More info for parents means better choices, better schools

THERE'S NOW a website that puts information on nearly every school in the city at the fingertips of parents, caregivers and students -

greatphillyschools.org

. Developed by the Philadelphia School Partnership in partnership with other nonprofit groups, GreatPhillySchools.org puts all of this information in one place; before, parents might have had to visit half a dozen websites and make a few phone calls to gather as much.

The site provides ratings in categories such as academics, safety, student attendance and the percentage of students who go on to college. It also provides overall quality ratings for more than 350 schools. Seventy-five schools earn the top three ratings of 8, 9 or 10 for overall performance.

Although no rating can fully capture the complete picture of a school, what's striking is that these schools span all types. Thirty of the top-rated schools are run by the school district (12 are magnets, 18 have open enrollment), 26 are charter schools and 19 are Catholic schools.

What does that tell us? First, there is no one system or model that has a monopoly on how to run a great school. Second, families need information so they can compare different kinds of schools. Third, while Philadelphia doesn't have nearly enough great schools, families have more options than they may realize.

In more than half of the highly rated schools, the majority of students come from low-income families. So while it's true that lower-performing schools tend to be concentrated in economically disadvantaged neighborhoods, there is plenty of proof that great schools can exist anywhere. Socio-economics matter, but they don't have to dictate results.

Students in Philadelphia are guaranteed a spot in a neighborhood district school, but they also have the option to apply to any district school in the city - even if not in their assigned "catchment" zone. The deadline for applications to district high schools and transfer applications for all district schools for fall 2013 is Nov. 30 - about one month from now.

GreatPhillySchools was created in part to help families search for and better understand their school choices. But it's also a resource to help families better understand the schools their children are in - and what opportunities there are to get involved and make their schools better. Superintendent Dr. William Hite put it this way: "It allows parents to push us for quality and to push us towards improvement."

Education is not the responsibility of schools alone. It is a joint enterprise that works best when parents, caregivers, teachers and schools work together and support one another. By providing easier access to information, GreatPhillySchools.org aims to help parents be more active and supportive partners.