NONPROFIT PUBLISHES FIRST COMPREHENSIVE GUIDE TO PHOENIX SCHOOLS

San Francisco, CA - Flexible enrollment laws and the highest number of charter schools per capita make school choice in Arizona more complex than anywhere else in the country. A new resource, the GreatSchools Guide to Phoenix Area Public Schools by GreatSchools Inc. (DDJ Enterprises; February 2001; $6.95/paperback), provides the comprehensive information that parents require to navigate the school selection process. The guide was produced by GreatSchools Inc., a nonprofit organization whose Web site, www.greatschools.net, has been helping Arizona parents find, choose and compare schools since August 2000. With its new guide, GreatSchools delivers the same high quality school information to the estimated one-third of parents in the Phoenix area who do not have access to the Internet.

The guide contains profiles of more than 800 K-12 district and charter schools in the greater Phoenix area, including details on AIMS and SAT-9 scores, curriculum, teacher experience, and other critical measures. Also included are district maps, advice on how to choose a school, and a glossary of education terms.

"Choice means nothing to parents if they don't have the means or the tools to learn about what every school offers," commented Lisa Graham Keegan, Arizona's superintendent for public instruction. "The GreatSchools Guide provides parents critical information for decision making."

As the number and variety of school options multiplies for Phoenix parents, so does the need for high-quality information. Onnie Shekerjian, Phoenix parent activist, commented: "The more knowledgeable parents are about their options, the better the choices they are going to be making for their children. And that's better for all of us in the long-term."

With the support of a generous grant from Washington Mutual and in coordination with Phoenix area Community Based Organizations, GreatSchools is providing at least 5,000 free copies of the guide to low-income communities. "The Great Schools guide is a valuable resource for anyone interested in school performance and character," said Jim Linker, regional manager for Washington Mutual. "We're very proud to support this vital community resource," he said. The guide will be available in centers headed by Goodwill, Chicanos por la Causa, Head Start Programs, Parents Anonymous, Friendly House, Scottsdale Prevention Institute, among others.

GreatSchools Inc. is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization founded in 1998 with the mission of providing parents with the information they need to choose schools, support their children's education and advocate for educational excellence. GreatSchools hosts a Web site, www.greatschools.net, which offers free in-depth profiles of all Arizona and California district and charter schools as well as interactive search tools.

Obtaining a Guide:
Parents can buy books for $6.95 at any Borders bookstore in Phoenix, on Amazon.com. Copies may also be ordered by sending a check for $9.95 ($6.95 per book + $3.00 shipping and handling) to DDJ Enterprises at 9920 South Rural Road, Suite 108-130, Tempe, AZ 85284. Bulk discounts are available and can be obtained by contacting DDJ at (480) 705-5961 (phone), (480) 705-5962 (fax), or ddjent@aol.com.

Nonprofit groups serving low-income parents are encouraged to request free copies from Edwin Florentino, GreatSchools.net manager of community outreach, at (415) 977-0700 x132, eflorentino@greatschools.net.

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