Sloane: Giving Parents Information Helps Them Choose the Best Schools for Their Kids. How 3 Data-Sharing Tools Are Working for NY Families
Underserved families have an inherent right to make an educated choice regarding the high school their children attend. It is crucial to have access to impartial information that objectively measures the performance of high schools, particularly in terms of effectively preparing students for college completion. This transparency is especially beneficial for those who are disadvantaged, as it allows them to consider various factors when selecting a school.
We know that obtaining a college degree is the most reliable way to escape poverty. It is well-known that there is data available on which high schools are successful in helping underprivileged students achieve this goal. However, in many cities and states, this data is not readily accessible to those who need it the most – families who are financially struggling. This lack of information hinders their ability to make informed decisions when choosing a high school.
In light of this, the Heckscher Foundation for Children has taken action in New York City, where our primary focus is concentrated, and where there is a districtwide high school choice system. We have invested in the development of digital tools that make vital information about schools widely available. These initiatives, which we refer to as targeted problem-solving, aim to address systemic inequalities and level the playing field for low-income students, for whom the decision of which high school to attend can have significant consequences.
We have funded three projects that evaluate different aspects of high school performance in terms of college readiness and success: graduation rates, completion of financial aid applications, and college completion rates linked to individual high schools.
To gain a better understanding of how information can assist students in accessing higher-performing high schools, we initially funded the creation of the NYC High School Application Guide. This freely available online tool and mobile app help students identify high schools with impressive graduation rates from a pool of 750 programs and over 440 high schools within the district. Prior to the creation of this guide, students and families were directed to either a 400-page publication by the city’s Department of Education or a web source that did not facilitate searching for schools based on individual criteria.
In a randomized controlled trial conducted upon the introduction of the guide, we demonstrated that students who utilized it were more likely to be admitted to their first-choice high school and less likely to be matched with a school that had a graduation rate below 70 percent. Since our funding began, additional tools have been developed, and experts in this field attribute the development of these improved tools to the impetus provided by our guide.
Our next project focused on the completion rates of financial aid applications. It is worth noting that 90 percent of high school seniors who successfully complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) proceed to college immediately after graduation, compared to a mere 55 percent for those who do not. It is important for parents of low-income and first-generation college hopefuls to know whether a prospective high school has a strong track record in terms of FAFSA completion rates.
Now they have access to this information.
We provided funding to enable The Education Trust-New York to develop an online data visualization tool that displays FAFSA completion rates for each public high school in every district in New York State. This tool allows for benchmarking a school’s FAFSA completion rate against that of similar schools (based on the proportion of low-income students) as well as top-performing schools and entire school districts. It not only highlights success stories, enabling the application of effective financial aid strategies, but also provides transparency for parents, allowing them to advocate for better results and potentially avoid certain schools or districts.
We understand that a key indicator of a high school’s quality is the number of its students who obtain a college degree, rather than merely graduating high school or enrolling in college. Surprisingly, there was no publicly available data tool of this nature in New York City, as such information had long been kept confidential within educational circles. This lack of transparency prevented parents from discovering how many students from a particular high school actually completed college – information that would facilitate making an informed decision about where to enroll their child.
To address this issue, we devised a project for New York City, drawing inspiration from the University of Chicago’s successful To&Through Project. This project identifies crucial milestones – college persistence and graduation – and publicly reports data based on high schools.
Once again partnering with The Education Trust-New York, we created our own To & Through tool, with the aim of reframing college readiness in terms of long-term student success outcomes. This tool identifies significant points of development that contribute to student success, with the ultimate goal of providing transparency and accountability in the K-12 education system.
These investments have revolutionized the way school data is presented and accessed, ensuring that all families in New York City and throughout the state can now make well-informed decisions when it comes to choosing the best high schools for their children.
We strongly believe that leaders in both philanthropy and government should extend their support to similar tools that empower individuals in making educated choices about education. For instance, efforts should be made to reveal current persistence rates at New York public colleges, rather than relying on outdated information. Additionally, the transfer credit policies for major areas of study at senior colleges across multiple states, including New York, should be made publicly available as well. Despite the existence of this information, it is not readily accessible to the public. Regardless of the reasons behind this lack of transparency, we firmly believe in dismantling the barriers that hinder the open sharing of educational information.
Peter Sloane serves as the chairman and CEO of the Heckscher Foundation for Children.
