Minneapolis Public Schools enrollment >From October 1998 to October 2002:
K-5 enrollment went from 26,021 to 21,982, down by 4,039 (-15.5%) 6-8 enrollment went from 10,319 to 10,373, up by 54 (+0.05%) High School (9-12) enrollment went from 12,436 to 13,843, up by 1,407 (+14%) K-12 enrollment went from 48,776 to 46,182, down by 2,594 (-5.3%) K-12 students residing in Minneapolis attending publicly funded suburban or charter schools went from 2,527 to 5,351, up by 2,826. Since 1998 the school age population in Minneapolis has been fairly stable. The decline in student enrollment from Oct 1998 to Oct 2002 is most due to the loss of "market share" to charter schools, suburban public schools, private schools, home schooling, not rapidly shrinking school age population residing in the city of Minneapolis. Here I will consider the enrollment decline in the Elementary grades In 2002, as you go from grade one to grade 5, I noted a curious thing: The African-American student population GOES UP, from 1310 (38%) to 1,628 (44.32%). And the white student population GOES DOWN 979 (28.84%) to 860 (23.41%). >From 1999 to 2002 there has been a modest decline in the number of white students entering grade 1, from 1,059 to 979 (-7.6%) >From 1999 to 2002 there has a huge decline in the number of African-American students entering grade 1, from 1,831 to 1,310 (-28.5%) Proportionally there is also a somewhat greater net loss of African-American students than of White students who entered grade 1 in 1999 and grade 4 in 2002 (see below). The number of African American students entering grade 1 in 1999: 1,831 (45.04% of 1st graders) entering grade 2 in 2000: 1,727 (43.89% of 2nd graders) entering grade 4 in 2002: 1,493 (42.89% of 5th graders) The number of White students entering grade 1 in 1999: 1059 (26.05%) entering grade 2 in 2000: 1017 (25.84%) entering grade 4 in 2002: 866 (24.88%) The district's better schools report card (1999) found that continuously enrolled students (grades 1 through 12) showed growth in math and reading above the national norm, on average. However, the progress of some continuously-enrolled students was poor (including negative growth from one year to the next for some students). And a large majority of all students who were enrolled and tested from one year to the next showed less than one year's growth in reading and/or math in one year. Possible interpretation: Rising test score averages for students continuously enrolled for several years is more an effect of the schools keeping more of the higher performing students, and more of the poor performing students transferring out of the district (and sometimes coming back). Six factors that might explain much of the elementary school market share loss: Effects of tracking system: Part-time tracking The district began to segregation students into separate classrooms for reading instruction in Kindergarten and grade 1 by "ability" in 1997. Students who receive higher level reading instruction can function at a higher level in other academic subject areas. African-American students were more heavily concentrated in classrooms with the dumbed-down curriculum. Overexposure of students to inexperienced teachers: A Class-size reduction, growth of the student population, and a continuous bidding procedure resulted in a heavy concentration of inexperienced teachers in schools serving poorer neighborhoods by the mid-1990s. African-American students have been more heavily concentrated in these schools. A radical restructuring of the curriculum (Profiles of Learning) Experimentation with "outcome-based education" was initiated on the Northside in the early 1990s, then extended districtwide. Instead of watering-down a college-bound curriculum to varying degrees, the curriculum for non-college-bound students is radically restructured to better prepare them for 'their future roles in society.' Disciplinary policies introduced in the late 1990s. "Zero tolerance" disciplinary policies led to increase in disciplinary actions. This was not an effective way to address negative patterns of interactions between teachers and students. Attendance policy The attendance policy adopted in 1999 was expected to raise student performance. But increased attendance levels did not bring about a corresponding improvement in student performance. "Excessive absences" triggered Court interventions (Parents summoned to Court, social worker visits, etc.). Emotional-Behavioral-Disorder Many students are diagnosed as having Emotional-Behavioral Disorders. Psychoactive drugs are often forced on these students. A few years ago nearly one-fourth of all African-American students were diagnosed with EBD and enrolled in special education programs (another source of revenue for the schools). -Doug Mann, King Field Author of "Flight from Equality: School Reform in the US since 1983 http://educationright.tripod.com - 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. 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