SAS Redesigns Report Card Website for Over 2,600 North Carolina Schools

CARY, N.C., Jan. 17, 2018 — States around the country are seeking simpler ways to provide parents and others meaningful information on K-12 school performance. Analytics leader SAS worked with the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction to completely redesign the state’s school report card website. Integrating data from more than 2,600 public, charter and alternative schools in 100 counties, the site provides users with new information, analyses and capabilities.

The Every Student Succeeds Act, which overhauled No Child Left Behind, gives each state flexibility to include in its school and district accountability plans various indicators of student success and progress. The new North Carolina school report cards incorporate these indicators, helping students, parents, educators, and policymakers better understand how each school and district is performing.

The interactive website and mobile version, designed and hosted by SAS, provides information about school- and district-level data in several areas, including student performance and academic growth, school and student characteristics, and other details. In addition to a new design and more user-friendly experience, the site offers several new features including information related to career and technical education. Users can see what courses are offered at a school and the number of industry-recognized credentials that have been earned by students.

Another addition is the student readiness indicator, which shows the percentage of students entering a school’s lowest grade who were proficient in both reading and math at the end of the previous year. The student readiness indicator, along with information about the percentage of students who are economically disadvantaged, provide context to the test scores and other information that is provided. The new website also allows for side-by-side school comparisons.

A more robust analytical site is available which provides a wide variety of school, district and state-level data on performance, assessments, growth, teacher and principal credentials, graduation rates, attendance and many other types of information.

Since its release last month, the NC Report Cards website has averaged more than 1600 visits per day and, according to Mark Johnson, North Carolina Department of Public Instruction Superintendent, has been well-received.

“We’ve gotten compliments on the new website from policymakers, educators, parents, and the news media,” Johnson said. “Thanks to the hard work of the state education agency and our partners at SAS, this valuable resource provides transparency into our public schools, for those who have just 10 minutes to spare all the way to full-time researchers.”

As a former teacher himself, Johnson is quick to point out that data cannot tell the entire story of a school. “While containing a rich trove of information, the report cards cannot reflect the extra hours put in by our dedicated teachers, the school spirit felt by families, and the many other contributors to a vibrant school community,” said Johnson.

SAS analytics, data management and data visualization software is used around the country to help educators and leaders improve district and school performance and put more students on paths to brighter futures. With more than four decades of working in education, SAS brings together individuals, institutions, communities and data to prepare people for college, career and life.

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Source: SAS