Searching for schools: Questions to ask on tour?

[tlw]

DS will be in K next year, and I am visiting our local public school tomorrow for a group tour. Here are my items of interest:

class size?

paraprofessional in class?

curriculum? (hands-on, discovery-based? worksheets?)

opportunities for dramatic play, recess, rest?

literacy program--phonemic awareness instruction?

A disclaimer: I'm a PhD in literacy education, so I want to temper my questions and wear my parent hat, not my professor one.

It's an IB, so I'm looking to learn more about that, too.

What else?

Thanks~

[SnuggleBuggles]

This is my generic list:
Recess- how many/ day at each grade? Do they do go out in dif't weather? If it's bad weather, what's the plan? Is recess taken away as a punishment? Is lunch or recess first?

Homework- how much/ grade? (my ideal is 0 in kindergarten, 10 minutes/ night in 1st, 20 in 2nd...- actually my preference is none under 5th grade but that is hard to come by so I've sucked it up).

Report cards- what grade do they start? What is their grading system? In some schools the young grades are given just a checklist inventory (check, check plus, check minus) for different skills. Others do letter grades, some % and some a 1-4 scale (below basic- advanced). My favorite kind are a written narrative that really offers more depth to his academic, social and behavioral progress and development. How often are there report cards?

Conferences- how many/ year? Are more encouraged?

lunch- what's the food like? How much time do they have to eat? What are lunchroom expectations (silence? some noise, free for all?)?

Extended day programs- if you might need this some day it's good to know about.

Specials/ frequency- art, music, PE,...anything else?

Technology- what is their use of technology in the classroom? Do the kids often work on computers? What sorts of things do they do on the computers?

Reading expectations- every single school we visited said that they didn't expect reading in K. Their hope was to have some good basics down in k but that real reading skills would kick in in 1st grade.

K learning- through play? Very academic? How much "busy work" like coloring worksheets?

Languages- do they offer foreign languages? how often? Which one(s)?

After school clubs- I didn't expect them but they are great!

Uniform/ dress code- is there one? How well enforced is it? Look around during your tour.

class size- how many per grade? How does that # change as the kids get older? Does enrollment drop (common at a lot of privates we looked at!)? Or do class sizes get bigger (common at public school)?

teacher student ratio- how many full time teachers? Is there an aide for the class or does the aide float to other classes at the school or in the grade?

You can see if the school's parent organization has a website or message board. The boards are a great place to get a feel for things sometimes.

Beth