School guides
Learn more about choosing a school.
Practical guides for choosing a school, understanding the numbers, and figuring out what comes next.
5 guides
We’re choosing where to live
Real district and neighborhood data to check before you move.
Start here · California
Best school districts in Los Angeles County (2026)
A guide to LA County’s school districts, what makes them different, and key things to know when choosing where to live.
La Cañada vs South Pasadena vs Arcadia: SGV schools compared
Compare La Cañada, South Pasadena, Arcadia, San Marino and Glendale school paths using state tests, school climate and college/career data.
The 10 best elementary schools on LA’s Westside (2026)
Westside LA elementary schools ranked by Scope Score from 2026 test results and chronic absence, with what the ranking can’t show.
California’s hidden-gem schools, 2026: 89 public schools with high scores and high meal-eligibility rates
We found 89 California public schools with high scores and high meal-eligibility rates. See selected schools by level, the method, and what the scores miss.
What school rankings get wrong, and what we can and can’t fix
Also listed under “A school’s score worries us”
5 guides
We’re applying for a spot
Understand your options, and how to actually get in.
Start here · California
School transfers in California: your options for 2027–28
Not happy with your assigned school? Transfers within and between districts, charters, magnets and dual language, and when to apply for each.
How to get into a charter school in California (2027–28)
How charter applications and lotteries work in California, who gets preference, and when schools take applications.
Best charter schools in Los Angeles: compare scores, hours and deadlines by area (2027–28)
Los Angeles charter schools side by side, area by area, from the Valley and South LA to the Westside: Scope Scores by level, care, TK and 2027–28 application dates.
Best charter schools in San Diego: compare scores, hours and deadlines (2027–28)
San Diego’s charter schools side by side, area by area: Scope Scores by level, school hours, care, uniforms, TK and each school’s 2027–28 application dates.
LAUSD Choices 2027–28: dates, deadlines and how to apply
LAUSD Choices 2027–28 dates, how magnets, dual language, SAS and affiliated charters pick students, and what to do about mistakes, late applications and offers.
6 guides
Our child’s score report arrived
What each level means, and what the split between them tells you.
Start here · California
2026 CAASPP results: what changed across California?
See what changed in California’s 2026 English, math, and science results, how grades compare with 2019, and look up your own school.
CAASPP scores explained: how to read your child’s report
A clear guide to California’s test results, what the levels mean, and when to expect them each year.
Your kid gets B’s — are they actually on grade level?
Report-card grades and state test standards measure different things. Here’s how to compare them and what to ask your child’s teacher.
High-dosage tutoring: what to ask your school for — and what to do if they say no
What research says makes school tutoring work, what to ask your school for, and how to follow up if extra support isn’t offered.
Why the same share Proficient or Advanced can mean two different schools
Two schools can both report 80% meeting the standard and look nothing alike underneath. How to read the exceeded (now Advanced) split, and what it can’t tell you.
Does “Advanced” predict college? What our matched-school study found
We compared 252 matched California high schools. The UC enrollment gap shrank with stricter matching; the study does not establish a forecast for your child.
3 guides
A school’s score worries us
Know what a score says, and what it leaves out.
Start here · California
Your school scored low. Here’s what to do about it.
A low school score is a starting point for questions. Learn what it shows, what it misses, and how to ask about support and your child’s progress.
What school rankings get wrong, and what we can and can’t fix
What a single school rating measures, where it can mislead a family, and what to read beside any score, ours included.
Why the same share Proficient or Advanced can mean two different schools
Also listed under “Our child’s score report arrived”
6 guides
Our child is 2 to 5
A calmer start, from first classrooms to kindergarten.
Start here · California
Pre-K vs TK vs preschool in California: a 2026 parent’s guide
A clear look at the differences, eligibility, what each option offers, and how to choose what’s right for your child.
What age does preschool start in California? 2026–27 guide
California’s 2026–27 cutoffs: TK requires turning 4 by September 1, kindergarten turning 5. CSPP and Head Start have separate age and eligibility rules.
Is preschool mandatory in California? What the law says
Compulsory schooling in California starts at age 6. Preschool, TK, and kindergarten are all optional — and bills to mandate kindergarten have repeatedly failed.
Private vs public preschool in California: 2026 costs
A full-time preschool spot ran $681-$1,735 a month across California counties in the state’s 2021 price survey — about $850-$2,170 in our 2026 estimate. TK, Head Start, and CSPP charge little or nothing, if you get a seat. The 2026–27 math.
Montessori, Waldorf, Reggio Emilia: what parents should know
Montessori, Waldorf, and Reggio Emilia explained in plain English — what each looks like on a Tuesday, and what the actual research says about outcomes.
What age do kids start school around the world? By country & age
Children start school at different ages in different countries, with a range of approaches. Here’s what to know, and how it can help you think about what’s right for your family.
5 guides
Our child may need extra support
Regional Centers, Early Start and school plans: who qualifies, how to ask, and the deadlines the agencies must meet.
Start here · California
What is a Regional Center, and who qualifies?
What a California Regional Center does, who qualifies, the legal deadlines after you call, what it costs and what to ask. Rules as of November 2026.
Early Start: help for babies and toddlers under 3
Early Start in California for children under 3: who to call, who qualifies, the 45-day limit and its exceptions, cost and rights. Rules read November 2026.
Turning 3: from Early Start to the school district
Early Start ends at age 3 in California. See the deadlines before the birthday, who decides what comes next and what to ask. Rules read November 2026.
How to get an IEP, and how a 504 plan differs
How to request a special education assessment in California, the 15-day and 60-day deadlines, how a 504 plan differs, and what to do if you disagree.
IFSP, IEP, IPP and 504 plan: what each one is
Four California plans for a child with a disability, by age: who writes each one, which law it rests on, and how an IEP and an IPP run together.
1 guide
We want to help at home
What the research supports, what it doesn't, and what not to buy.
Start here · California
What teaches a child to read, and what to skip
What research supports for teaching a child to read at home, which books, kits and apps have been tested, what to skip, and when to request an evaluation.
Ready to look at specific schools?
Explore California schools with the questions that matter to you.