Governor Unveils “School Finder” to Increase Transparency and Accountability, and Empower Parents
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Honoring his promise to California’s parents and students to make school data more accessible, Governor Schwarzenegger today unveils the state’s “School Finder” Web site. This Web site, created in partnership with Microsoft and Google, allows parents to easily find and compare schools in their area on data such as graduation rates and Academic Performance Index (API) scores, as well as information on student support services and advanced placement courses. This vital information, compiled in one easy-to-navigate Web site, will increase school accountability and transparency, and put power back into the hands of California parents. “School Finder” empowers parents by arming them with the information they need to choose the best schools for their children or to demand better performance from schools their children already attend. Governor Schwarzenegger commissioned his Secretary of Education to team up with Chief Information Officer Teri Takai to make this Web site a reality. Thanks to their dedication and the leadership of Governor Schwarzenegger, this key information archive is now available to help ensure California’s children get the education they deserve.
“If we hope to give our children the world class education they deserve, then we need real education reform … more transparency in our schools, more flexibility for our education leaders and more information for our parents.” Governor Schwarzenegger, Statement On The Need For Accountability In California’s K-12 Education System, 3/14/07
Parents And Students Now Have The Information To Choose And Compare Schools In A One-Stop, Easy-To-Navigate Web site. From Academic Performance Index (API) scores to students-per-teacher ratio to graduation rates, “School Finder” goes a long way toward providing the information needed to ensure students are enrolled in an institution where they can excel.
- Data comes directly from the school districts to the state so the information is reliable and accurate. Schools provide updated information to CDE, which is fed into the “School Finder” Web site.
- “School Finder” provides data on schools in every region of California, from elementary to high school. This includes traditional schools, alternative and adult education schools, as well as charter schools.
- Schools can literally be compared side-by-side. The information of up to three schools can be viewed one next to another for an easy comparison of the merits of each.
“School Finder” Empowers Parents To Increase School Accountability And Transparency. Finally, the information to evaluate schools effectively and make them accountable is in the hands of the parents. They now have the power of knowledge to choose the best schools and compel others to improve.
- The facts of achievement for every school
in California
are now easily accessible – not buried in bureaucracy. This increases
transparency and makes schools more accountable to parents and students.
- The powerful combination of information and parental oversight will motivate schools to provide the most accurate information to CDE and to raise their standards to attract new students and keep current ones enrolled, resulting in higher-quality education for all of California’s children.
- This information will give schools the feedback they need to improve. Schools can see how they measure up to others in their area to pinpoint where they can better serve their students.
Governor Schwarzenegger Is Delivering On His Promise To California. The Governor promised in his State of the State speech “to make this information readily available and user-friendly for the parents so that they can make intelligent choices about their child’s school.”
The Governor is giving parents back control over their children’s education. The Governor commissioned “School Finder” to compound scattered school information in one website, and now it is a reality.
