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GreatSchools: Involved Parents. Successful Kids

Frequently Asked Questions about GreatSchools

GreatSchools 101

  1. What is the purpose of GreatSchools?

    To improve K-12 education by inspiring parents to get involved.

  2. When was GreatSchools founded?

    Bill Jackson, a former teacher, founded GreatSchools in 1998 to catalyze parent involvement -- a force that he believed was vital to the process of achieving excellence in education.

  3. Where does GreatSchools get its funding?

    GreatSchools receives generous support from leading foundations that share our goal of empowering parents to support their children's education, including the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, The Broad Foundation, The Hewlett Foundation and The Robinson Foundation. GreatSchools also generates revenue from our advertising and content licensing programs.

  4. Can GreatSchools help my family if we move?

    We sure can. You can look up the best schools in the area you are moving to by both the Zip Code and school district or simply ask questions in the GreatSchools Parent Community about where you're going.

  5. Why should I join GreatSchools?

    While all visitors can access school data, expert advice, articles, and our community content, we invite users to register with us so they can publish, post, and connect with members of our online parent community. This makes for a truly interactive and rewarding experience. Join GreatSchools and become a parent ambassador to represent your children's schools on the GreatSchools Web site for the benefit of other interested parents.

  6. How can I join GreatSchools?

    Registration is easy – and free. When you register, you have the chance to tell GreatSchools a bit about you and your family, which in turn helps us put you in touch with resources that can help you navigate your child's education.

Find the Right School Using GreatSchools Data

School Data – Public & Charter Schools

  1. What types of schools does GreatSchools.net provide profiles for?

    GreatSchools.net profiles more than 90,000 public elementary, middle and high schools in the United States. Charter schools, magnet schools, year-round schools, and some continuation and alternative schools are included as well.

    In addition, GreatSchools.net includes basic information on more than 30,000 private schools. This information is limited because private schools are not required to give tests or report results.

  2. Exactly what does a school profile include?

    Public school profiles in every state include most or all of the following information:

    • Phone number, address, district name, location map
    • Grade levels served, school type, enrollment
    • Detailed academic performance data, including state-mandated standardized test results
    • Student-teacher ratio, student ethnicity breakdown and other important statistics about teachers and students.
    • Clear explanations for all data presented
    • GreatSchools Ratings

    In addition, all schools have the option of "upgrading"--at no cost--to an Enhanced School Profile, which allows school principals to add information about curriculum, programs, activities, school vision and leadership. Get more information in our FAQ about ESPs.

  3. Where does GreatSchools get its data?

    Public school test scores for most states come from the state Department of Education. School contact information and teacher/student statistics are obtained from both the state Department of Education and the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES).

  4. Why do some states have more school information than others?

    We publish school data for all 50 states and the District of Columbia. However, State Departments of Education vary widely in the amount and type of data they release, so the specific data points we are able to acquire may be somewhat different from state to state.

  5. How often is school information updated?

    Our goal is to update all data at least once a year in every state, using the most recent available information from either the state Department of Education or the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES).

    Information on Enhanced School Profiles (ESPs) is updated as often as school principals choose to edit their information.

  6. What should I do if I see incorrect information on your site?

    We strive to keep our school information up to date, but we realize there may be changes that are not reflected in our data. If you see any school information, such as contact information, that you know to be incorrect, please take the following steps, so that we can provide our users with the best possible information:

    1. We rely on state Departments of Education and the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) for our school contact information. Please notify the appropriate state Department of Education to correct the school's information.
    2. Let the school's principal know that he can sign up for an Enhanced School Profile, which will allow him to directly edit the school's information, as well as contribute additional information about the school.
    3. Contact us about the incorrect data and we will fix it. However, please note that our manual corrections will be overwritten by the state or national data source the next time we import their data, so step 1 above is very important.

