Tuesday, June 14, 2011

This is Just Not True

RIDE's ACHIEVEMENT FIRST MAYORAL ACADEMIES – Project Profile for Thursday's Regents meeting:

Student Need in Cranston. Cranston is the third-largest city in Rhode Island, with a population of nearly 80,000 people. Eleven thousand students attend Cranston public schools. 33% are low income, and 24% are a racial minority. Cranston graduation rates, according to the applicants, are perennially above the state average; however, achievement gaps between white and minority as well as poor and non-poor students are 20 percentage points at all grade levels.

Well, no. There is not a 20 point achievement gap at all levels, and in particular, the middle school gaps become pretty low. And frankly, if a district shows it closes the gaps as students progress, isn't that the point?

Now the high school gaps go back up, so there is probably an argument to be made for a hypothetical Cranston/Providence Fung/Taveras Classical High School Mayoral Academy (since they both love Classical), but I don't expect them to figure out something so obvious and potentially useful.

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