OAKLAND, Calif., Sept. 24, 2020 /PRNewswire/
-- GreatSchools.org, the leading provider of school
information, is launching updated Equity and Summary Ratings for
K-12 public schools across the nation today. The new methodology
gives parents, advocacy organizations, and other community
stakeholders a view of school quality that prioritizes equitable
outcomes. The new Equity Rating will now include student growth and
college readiness metrics in addition to proficiency rates. The
Summary Rating will also shift to emphasize student growth relative
to test score performance in order to focus on how well schools are
helping students learn each school year.
GreatSchools.org launched multi-measured schools ratings —
including its Equity Rating — in 2017. The updated Summary Rating
and Equity Rating methodology announced today is the result of a
thorough process of consulting with parents, education researchers,
policymakers, and civil rights advocates, as well as reviewing
current research and available data that address equitable outcomes
for all students.
"This is a big day for us. At GreatSchools, we are always
working to improve our ratings and how we provide information and
support for parents," says Jon
Deane, CEO of GreatSchools. "Focusing on student growth over
time and equity measures in our new ratings helps us see the
quality of instruction and experiences students receive in a school
versus the advantages or disadvantages they may have in life. This
is just a start — we will continue to uncover new ways to highlight
school quality for all families."
In a time when our country is reckoning with systemic
inequities, GreatSchools.org is doubling down on ways to identify
opportunities while continuing to shed light on educational
disparities.
"We recognize that schools are complex and that the definition
of success is as diverse as the millions of parents who visit
GreatSchools each year," said Orville
Jackson, Vice President of Data Strategy at
GreatSchools.org. "Our aim is to develop a broader view of school
quality that increasingly reflects a focus on equity, better
accounts for the complexities inherent in building just systems of
education, and provides the parents we serve — many of whom have
few resources — the information they need to set their child up for
success."
Key changes to the GreatSchools Summary Ratings include:
- Elevating the relative weight of data that measures student
learning (Student Progress, or growth data, and Academic Progress,
or growth proxy).
- Elevating the relative weight of the Equity Rating.
- Continuing to display a red flag for schools with significant
disparities in discipline and attendance but removing this factor
from the Summary Rating.
The GreatSchools Equity Rating measures a school's success in
serving historically underserved students compared to all students
in the state and in-school achievement gaps between underserved
student groups and other students. Changes to the GreatSchools
Equity Rating include:
- Adding college readiness metrics, such as college entrance exam
performance (SAT/ACT), high school graduation rates, and percentage
of graduates who meet more advanced graduation requirements
(e.g. A-G course requirements in CA).
- Adding measurements of student learning (Student Progress, or
growth data, and Academic Progress, or growth proxy).
GreatSchools.org will continue to expand its data and
information for parents and the rating system that parents know and
trust. The current changes paint a more accurate picture of which
schools are providing equitable outcomes for Black students,
Hispanic/Latino students, Native American students, and students
living in poverty, but there is more valuable school information to
share with parents. GreatSchools.org is committed to accessing and
advocating for new data that gives parents a richer picture of
their child's education and highlights excellence for all
students.
In addition to school information, GreatSchools.org also offers
parents free resources to support the academic and social-emotional
development of their children in kindergarten through 12th
grade, including articles, worksheets, videos, podcasts, and
grade-based newsletters in English and Spanish. During these
unprecedented times, GreatSchools.org's school closure learning
guide in English and Spanish provides families with grade-based
tools, resource recommendations, and guidance for learning at
home.
GreatSchools.org's experts are available for media interviews.
For more information about their ratings and methodology visit
https://www.greatschools.org/gk/ratings/.
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SOURCE GreatSchools.org