Parent Guides
Home Language Survey (HLS)
A Home Language Survey (HLS) is a questionnaire that parents or guardians complete when a student enrolls, asking which languages the student uses or hears at home.…
3 min readRead guide
THE NYFERA LIBRARY
A clearer picture starts here.
Explore practical guides to New York schools, public data, and the decisions that matter to your family.
Parent Guides
What to Check About Support for English Language Learners in New York Schools
To judge whether a New York school is supporting an English Learner (EL) well, check three things first: how the school identified your child, who is qualified…
9 min readRead guide
School Data & Report Cards
How to Find Official Data for a New York School
New York State publishes official school information through several NYSED systems, each built for a different purpose. The NYSED Data Site lists schools and their reported data…
8 min readRead guide
School Data & Report Cards
What Information Is Included in a New York School Report Card?
The New York State Report Card is an annual public report from NYSED, required under ESSA, that covers state, district, and school performance. It includes accountability statuses,…
9 min readRead guide
School Data & Report Cards
School-Year Data vs. Publication Date: Why the Difference Matters
School-year data and publication dates are different things. The data year is the period the numbers describe; the publication date is when the data product is released.…
6 min readRead guide
Parent Guides
What to Check in a Charter School Annual Report: A Guide for New York Families
A charter school annual report summarizes the school's academic, financial, and organizational performance for a given year. In New York, families should check whether the report covers…
9 min readRead guide
School Data & Report Cards
Why Test Scores Alone Cannot Describe a School
Test scores measure a narrow slice of student performance in tested subjects. They do not capture school climate, safety, access to advanced coursework, arts, counseling, or the…
8 min readRead guide
Accountability & Improvement
What Does School Accountability Mean?
School accountability is the process of collecting information about how schools are performing and then using it to make decisions — recognizing progress, directing support, or requiring…
8 min readRead guide
School Data & Report Cards
Proficiency Rates vs. Student Growth: What Is the Difference?
Proficiency rates show how many students meet a performance standard at one point in time. Student growth measures show how much performance changes over time. They answer…
9 min readRead guide
Parent Guides
Questions to Ask When Comparing Charter and District Schools
Charter and district schools are both public, tuition-free, and open to all students, but they differ in who runs them, how they enroll students, and who can…
8 min readRead guide