January 7, 2014, San Francisco — GreatSchools has added significant new data about student progress and success to help parents in Colorado, Massachusetts, Michigan, and Ohio find higher-performing K-12 schools that are a great fit for their children.
In addition to results from standardized tests, GreatSchools Ratings for schools in the four states now include measurements of:
• whether or not students are making academic progress over time
• high school graduation rates
• college readiness
“We know parents want more detailed information about schools and incorporating new data into the GreatSchools Rating is a big step forward,” says GreatSchools Founder and CEO Bill Jackson. “We’re always working to help parents get better information so they can make the best school decisions for their families.”
Last year, GreatSchools reached more than 50 million people, including more than half of U.S. families with school-aged children. The GreatSchools Rating helps parents compare the academic performance of all public and public charter schools (and private schools where data is available). School profiles on GreatSchools also provide reviews by parents, teachers, and students, and advice for parents about visiting schools and gathering information as part of their school selection process.
In addition to these four states, the new data is also included in GreatSchools Ratings for schools in Indiana, Washington, D.C., and Milwaukee, where GreatSchools pilot tested the additional data in 2012. In other states, the GreatSchools Rating continues to be based on results from standardized tests, but the organization will incorporate new school data as more states make the information available.
Incorporating new data is one of several ways GreatSchools is working to bring parents better school information and insight. The GreatSchools Local program, for example, establishes partnerships with city and state organizations to provide the most relevant and current local school information. GreatSchools also works with school leaders to highlight important aspects of a school, such as school climate and special programs offered at the school.
Founded in 1998, GreatSchools is a national nonprofit that helps millions of parents find great schools, support great learning, and guide their kids to great futures. Our Webby award-winning website, GreatSchools.org, is the nation’s leading guide to preK-12 schools, with profiles of about 200,000 public and private schools and more than one million ratings and reviews by parents, teachers, and students. In addition, GreatSchools offers thousands of articles, videos, and worksheets to help parents support their children’s learning. Headquartered in San Francisco, GreatSchools has local offices and programs in Indianapolis, Washington, D.C., and Milwaukee.
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