  7. What if I know of a public or charter school that is not listed on GreatSchools.net?

    We rely on state Departments of Education and the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) for our school directory and are unable to add public or charter schools individually to our Web site. If a public or charter school is missing from our site, it is usually because these data sources failed to provide the information. If you know of a public or charter school that is not listed, we recommend that you contact the appropriate state Department of Education to ask them to list the school. We are working to expand our capabilities so that our school listings are always completely current.

  8. Where can I find information about teachers, students, school events, and job opportunities at a certain school, or get copies of transcripts?

    GreatSchools is not directly connected to any particular school and cannot relay your questions or comments to school officials. We do not have information about current or former students or staff at any school or employment with a particular school or district. Contact the school directly for this type of information.

  9. How can I get a custom report based on the data shown on GreatSchools.net?

    All requests for custom reports based on our data should be directed to businessdevelopment@greatschools.net. Be sure to let us know if you are a nonprofit or for-profit organization and how you intend to utilize our data. Please note, a fee may be charged to cover our processing costs.

School Data – Private Schools

  1. Why does GreatSchools have less information about private schools than public schools?

    Unlike Public schools, private schools are not funded with public money, so they do not have to report data about their schools or make it available to the public. We continuously strive to acquire additional private school data whenever available.

  2. Where does GreatSchools get its private school information?

    Our private school information comes from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) and some state Departments of Education.

  3. What if I know of a private school that is not listed on GreatSchools.net?

    If you know of a private school that is not listed, please submit the school's information to us. Note: We can add private schools individually, but do not have the resources to add public or charter schools individually.

  4. Can the school principal send GreatSchools new information that isn't otherwise available?

    Once a private school is listed on our site, the school's principal may provide additional information, free of charge, through our Enhanced School Profile feature. Get more information in our FAQ about ESPs.

  5. Where can I find additional data, such as test scores and teacher experience, about private schools?

    Contact the schools directly. You will find contact information for private schools on our school profiles.

Didn't find the answer you're looking for? Contact us about our school information.

School Data – Preschools

  1. Where does GreatSchools get its preschool information?

    Our preschool information comes from Market Data Retrieval (MDR), the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) and some state Departments of Education.

  2. Why does GreatSchools have less information about preschools than K-12 schools?

    Unlike K-12 schools, preschools are not regulated or tracked by any state or national data provider. We continuously strive to acquire additional preschool data whenever available.

  3. What if I know of a preschool that is not listed on GreatSchools?

    If you know of a preschool that is not listed, please submit the school's information to us.

  4. Where can I find additional data about preschools?

    Contact the preschools directly. You will find contact information for preschools on our school profiles.

Didn't find the answer you're looking for? Contact us about our school information.

City and School District Data

  1. What type of city information does GreatSchools offer?

    GreatSchools includes most or all of the following information for cities:

    • GreatSchools City Ratings
    • Recent parent reviews for schools in the city
    • Links to several top-rated schools in the city
    • Links to school districts in the city
    • List of nearby cities
    • Population, median household income, cost of living index, unemployment rate, Violent Crime index, climate statistics and median home price

  2. What does a school district profile include?

    School district profiles in every state include most or all of the following information:

    • GreatSchools District Ratings
    • Phone number, address, location map
    • Grade levels served, enrollment, number of schools
    • Detailed academic performance data, including state-mandated standardized test results
    • Student-teacher ratio, student ethnicity breakdown and other important teacher/student stats
    • Clear explanations for all data presented

Enhanced School Profiles

  1. What is an Enhanced School Profile and is it free?

    An Enhanced School Profile is absolutely free. It allows the principal or other school official to add the following information about the school directly to their GreatSchools.net profile:

    • Mission
    • Schedule and calendar
    • Detailed descriptions of curriculum and enrichment activities (music, sports, etc.)
    • In-depth information on staff, safety, student support, community involvement and much more

    As an added bonus, the Enhanced School Profile also lets the principal or other school official edit the school's contact information directly, in the event that the school's address or phone number has changed since we last updated it.

