The New School's Insideschools.org relaunches with improved accessibility

New Features Include Video Reports, Instant Translation Software for More Than 50 Languages

NEW YORK, September 13, 2011 - Insideschools.org, the free, independent source for in-depth reviews and information on New York City's public schools has relaunched with user-friendly features that improve reader accessibility. Insideschools expanded its resources when it became part of the Center for New York City Affairs at The New School last year.

Insideschools provides researched, up-to-date, qualitative appraisals on New York City's more than 1,700 public schools. The site also offers guides to special education, college admissions, gifted students programs, and a news blog. Insideschools is constantly updated with reports by the site's editors and graduate students from The New School's Milano School for International Affairs, Management and Urban Policy.

New features introduced in the site's relaunch include:

• Built-in Google Translate software that instantly translates the content on Insideschools into more than 50 languages, including Spanish, French, Chinese, Korean and Russian.
• New video content with step-by-step instructions on how to get started in the New York City public school system, how to apply for high school - and more to come.
• Slideshows that give an inside look at schools in all five boroughs.
• Detailed tips on special education services for children with disabilities.
• Clean, easy-to-use design for quick navigation of Insideschools' thousands of articles.

"When Insideschools moved to The New School, we aimed to expand the site's technical capabilities and visual assets to increase engagement and expand readership," said Clara Hemphill, co-founder and senior editor of Insideschools. "Nearly 60 percent of public school parents are born outside the United States, so the translation software is key. We've also made the site easier to read, by simplifying our writing and adding more photos."

Insideschools.org was founded as a project of Advocates for Children of New York (AFC), a non-profit education advocacy organization focusing on the city's public schools. AFC launched the site in 2002 to provide an independent source of information on the public school system, with expert, qualitative reviews on every public and charter school. Since that time, project staff and volunteers have reviewed more than 1,500 schools and provided information to nearly 900,000 visitors a year.

The site's overhaul was made possible by a generous grant from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.

About The New School

Located in the heart of New York's Greenwich Village, The New School is a center of academic excellence where intellectual and artistic freedoms thrive. The more than 10,500 matriculated students and approximately 5,300 continuing education students come from around the world to participate in a wide range of undergraduate to doctoral programs in art and design, the social sciences, management and urban policy, the humanities and the performing arts. When The New School was founded in 1919, its mission was to create a place where global peace and justice were more than theoretical ideals. Today, The New School continues that mission, with programs that strive to foster engaged world citizenship. For more information, visit www.newschool.edu.

# # #

COMMUNICATIONS AND EXTERNAL AFFAIRS

PRESS RELEASE

Media Contacts:

Sam Biederman
212.229.5667x3094
[email protected]