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How do schools in the city compare? One-stop online shopping for school info

October 15, 2012

A statistics-powered website launched today that ranks schools in the city. Its creators hope it will help parents navigate the often puzzling enrollment process.

Endorsed by the District, GreatPhillySchools.org allows anyone with Internet access to enter the name of a school, the name of a neighborhood, a grade level or a zip code to see how schools compare.The site scores public, charter and Catholic schools.

The site’s calculations factor in academics (math and reading proficiency and standardized test scores), attendance, safety (based on the number of disciplinary incidents reported per student) and number of college-bound students (for high schools). These are combined together to place the school on a scale of 1 though 10. The website accessed several data sources, including PSSA scores, attendance records and grade point averages, to make the calculations.

For what it’s worth, West Philly’s Penn Alexander School (4209 Spruce St.) was the only neighborhood elementary school to score 10 out of 10.

GreatPhillySchools.org also includes statistical and demographic data on most schools that is available elsewhere online, but often hard to find.

The Philadelphia School Partnership, a philanthropic organization that raises money for schools in the city, the Public School Notebook and the Urban Affairs Coalition collaborated to build and maintain the site. Mayor Michael Nutter and Superintendent William Hite officially launched the site today during a ceremony at the Shepard Recreation Center (57th and Haverford).

H/T – The Philadelphia Public School Notebook and Newsworks.

 

4 Comments For This Post

  1. S. Duggan Says:

    Your link to the site mentioned does not seem to be working.

  2. Anonymous Says:

    The Laboratory/Planet Abacus charters should have an * next to their 10/10 like in the Baseball Hall of Fame. Their founder and much of their administrations under indictment for $6.8 million in fraud and the schools’ have disgusting practices of screening out students with disabilities or those unlikely to perform well on the PSSAs and kicking out those that slip through. The teachers and students all work very hard I’m sure but the administration and schools’ structure is about as rotten as it gets.

  3. Lynn Major Says:

    The link to
    http://greatphillyschools.org/
    is working now.

    Beware that there are currently many errors in the basic facts listed on the site: incorrect addresses & names of school personnel; inaccurate data… etc. – which I understand are being resolved, bit by bit.

    For those who are interested, I highly recommend reading what others have to say about this – as WPLocal mentions above:
    http://thenotebook.org/blog/125241/new-website-help-parents-choose-school-philly#comments

    & also on the Inky’s site:
    http://www.philly.com/philly/education/20121016_Website_offers_range_of_information_about_Philly_schools.html

  4. diane adler Says:

    The link is not working.

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