  2. Why do I need an Enhanced School Profile for my school?

    GreatSchools.net is the most visited K-12 education Web site in the country, attracting thousands of people every day. Parents, community leaders, potential volunteers, funders, teachers and people looking for education jobs will have access to information that you provide about your school. You can use your profile to draw attention to your school's successes and unique qualities, and even point your school community straight to your GreatSchools profile to gather important information. It's a great way to spread the word about your school to a broader audience, even if you already have a school Web site.

  3. How do you create an Enhanced School Profile?

    Creating an Enhanced School Profile is simple! Principals and school officials, get started on your Enhanced School Profile using our secure, online questionnaire. Or read more about Enhanced School Profiles.

Didn't find the answer you're looking for? Contact us about Enhanced School Profiles.

GreatSchools Ratings

  1. How are the GreatSchools Ratings calculated?

    GreatSchools analyzes each school's performance on state standardized tests and provides a one-through-ten rating for the school's performance relative to other schools in the state. Our ratings also allow you to compare the performance of particular grade levels and groups of students to comparable groups in other schools in the state. A rating of "10" means that the group's test scores are in the top 10% compared to scores for the same group across all schools in the state. In other words, that group's test score performance is as good as, or better than, 90% of the scores for that group in the state. A rating of "1" means that the group is in the bottom 10% compared to scores for that group across all schools in the state. Learn more about GreatSchools Ratings.

    GreatSchools' Overall Ratings are calculated by averaging the ratings for each grade and subject. A Test Score Rating is not given if fewer than 50 schools have data for a particular group. The different student groups (category, ethnicity and gender) are identified by the state Department of Education; if there is a small number of students in a particular group in a school, data is not reported for that group.

    Please keep in mind that it's important to factor in information other than Test Score Ratings, including the quality of each school's teachers, the school culture and special programs, when evaluating a school. Also note that GreatSchools Ratings are not linked to any performance ratings given by the state Department of Education.

Didn't find the answer you're looking for? Contact us about our ratings.

Parent Survey Information

  1. What exactly is a Parent Survey?

    The survey allows parents to add the following information directly to their school's GreatSchools profile:

    • Arts and Sports programs
    • Curriculum information
    • Student resources for special education, English Language learner and gifted students
    • Details about the school culture
    • Level of parent involvement and much more

Comparing Schools

  1. How do I compare schools?

    You can compare schools that are near a certain address, or within a specific district, county or state. Just click on the "Compare Schools" link at the top of any school profile or visit the tab 'Research & Compare' to get started. It's possible to compare schools in different counties by saving schools to My School List, then comparing those schools.

  2. Can I compare schools in different states?

    Unfortunately, it isn't possible to compare student achievement across states because different states administer different standardized tests.

  3. Why are private schools missing so much data?

    Private schools are not required by law to publish the same information as public schools.

My School List

  1. My School List is a tool that lets you compile a list of schools, save and compare them. To build a list, go to any school profile on GreatSchools.net and click on the link, "Add this school to My School List," next to the name of the school. Once you have a list of schools, you can easily compare the schools in your list.

Didn't find the answer you're looking for? Contact us about comparing schools.

Connect with Other Parents

  1. The GreatSchools Parent Community is a safe, supportive online community where you can connect with like-minded parents and share success stories about your child’s education. You can use the community to find answers to your questions about school choice, dealing with bullies and more.

Expert Advice and Newsletters

  1. What type of content can I find on your site?

    GreatSchools has more than 1,000 articles on a range of topics relevant to parents of preschoolers to high school students. Written by our expert staff and consultants, the articles explain in parent-friendly terms such timely topics as how to choose a school, and understand test scores and report cards; how to work with your child's teacher, what your child's curriculum should be grade by grade, and what to do if your child is the victim of bullying.

