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WASHINGTON, January 5,
2013
—
The Wireless Foundation, DC Public Charter School
Board (PCSB) and DC Mayor Vincent C. Gray announced the release of the
MyDCcharters, a free mobile app that
provides detailed information on the city’s public charter schools. The app,
which was introduced at the 4th annual DC Public Charter School
Expo, locates the closest schools and provides information on a school’s
performance, application deadlines, program offerings and transportation
options to help parents make informed decisions about their child’s education. Powered
by Boopsie, the free app is available for download on Android, BlackBerry, Java
and Windows Mobile platforms and is coming soon to iOS.
MyDCcharters
is based entirely on the PCSB’s Performance Management Framework (
PMF
),
PCSB’s annual tool for assessing and monitoring charter school performance. Users
can see lists of high-performing schools and search for schools by type of program,
giving parents on-the-go access to school quality information. More than 35,000
students attend DC charter schools, about 43 percent of the city’s public
school population, and more than 83 percent of the students are African
American and more than 72 percent are from economically disadvantaged
households.
Research has shown that the average
adoption rate of wireless technology is higher among low-income and minority
households. According to a December 2012 survey by
Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life
Project
, while 45 percent of all
Americans own a smartphone, the number increases to more than 47 percent among African-Americans
and Hispanics. These smartphone users are also more likely to use their
smartphone to access the Internet, with 60 percent of African-Americans and 66
percent of Hispanics compared to 52 percent of Caucasians.
“As a champion of public education, I support giving
DC parents the information they need related to their child’s education in a
format that works for them. Almost everyone has a mobile device, or access to
one, and
MyDCcharters allows parents
across the city to learn more about charter school performance from the palm of
their hand,” said Mayor Gray.
Brian W. Jones, Chairman of the DC Public Charter
School Board, said
MyDCcharters
reflects the Board’s commitment to continue to find creative and innovative
ways to empower DC parents with information about charter school options and performance.
“Parents today demand reliable and easily accessible information
to make good choices for their children,” Jones said. “
MyDCcharters
gives busy parents useful information about charter
school performance in a clear and simple format that’s available to them 24/7.”
Steve Largent, President and CEO of CTIA and
President of The Wireless Foundation, said: “For low income and minority populations,
who have historically had limited Internet access, mobile devices and services offer
access to the Internet and all of the opportunities associated with anytime and
anywhere online services. From education to healthcare, wireless hatechnologies
are removing the ‘digital divide’ and are providing kids and their parents with
the necessary information to make the best decisions for their family. The
MyDCcharters
app is another example of
the wireless industry’s commitment to helping families as they decide if a
charter school is right for their kids.”
This is the second national launch of a mobile app
for charter school parents. In New Orleans, where roughly 71 percent of
students attend charter schools, The Wireless Foundation and New Orleans Parent
Organizing Network (NOLA PON), released the “
NOLA Parent’s
Guide
” in May 2012, a mobile app for
parents and students with information on the city’s public and public charter
schools.
To download the free
MyDCcharters app, please visit
http://dcpcsb.boopsie.com
.
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About The Wireless
Foundation
The Wireless Foundation (
www.wirelessfoundation.org
)
is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to developing and supporting initiatives
that use wireless technology to help American communities. The Foundation’s
innovative programs benefit consumers in areas such as education, healthcare,
safety and the environment. As part of its Annual Achievement Awards, the
Foundation recognizes VITA™ Wireless Samaritans and honors the best of our
nation’s leadership, its youth and its scholars. The Foundation was formed by
CTIA-The Wireless Association® member companies in 1991.
About DC
Public Charter School Board
The DC Public Charter School Board (PCSB) is setting a national
model for creating quality public school options through its rigorous review of
new charter applications and effective oversight of charter school performance
that is leading the transformation of public education in Washington, DC. PCSB
currently oversees 57 public charter schools 102 campuses serving 35,019
students living in every ward of the city. Learn more at
www.dcpcsb.org
.
Media Contact:
CTIA: Amy Storey, 202.736.3207,
astorey@ctia.org
DC Public Charter School Board: Theola Labbé-DeBose, 202.579.9385
cell/text,
tldebose@dcpcsb.org
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