SchoolMatters.com offers student achievement information, financial data and demographic breakdowns. It also includes analytical tools and objective analyses from Standard & Poor’s, a provider of credit ratings, that aim to allow education leaders make better-informed decisions about schools and school systems.
The web-based data service is designed to address the lack of proficiency in reading and math on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). It will also try to tackle the fact that only 68% of public high school students nationally will graduate, according to a recent report from the Urban Institute.
It is thought that educators will be able to utilize the site to find schools that have similar demographics with higher academic performance, helping to develop comprehensive improvement programs.
The type of information available on SchoolMatters.com varies state-by-state. Among the information the web site provides is student proficiency results on statewide reading and math tests, student demographic information including socio-economic, special education and English language learner populations, district and state financial data and community demographic data.
