STRIB EDITORIAL "Jennings comes to the superintendency believing that the course set by Johnson is the right one for producing lasting improvement in student performance. In that sense, he represents stability. But he is also capable of challenging sacred cows, including the teachers' union, in order to more effectively produce results."
Unfortunately we got about the same results under Johnson that we got with the Superintendent she replaced, Peter Hutchinson: Falling graduation rates and a widening academic achievement gap. The rate at which students entering 9th grade graduate from High School dropped from over 50% to 46% with Johnson at the helm. The district's claims of progress in "closing the gap" and boosting student achievement are fraudulent. The district is cooking its data. The district is measuring the progress of "continuously enrolled" students. In year-to-year comparisons of districtwide test scores, the scores of newcomers are NOT added in and the scores of the dropouts / pushouts that are included one year are dropped the following year. I first noted this method of cooking the books in comments about a report at a November 1998 school board meeting and the 1998 better schools report card (dated Jan. 1999) Remember, the board predicted that its recently introduced attendance policy would contribute to falling graduation rates and falling enrollment (which would contribute to its financial troubles). The board was right. Predictably, a large majority of the students pushed out of school with this policy happen to be students who get low scores on the standardized academic aptitude (NALT) and curriculum content (Basic Standards) tests. That helps to raise the test score averages and "close the gap" on paper because the district is making year to year comparisons of different sets of students as described above. We need a superintendent search process that includes hearings for public input and open board meetings without hidden agendas. Above all, the process needs to focus on what the district needs to do in order to close the gap, and how that's going to be done before serious consideration is given to who should lead the district. -Doug Mann, King Field REMINDERS: 1. Think a member has violated the rules? Email the list manager at [EMAIL PROTECTED] before continuing it on the list. 2. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. ________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
