FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Tom Barquinero, GreatSchools
415-977-0700, ext. 114 or 116

SAN FRANCISCO, January 16, 2002-Parents can gain important new insights about public school performance by viewing the 2001 Academic Performance Index (API) ranks posted today on the GreatSchools Web site, www.greatschools.net.

GreatSchools, an independent nonprofit organization that helps parents choose and improve schools, demystifies the API ranks with easy-to-understand graphs and explanations that show how each school ranks statewide and how it stacks up against schools with similar demographics. Another link on each school page allows users to compare a school's achievement to nearby schools.

In addition, GreatSchools presents for the first time the "Opportunity Gap" for each California public school, a numerical comparison against the highest-scoring schools in the state with a similar student population. The Opportunity Gap is a unique way to show a school's potential for API improvement.

Besides gauging student performance, the API ranks are critically important due to the Public Schools Accountability Act passed in 1999, which identifies low-performing schools and rewards high-performing schools. The API also took on new importance with the Elementary and Secondary Act that President Bush signed last week (January 8), which gives parents more school choice options based on school performance.

The API rankings are based on the results of tests students took in April 2001 (the Stanford 9 and the California Standards English Language test). Using these test scores, the state generated an API number for each school between 200 to 1000. The goal for all schools is 800.

According to Bill Jackson, president and CEO of GreatSchools, "The API ranks are the backbone of California's school accountability efforts. Parents need to understand how their children's schools are being measured and why these measures matter." Founded in 1998, GreatSchools helps parents choose schools for their children, track school performance, support their children's education and solve school-related problems. Its free services for parents are possible due to support from foundations and corporations, including the Pisces Foundation, the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, the Stuart Foundation and Washington Mutual, Inc.

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