May 28, 2009 9:01 pm US/Eastern
Parent Trap: NYC Students' Data Accessible Online
Test Scores, Attendance Now Just A Click Away For Parents Of City Schoolchildren
NEW YORK (CBS) ―
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Personal data like attendance and test scores will soon be just a click of the mouse away.
AP
Parents will now have a chance to spy on their children's school records. Personal data like attendance and test scores will soon be just a click of the mouse away. It's all part of the new New York City Department of Education Web site that will be the first of its kind in the nation.
In the past, when a parent wants to check in on their child's progress at schools, they'd have to wait until report card time. Things are about to become much easier. Now, with the click of a mouse, parents can find out how their child is performing in class, how they rank in comparison to other students, and how often they're absent or tardy thanks to a new site called "Parent Link."
No matter where they are, as long as they have the Internet they can check in on their child. The $900,000 program, launched system-wide Thursday by Schools Chancellor Joel Klein, was designed to be user-friendly.
"It's not just like a whole bunch of numbers. Parents will see a step-by-step walkthrough and guidance that explains what each piece of information means and how they can use it to help their children improve academically," Klein said.
Jennifer Collado was an early tester of the program, keeping track of her son's progress and problem areas.
"I know that he's struggling in an area and I have to reinforce that area and I've been able to see a big difference if I know where to help him," she said.
PS-85 Principal Ann Gordon-Chang told CBS 2 that access to that information helps teachers and parents know what to talk about.
"I love the fact that I can press a button and I can see the data on all of my students," she said.
The only ones not excited? Maybe the students themselves.
"As a parent I'm very glad to have this information. I'm also very glad my parents didn't have this information," joked City Councilman Pete Vallone. "Timing is everything!"
The Parent Link site is available in nine languages and uses the highest level of password security to protect your child's information. Schools will be distributing logon information to families over the next couple of weeks.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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