SmartChoices Hartford is a unique collaboration between nonprofit and academic communities to support public-school choice through technology and information.

 

The SmartChoices Hartford website provides a map with the name, location, racial and ethnic balance, and test scores for all public schools that children are eligible to attend based on their home address and grade level. Last year, over six weeks, more than 1,600 users logged onto the website to research schools located in Greater Hartford. These include neighborhood schools, theme-based academies and magnet schools. Both city and suburban parents can use this tool.

 

Now, in its second year, www.smartchoiceshartford.org has several new features that will further aid parents in their choice process, including:

 

·      Updated data for more than 200 city and suburban public schools from Pre-K through grade 12.

·      A “sort by” column that allows parents to decide how best to organize their results.

·      New graphic arrows showing one-year gains in school performance.

·      Hartford school zone information and links to school transportation information,

·      Information on free hands-on workshops that teach parents how to navigate and explore the website.

 

Importantly, through links on the site, parents can now download school applications provided by the Regional School Choice Office. Applications will be available through February 5. Beginning in January 2010, applications will also be available through the Hartford School System until March 30.

 

In addition, to help parents take advantage of tool, the sponsors of SmartChoices Hartford will be on hand at all of the School Choice Fairs that are being held through January 2010. The first choice fair is Saturday, November 14, 2009 from 9 am to noon at the Sport and Medical Sciences Academy.

 

“Parents and guardians can only make informed choices if they’re given the information,” said Jack Dougherty, an associate professor of educational studies at Trinity College, a major participant in the project. “SmartChoices Hartford takes a maze of public school options and clearly lays out information tailored to each family’s situation.”

 

SmartChoices Hartford was created by a partnership between academics and advocates for urban and school reform. At Trinity, students from the Cities, Suburbs, and Schools Project led by Dougherty, and the computing center staff developed the interactive map-based search tool in collaboration with ConnCAN. Achieve Hartford! joined the project in its second year as a funder and promoter.

 

“Parents vote with their feet in a system of choice,” said Alex Johnston, ConnCAN chief executive officer. “And SmartChoices Hartford helps parents use their powerful choice tool wisely.”

 

“For Hartford’s promising progress to continue, parents need to know the facts before they can make smart choices for their children,” said Jim Starr, executive director of Achieve Hartford! “We’re hopeful that with tools like the SmartChoices Hartford website, parents around the city will be empowered to not only actively participate, but to help drive positive change in our public schools.”

 

Parental choices, assisted by tools like SmartChoices Hartford, are a key driver in Hartford’s school turnaround efforts. As part of the reform plan advanced by School Superintendent Steven Adamowski, the relationship between the district’s central office and each school is based on improving student achievement.   As schools meet academic performance targets, principals will gain more autonomy over budgets, personnel and curriculum decisions. The reform plan is based upon such improving results and increased autonomy leading to an entire system of high-performing schools.

 

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The Connecticut Coalition for Achievement Now (ConnCAN) is an advocacy organization building a new movement of concerned Connecticut citizens working to create fundamental change in our education system. To learn more, visit: www.conncan.org.

 

Founded in Hartford, CT, in 1823, Trinity College (www.trincoll.edu) is an independent nonsectarian liberal arts college with more than 2,200 students from 43 states and 41 countries. The faculty and alumni include recipients of the Pulitzer Prize, the MacArthur Award, Guggenheims, Rockefellers and other national academic awards.

 

Achieve Hartford! Is an independent, nonprofit organization of business and community leaders that focuses on student achievement and supporting effective and sustained school reform in the Hartford public schools. To learn more, visit: www.achievehartford.org.