Here's the formula that NYC uses to define similar elementary schools demographically in their progress reports:
( % eligible for free lunch x 30 ) + ( % students with disabilities x 30 ) +
( % Black/Hispanic x 30 ) + ( % English language learners x 10 ) = PEER INDEX
So, for example, a school with 65% poverty and 95% black/hispanic is considered to have equivalently "high needs" as a school with 95% poverty and 65% black/hispanic. I know which one I think would be easier to get high test scores out of. To take a less realistic example (the first is based on Harlem Success Academy 1 and its closest peer) I'd take 100% black/hispanic with 0% poverty over the inverse any day of the week.
Or what about 60% black/hispanic and 0% ELL vs 40% black/hispanic and 60% ELL? Equivalent?
Of course there is no right answer and the main point that all these scientific numbers involve quite a bit of guesswork. Embedded in here, however, is a strong statement about the extent of the presumed disadvantage of race. It is, the NYC school district is telling us, as powerful a force as poverty, a diagnosed learning disability, and much worse than not speaking the language well.Later... it would be interesting to see how the ratings would change if you multiplied these instead of adding.
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