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Plug a school name into any Internet search engine, and within a few pages, you're likely to come across the GreatSchools website.
GreatSchools.org neatly ranks more than 136,000 traditional public, private, and charter schools nationwide on a scale of 1 to 10, based on state test scores. But what often draws readers are the gossipy insider comments posted by parents, students, and teachers, and the star ratings those commenters contribute.
The growth of online school rating services has gone hand in hand with the growth of the school choice movement: Parents need independent information on the array of educational options opening up to them. And the San Francisco-based nonprofit GreatSchools has garnered long-running support from philanthropies that back such school choice measures as charter schools and private school vouchers.
GreatSchools.org is not the only website that ranks pre-K-12 schools. The Internet search engines Yelp and Google offer school ratings, as do websites such as Schooldigger.com and Privateschoolreview.com. But with 40 million annual unique visitors, GreatSchools is the one most used, according to Alexa Internet, which tracks Web traffic.
The site's founder and chief executive officer, Bill Jackson, says GreatSchools wants to be more than just a school ratings site: He sees it developing into an association that serves parents in the same way that the AARP serves retirees, or that AAA represents drivers.
"We see ourselves offering incentives, discounts on products, and services that will support parents toward preparing a high school graduate." Mr. Jackson said.
But that kind of expansion may worry some educators, who see the nonprofit organization's ratings as too narrow to provide a fair and full picture of their schools. In response, the site is expanding its schools pages, allowing administrators to contribute videos, pictures, and other information.
New Platforms, Partners
Already, GreatSchools has expanded its reach beyond the Web, printing glossy guides to schools that go to parents in the District...