glossary

Kindergarten Primer

Column: Class Struggles

High School Sports