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Unlike most other places in the nation, New York City families have to apply for schools at every level of their education, starting in kindergarten.

The choices can be overwhelming. The nation's largest school system has about 670 elementary and 140 K-8 schools, roughly 250 standalone middle schools and nearly 90 6-12 schools, and more than 400 high schools with 700 programs. There are also 286 charter schools.

Parents often make decisions based on their values, sense of a school’s academic quality, their children’s needs, and logistics. Some might want a school with a lot of hands-on work, a strong music program, or one that emphasizes student leadership. After-school options might be a priority, and sometimes even specific offerings, such as debate or chess. For some families, proximity to home is crucial.

But once you decide what's important, how do you narrow down your list?

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School officials put out a lot of public information, but where should you look? Which data is really important? If you visit, what should you ask?

At Chalkbeat New York and The City Reporter, it’s our jobs to know how the system works and report on the biggest issues facing schools and students . Education professionals, experts, and journalists can point to potential red flags, as well as certain qualities that parents could overlook.

In this guide, we’ll share what we know to help parents and guardians make informed decisions.

We also led a live workshop on what’s in this guide for all New Yorkers who want to dive deeper, which you can watch here .

Ready to get started? Here’s what you need to know to vet a public school like a reporter.

Where to find it: NYC School Survey

Results from an annual school survey given to New York City parents, middle and high school students, and teachers offer a trove of information and helps you peer a bit into what’s happening under the surface . One data point, in particular, is often a proxy for how well a school is run: teacher-principal trust.

This is the place where we dig deep to find the best solutions to your only-in-NYC problems. Here are some guides to get you started.