When children leave Dallas schools, do they find a better education?
11:06 PM CDT on Saturday, June 5, 2010
With thousands of black families bypassing Dallas ISD, a big question emerges: Are their children getting a better education?
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For starters, parents can consider school district ratings under the state's accountability system. Dallas is rated "acceptable," just likeCedar Hill, DeSoto ,Duncanville, Mesquiteand Mansfield – all districts that have added thousands of black students in recent years. But Lancaster ISD is rated "unacceptable."
TAKS scores tell more. For instance, Mansfield and Mesquite school districts have higher percentages of students passing or scoring commended on the TAKS test across all subjects. But DISD also has a greater share of students who are poor or learning English – challenges that can lower overall passage rates. Meanwhile, Lancaster ISD has lower TAKS scores than Dallas ISD almost across the board.
But looking at district-level information can mask big differences between campuses within the same school district. Dallas ISD has campuses rated from "exemplary" at the top to "unacceptable" at the bottom. Again, it's also important to look at the demographics each school serves, because that varies widely and can help explain achievement.
Many parents are also choosing charter schools. Overall, they are more likely to be rated "unacceptable" statewide – though most of those low-rated campuses serve former or potential dropouts. Several charter schools have also had financial problems in recent years, based on TEA reports. The area also has some top-rated charter schools, including St. Anthony Academy and Richland Collegiate High School, both in Dallas.
Beyond state data, parents can weigh factors that don't appear on