BY: Rhoda Opoku Frimpog

As a mom with kids in school, I’ve learned that trying to figure out how students in my state are doing in reading, math, or other subjects feels like a scavenger hunt—except the clues are written in a foreign language. And honestly? That’s a real problem.

We’re not just talking about random data here. This is the information that tells us whether our kids are getting the education they need to succeed. It impacts their future—college, careers, their ability to think critically and solve real-world problems. As parents, we can’t make the best decisions for our children if we don’t have a clear picture of how their schools are performing.

So why is this so hard?

1. Every state does things differently

There’s no single nationwide system for reporting student performance. Each state picks its own tests, defines “proficient” differently, and decides how to present the results.

What counts as “proficient” in Tennessee might not mean the same thing in Michigan or Louisiana. Without a common standard, comparing scores is like comparing apples to oranges. It’s confusing—and it leaves parents guessing.

2. Reports aren’t written for parents (and that’s a problem)

Here’s the part that frustrates me the most: even when the data is available, it’s buried in massive reports full of charts, jargon, and stats you need a background in education policy to decode.

I’ve opened reports and thought, Am I reading a school score or a spaceship manual?
These reports aren’t written for parents—they’re written for policymakers, school boards, and data analysts. But parents are the ones with the most at stake. We deserve plain-language answers to basic questions:
Are our schools doing well? Are our kids learning what they need to learn?

3. The waiting game

Another hurdle? Timing. Test scores aren’t posted right after the tests are taken. It can take months to process, verify, and publish the results. By the time parents finally see the “latest” data, their kids might already be halfway through a new school year. And if the state or district website isn’t updated regularly, we might be looking at numbers that are already outdated.

4. Not all schools share equally

Some districts make this info easy to find with a quick click. Others? You practically have to become a detective. I’ve heard from parents who had to file public records requests just to get basic proficiency numbers. That’s not how transparency should work—especially when this is public information that directly affects our children.

Why Parents Should Care—And Keep Asking

When we don’t have clear, accessible data, we’re left in the dark about whether our schools are actually preparing our kids for the future. If proficiency rates are low, it’s not just a number—it’s a warning sign that students might be falling behind in the skills they’ll need to thrive.

For me, as a mom, this isn’t about politics or policy debates. It’s about knowing whether my kids—and yours—are getting the education they deserve. I want to celebrate when things are going well and speak up when something needs to change. But I can’t do either if I don’t know the truth about how their school is performing.

What You Can Do

• Start with your state Department of Education website. Even if it’s not easy to navigate, it’s the official source.

• Ask your child’s school directly. They may be able to point you to the right place—or even provide a plain-language summary.

• Speak up. If the information is hard to find or hard to understand, say so. Schools and districts work for us—the parents and taxpayers—and they should be making this information accessible.

We have every right to know how well our schools are doing. The system may not have been built with parents in mind, but that doesn’t mean we stop asking. The more we demand transparency, the more pressure there will be to make this data open, understandable, and useful—because our kids’ education is far too important to leave buried in fine print.