Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is SchoolBook?
2. Do I have to donate to WNYC to participate?
3. Where can I send feedback, story ideas or other questions?
4. How can I look up information on a specific school?
5. How do I compare schools?
6. What do the number ratings for each school mean? Where does the school data come from?
7. What if I want to submit a blog post, diary, graphic, opinion article or other content for the SchoolBook homepage?
8. How can I share a news tip? Can I do so anonymously?
9. Why do some school pages have comments from the principal?
Basics
SchoolBook is designed to bring you news, data and conversations about schools in New York City. SchoolBook includes a wealth of data on individual schools (See FAQ #4 for how to search and compare schools). In addition, journalists from WNYC will bring you in-depth education news reporting and feature stories. Parents, educators, students, policymakers and others interested in being a part of an informed community can help shape the conversation around topics, schools and big ideas in education. And we're more than a website. We are on the radio, on Twitter and Facebook, and we have a newsletter you can sign up for on the home page. Lots of ways to stay connected!
2. Do I have to donate to WNYC to participate?
No. Anyone can join the community.
3. Where can I send feedback, story ideas or other questions?
We want your comments, submissions and suggestions. E-mail schoolbook@wnyc.org.
Finding and Comparing Schools
4. How can I look up information on a specific school?
Use the “Find a School + Compare” feature is at the top-right corner. Enter the name of a school or an address if you’re looking for something specific, or you can browse within categories such as all public high schools in Brooklyn.
Click the Compare boxes on the right side of two or more schools that came up in your search and then click the Compare button at the top of the page to look at data for those schools side by side.
6. What do the number ratings for each school mean? Where does the school data come from?
SchoolBook aggregates and contextualizes data about individual schools from government sources, like the New York City and New York State Departments of Education. For more information, see Behind the Numbers.
We are always looking for parents, teachers, principals, students, school employees, experts and others with interesting perspectives on the schools to write for SchoolBook. To propose an idea, e-mail us at schoolbook@wnyc.org, tweet us @schoolbook or find us on Facebook.
8. How can I share a news tip? Can I do so anonymously?
Of course! We want to know what’s going on in individual schools and at the Department of Education. You can e-mail schoolbook@wnyc.org with your tips or documents or find us on Twitter and Facebook.
9. Why do some school pages have comments from the principal?
SchoolBook sent 10 questions to the principals of all 1,700 public schools in New York the summer before the 2011-12 school year, giving them a chance to share their philosophy, define their schools and shape the conversation on their school pages. Principals can still complete the survey by contacting schoolbook@wnyc.org.
