A new way to pick the best school for your child
Different types of data can influence how parents select schools for their children. Viktorcvetkovic/E+ via Getty Images David M. Houston , George Mason University When parents look for information to help them choose a good elementary or secondary school for their child, they often turn to a variety of sources online. For instance, they may check out state government websites that provide “ report cards ” on local schools. Examples include Virginia’s School Quality Profiles or Ohio’s School Report Cards . Parents might also rely on popular school rating websites like GreatSchools.org , Niche.com or U.S. News & World Report’s K-12 schools directory , which claims to help parents find the “best” schools for their child. As a researcher who specializes in education policy , I see some shortcomings with how many of these websites portray school quality to the public. I’m interested in the kinds of information that parents use to make school-relat...