I have to agree with Michael Atherton on this one. Buzzy Bohn is correct that
some very dedicated senior teachers choose to remain in high-poverty schools.
North Star school in the Jordan neighborhood is an excellent example, although
it will close in a year. However, overall there's a clear pattern that
high-poverty schools have less-experienced teachers, and there's a correlation
between that and test scores.
The district did a correlation analysis a year ago that covered middle schools
and the middile grades of K-8 schools. A variety of factors were correlated
against passing rates on the 8th grade basic skills test. To quote from my
story of June 14, 2004: "The analysis shows a strong link between low student
performance and high teacher turnover. Teacher turnover ranked second in a
laundry list of variables tested for their correlation with poor student
progress over a three-year period." Obviously a correlation is associational,
but not necessarily causal. Here is how schools shook out (results formiddle
grades only of K-8s schools):
% Teacher Median years Median years % pass % pass
School turnover in district in school reading 03 math 03
Banneker NA 3.5 1.0 3% 14%
Jordan Park 443 2.0 2.0 36 26
Lincoln 330 2.5 1.5 57 3
Green 317 3.0 2.0 40 19
Cityview 258 2.5 2.5 36 39
Andersen Open 222 4.5 3.0 33 30
Johnson 100 2.0 1.0 33 23
Northeast 100 2.0 1.0 62 59
Sullivan 83 8.0 5.0 57 48
Middle Grades 72 6.0 3.0 55 47
Olson 71 5.0 3.0 51 47
Emerson 67 4.5 2.0 82 82
Webster 64 6.0 6.0 46 41
Sheridan 58 7.0 4.0 59 49
Lake Harriet Upper 50 5.5 2.5 88 76
Seward 50 11.5 7.0 83 73
Laney 44 4.0 1.0 50 30
Four Winds 43 6.0 4.0 33 17
Anthony 42 8.0 3.0 71 63
Anwatin 42 6.5 4.0 64 60
Sanford 42 7.0 3.0 38 30
Davis 33 3.5 2.0 34 34
Franklin 31 6.0 3.0 50 47
Ramsey 31 4.0 4.0 62 48
Marcy 25 12.0 7.0 86 78
Folwell 15 6.0 5.0 40 31
Windom 14 6.0 6.0 55 45
Field 11 9.0 3.0 84 77
Barton 0 12.0 7.5 85 79
Jefferson 0 5.0 4.0 51 33
As I reported a month or so ago, a deal has been struck by Minneapolis and St.
Paul teacher unions and their boards at the Legislature that would allow them
to negotiate exceptions to the last-hired, first-fired layoff rules imposed by
the teacher tenure act (which treats cities of the first class differently than
other school districts in this regard.) This change is in the omnibus school
bills of both chambers that are hung up in the overall legislative impasse.
The change would take effect Aug. 1. Assuming that contract negotiaitons are
still in progress then, this could allow some exceptions to seniority in
layoffs, which might help the turnover numbers for higher-poverty schools with
more junior faculty. However, any negotiated changes would not affect this
year's layoffs, but those a year from now could look different.
Steve Brandt
Star Tribune
REMINDERS:
1. Be civil! Please read the NEW RULES at http://www.e-democracy.org/rules. If
you think a member is in violation, contact the list manager at [EMAIL
PROTECTED] before continuing it on the list.
2. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait.
For state and national discussions see: http://e-democracy.org/discuss.html
For external forums, see: http://e-democracy.org/mninteract
________________________________
Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn
E-Democracy
Post messages to: mailto:[email protected]
Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
