Introducing School Facts Jax
12/7/2012
What is School Facts Jax? And why have we devoted the better part of a year to developing it? Jacksonville Public Education Fund President Trey Csar explains in this op-ed in today's edition of the Jacksonville Business Journal. Find the link here.
There is a lot of publicly available data about education these days. Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test scores. Kindergarten readiness rates. Participation in accelerated courses such as Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate. Pass rates for Florida End-of-Course exams.
The cacophony of indicators is enough to make anyone's head spin.
Despite the quantity of information out there, it can be tough for parents and community members to find a coherent, comprehensive and user-friendly place to understand how our schools are performing academically.
That's why today, the Jacksonville Public Education Fund is launching a new initiative called School Facts Jax. This website, which can be found at www.schoolfactsjax.org, presents information about public school performance through easy-to-use, interactive charts and visualizations.
School Facts Jax contains key district-wide academic information, such as graduation rates for Duval County and every county in the state. Or, users can look up any individual school in Duval County for a complete report with up to six specific progress indicators that go well beyond just school grades. This site clearly shows areas where our schools are doing well as well as areas where we could improve.
In addition to academic performance information, School Facts Jax points people to resources within Duval County Public Schools as well as the many partner agencies - such as after school programs, PTAs and enrichment activities - that support students and families. We are excited to launch School Facts Jax today at 11:30 a.m. at the Jacksonville Public Library Regency Square Branch, where librarians often talk with parents seeking information about nearby schools.
It is our hope that this site not only serves as a resource to current public school parents and advocates, but also for concerned citizens, prospective public school parents, business owners and city leaders. At the Jacksonville Public Education Fund, we believe that everyone in our community has a stake in how our public schools are doing. Getting informed is the first step. It is our hope that through School Facts Jax, ONE by ONE and the momentum of energy for public education happening around Duval County, this community will be ready to support improvements that will truly prepare our students and our city for the future.