Jacksonville Public Education Fund launches new digital initiative
12/7/2012
For immediate release December 7, 2012
Jacksonville Public Education Fund launches new digital initiative
School Facts Jax is a digital tool for parents, community members to access academic performance data for public schools in Duval County
Jacksonville, Fla. - The Jacksonville Public Education Fund this morning announced the launch of a new digital initiative to put data about public schools at the fingertips of parents, advocates and community members. School Facts Jax presents information about public school performance through easy-to-use, interactive charts and visualizations. It can be found at www.SchoolFactsJax.org.
"Despite the quantity of information out there, it can be tough for parents and community members to find a coherent, comprehensive and user-friendly place to understand how our schools are performing academically," said Trey Csar, President of the Jacksonville Public Education Fund.
School Facts Jax contains key district-wide academic information, such as graduation rates for Duval County and every county in the state. Or, users can look up any individual school in Duval County for a complete report with up to six specific progress indicators that go well beyond just school grades.
School Facts Jax was formally launched in an event today at the Jacksonville Public Library Regency Square Branch. The libraries, a crucial source of information for Duval County parents and families, will be featuring School Facts Jax throughout the system.
"Libraries play a key role in the educational success of students," said Barbara Gubbin, Jacksonville Public Library Director. "Parents often come to the library searching for information about their children's school. We're thrilled to be able to share with them such a valuable resource."
In addition to academic performance information, School Facts Jax points people to important links within Duval County Public Schools as well as the many partner agencies such as after school programs, PTAs and enrichment activities.
"This is one of many partnerships that you will be seeing which brings together resources that parents can use to make informed decisions about their child's education. This new tool will help fill the gaps in our current and future strategic plan," said Dr. Nikolai Vitti, Superintendent of Duval County Public Schools.
This is only the first phase of School Facts Jax, and the Jacksonville Public Education Fund has received support from a number of local and national sources to fund its expansion, including The Community Foundation in Jacksonville, Bruce Bower, Jim Swanson, Fidelity National Financial and others. Expansion plans will be announced early in the new year.
Contact: Deirdre Conner, Director of Communications, (904) 345-0597 or Deirdre@jaxpef.org