INSIDE STATS PROVIDES COMPREHENSIVE DATA ON NYC HIGH SCHOOLS
A NEW PROJECT FROM INSIDESCHOOLS.ORG

Launches March 12, 2013 with Live Webcast Hosted by Clara Hemphill

NEW YORK (March 11, 2013) - Students and parents in the nation’s largest public school system are about to get a crucial, free new tool: Inside Stats, a project of Insideschools.org at The New School’s Center for New York City Affairs, is a new online scorecard that provides in-depth data on 422 New York City high schools. Inside Stats launches with a live presentation by Clara Hemphill, Editor in Chief, Insideschools.org, viewable live online on March 12 at 11 a.m. at http://bit.ly/Wz4YFf. Members of the media are invited to attend the presentation in-person at 6 E 16th Street, room 1103 (must RSVP to [email protected] and arrive by 10:30 a.m.)

Complementing the qualitative assessments for which Insideschools.org is known, Inside Stats provides detailed, up-to-date data across five areas:

“At-A-Glance” Statistics: Number of students, daily attendance, uniforms.
Safety and Vibe: Average class size, student ratings of teachers and principals, order and discipline.
Who Graduates: Graduation and drop-out data.
College Prep: Advanced Placement scores, college enrollment rates.
Special Ed and ELL: Inclusion of disabled students in school activities, success of English Language Learners.

"As thousands of New York City eighth graders are in the midst of choosing high schools for next year, Inside Stats will give them free, easy-to-read access to critical data on everything from safety to attendance to AP scores," said Hemphill.

Inside Stats was inspired by Insideschools.org's critique of the NYC Department of Education’s school Progress Reports, which Hemphill and her team argued oversimplified the strengths and weaknesses of each school with a single “A” to “F” grade. To develop Inside Stats, the Insideschools.org team conducted surveys and focus groups with students, parents, teachers and administrators to determine which elements were most important to the scorecards' audiences. Issues of safety, school climate, and student values ranked top on the list of most important factors to parents and students alike.

"With Inside Stats, we hope to offer a more nuanced picture, because different schools are good at different things," said Hemphill. "Some schools take high-achieving kids and push them to ever greater heights. But others do a particularly good job with kids who need special education or English as a Second Language. Inside Stats shows you the difference."

Inside Stats was made possible with a grant from the Donors Educational Collaborative and designed by Hill+Knowlton Strategies.

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Media Contacts:

Sam Biederman
212.229.5667 x3094
[email protected]