  2. What newsletters does GreatSchools provide?

    We have a family of free email newsletters to help you help your child succeed in school. You can subscribe to newsletters for your child's school and/or grade level, and get timely tips and advice.

    • Parent Advisor is a bi-monthly newsletter that provides timely tips on helping your child succeed throughout the school year.
    • My School Stats is a periodic newsletter that provides the latest updates about test scores, teacher quality, class size and more at your child's school, and shows you how your school compares to others in your state.
    • Keep your child on track in the classroom: Get expert advice, ideas for learning activities, book recommendations and more. For parents of children in preschool through high school. Sign up for My Preschooler, My Kindergartner, My First-Grader, My Second-Grader, My Third-Grader, My-Fourth Grader, My Fifth-Grader, Middle School Matters and Countdown to College.
    • Helping Kids with Learning Difficulties: Does your child have a learning disability, difficulty or attention problem? Our monthly guide offers support, strategies and resources.

SchwabLearning.org Transition

We're pleased to announce that GreatSchools is the new host for the valuable articles and resources developed by SchwabLearning.org to provide information and inspiration to parents of children with learning and attention difficulties.

GreatSchools acquired and began hosting SchwabLearning.org in January, 2008, and we recently transferred most of the Schwab Learning content to the GreatSchools Web site. Below are answers to questions you may have about the transition of the Web site and how it affects you.

  1. Can I still access SchwabLearning.org?

    No. Now that the core content has been transitioned to GreatSchools.net the SchwabLearning.org site is not available. From now on, anyone who visits SchwabLearning.org will be automatically redirected to the new Learning Difficulties section on GreatSchools.net.

  2. Will GreatSchools develop the same kind of articles that SchwabLearning.org provided?

    Yes. We understand the value of the type of articles and other content created by SchwabLearning.org. GreatSchools will continue to develop new content that is relevant to parents whose children have learning and attention difficulties — and we'll keep the existing content up-to-date.

    To ensure the accuracy and timeliness of our content, we've recruited several experts in the field of learning difficulties to serve as consultants to our editorial team.

  3. Can I access the articles that were on SchwabLearning.org?

    Most of the articles that existed on SchwabLearning.org are now available on GreatSchools.net. This includes articles in English and Spanish, and the Assistive Technology Tools database.

  4. What about my SchwabLearning.org newsletter?

    If you previously subscribed to the SchwabLearning.org weekly email newsletter, your subscription should have automatically transferred to GreatSchools, as we now send our Helping Kids with Learning Difficulties newsletter once a month. Each issue of our newsletter features new or updated articles. If for some reason you have not received this newsletter in 2008, please subscribe here.

  5. Does GreatSchools host a message board for parents of kids with learning difficulties?

    Yes. We invite former Schwab Learning message board members to continue the discussion on the GreatSchools Parent Community. Be sure to check out two of our most active online parent groups:

    To learn more about the GreatSchools Parent Community, take a tour of the community or read the GreatSchools Parent Community FAQ. Any questions about the GreatSchools Parent Community can be sent to communitysupport@greatschools.net.

  6. Can I still access the SchwabLearning.org message board archive?

    Yes. The SchwabLearning.org message board archive (a read-only board) is still available and searchable to allow you to refer back to previous discussions. The message board archive can be accessed via the "Schwabbies" group on our community. Any links you have bookmarked to discussions on the SchwabLearning.org Message Board should redirect you to the new archive page.

  7. I've saved bookmarks to several articles on SchwabLearning.org. Now that SchwabLearning.org is shut down, will those bookmarks link to the corresponding articles on GreatSchools.net?

    Yes, your saved bookmarks will still work, and you will be automatically redirected to the corresponding article on GreatSchools.net.

  8. My child loves SparkTop.org – how can I access it?

    The SparkTop.org site is now owned by the Professor Garfield Foundation but your child will still be able to access www.SparkTop.org to enjoy its features and activities. Please visit the Professor Garfield Foundation site for more information about this feature.

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