Reaching nearly half of all American K-12 households, GreatSchools is the leading source of information about schools for parents nationally. For more than a decade, we’ve published data to help families understand how schools are performing academically and we’ve coupled that with an unparalleled collection of community ratings and reviews – more than one million at last count.
While our ratings and reviews are one of the best ways to learn about a school, we know that parents must also look beyond the numbers in order to fairly assess whether a particular school will be a good fit for their child and family. They need reliable information about a school’s programs, culture, and unique features – information that is hard to come by at scale.
Enter the new GreatSchools Official School Profile. This is where principals, admissions officers, and other authorized school staff can provide helpful information about their school’s singular qualities, including the instructional model, programs, extracurricular activities, and admissions information. They can also post photos and videos that will help families “peek inside” to get a realistic sense of what a school looks and feels like.
Since we launched the Official School Profile, thousands of schools nationwide have already signed up and filled theirs out. School officials can register for free at http://www.greatschools.org/osp, where they’re able to provide the information that will power their school’s enhanced page on our website. Over the course of the coming few months, we will unveil a new school profile design that truly showcases Official School Profile information. This, along with other major enhancements on the horizon, will allow parents to gain a much deeper understanding of schools they are considering.
Meanwhile, you can already see some of the pictures that schools have provided via our new tool:
- P.S. 10 Magnet School for Math, Science & Design Technology in New York
- The Cloverleaf School in Georgia
- Deer Valley High School in Arizona
I love how the photos provide a glimpse into the school community and what it values.
Please spread the word — encourage schools in your community to tell their full story. Ask principals to go to http://www.greatschools.org/osp or download and share this flyer with other school officials.
The Official School Profile represents a major step forward on GreatSchools’ journey to serve parents, students, and schools. We’ll keep you informed as we roll out more elements of this program in the coming months.
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