In Case You Missed It (ICYMI) … Your mini news clippings
Fact Checking the New Orleans Reforms
Last week, Tulane University’s Education Research Alliance (ERA) published its findings on New Orleans’ student and school academic performance since Katrina. Their research showed that a typical school student’s scores rose by 8 to 15 percentage points.
“Even the lower end of that range suggests large positive effects,” ERA Director Doug Harris wrote. “We are not aware of any other districts that have made such large improvements in such a short time.”
Their analysis ruled out other factors that might have led to the improved scores.
- The gains were NOT due to changes in student population.
- The gains were NOT due to schools focusing their efforts on the “bubble students,” those right at the cusp of passing.
- The gains were NOT due to pushing students out of school. The number of expulsions, suspensions, and days suspended are either unchanged or lower than in the pre-storm period.