The Opportunity Badge helps parents find housing near schools that provide a chance for their children to receive the best education possible.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Washington, DC, March 7, 2016 — GreatSchools, a national education nonprofit, participates in the White House Opportunity Project event today, demonstrating technology designed to make it easier for parents to look for housing while comparing schools that provide the best education opportunity for their children.  The event brings together nonprofit and private sector leaders to highlight new efforts to leverage federal data to expand opportunity, such as access to quality schools, fair housing, jobs and transportation. The White House event is an important convening of stakeholders committed to using open data to benefit diverse American communities.  

GreatSchools will demonstrate a prototype of the nation’s first school “Opportunity Badge,” identifying high-performing schools in affordable neighborhoods, showing how well schools provide access to opportunity.  As part of its commitment to the White House Opportunity Project, GreatSchools pledges to launch a live version of the badge on school profiles in the coming months. GreatSchools is one of a handful of nonprofits and companies selected by the White House to demonstrate the power and potential of open data in promoting access to equal opportunity for all Americans.

“Open data, deployed effectively, will give parents and educators incredible power as they seek new opportunities to level the playing field for our kids who have been left out or left behind,” said Bill Jackson, CEO of GreatSchools.  “We are proud and privileged to work with the White House, and our partners, to do our part to make it easier for all parents to find schools for their children — regardless of income level, race or ethnicity — that give them the opportunity to succeed.”    

In the prototype that will be demonstrated today, GreatSchools builds on its existing school information platform, adding in data from the US Department of Education’s Civil Rights Database about learning opportunities at schools. The updated data set will provide parents with information on high-level STEM courses offered in schools, college-ready curriculum, discipline rates, and more. Data will be broken down by low-income, race, and ethnicity. GreatSchools also worked with real estate companies to look at neighborhood cost-of-living data and identified schools that are providing strong opportunities for underserved kids.  Schools best supporting students in these neighborhoods receive an “Opportunity Badge” displayed clearly on its profile on GreatSchools.

The Opportunity Badge demonstrates GreatSchools’ continuing mission to empower all parents with the most comprehensive school data and parenting information available to support their children’s education and future success.   

About GreatSchools:

Founded in 1998, GreatSchools is a national, nonpartisan nonprofit helping millions of parents find high-quality schools, support great learning, and guide their kids to great futures. GreatSchools reaches over half of American families with school-age children each year — more than 56 million people.  GreatSchools offers school quality information gathered from federal, state, and local governments, and from parents, students, and teachers.  Through its GreatKids program, parents can find thousands of articles, videos, learning tools and worksheets to help support their child’s learning.  Headquartered in Oakland, California, GreatSchools partners with cities and states across the country to promote access to school quality data to all American families.

Contact:
Carrie Goux
cgoux@greatschools.org
mobile: 774-563-0295

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