The results are in -- our school district has the third lowest SAT scores in the county. We have the second lowest High School Proficiency Assessment scores. Well...at least we're not at the bottom. I'm more annoyed that the result is probably going to be more teaching to the tests. The top four performers, no surprise, are made up of wealthier areas.
I've been through this before, in Maryland. We lived in Columbia, which is made up of 9 villages. Although each village is supposed to house all incomes some ended up being wealthier than others. Immigrants who are learning English more than likely can't afford to live there. The same is true for broken families, dysfunctional families (like those involved in drugs and alcohol), and families with disabilities. Where do those families live? In a less wealthy area. How do the kids perform on tests? Poorly--for one reason and another.
So the four districts that did well are crowing with pride, although one is afraid that being successful will mean budget cuts to programs, class sizes will get bigger and then ... next time, test scores won't be so high. Boo hoo.
As for our district,
“Overall, we have improved and are making strides,” said Robert Arenge, assistant director of instructional services for Pemberton Township School District. “When you compare us to other (special-needs) schools, we're right there where we should be. Compare us to other schools and we're not quite where we want to be.”
And so it goes. I'm not worried. The girls are doing great.
Posted by Cassie at February 2, 2006 12:05 PM | TrackBack