Bill Phillis: New Study Shows That Students Learn No Less in Poor Urban Schools
Bill Phillis, founder of the Ohio Coalition for Equity and Adequacy of School Funding, reports on a new study that undercuts the rationale for state takeovers.
He writes:
Research study: Students learn no less in poor, urban schools than other schools
OSU Professor of Sociology, Dr. Douglas Downey, lead author of a recent study , found that students in urban districts with high concentrations of disadvantaged students learn as much during the school year as those in wealthier districts. Disadvantaged students, of course, start school at a lower level of development, but according to the research study, disadvantaged students don’t lose ground while in school.
This research (and common sense) helps dispel the myth that districts serving high concentrations of disadvantaged students are “failing” just because of low test scores.
This study should inform state officials who are bent on state takeover of school districts (HB 70.) Because a school district has low test scores is not justification for state takeover. (Besides Ohio’s takeover of Youngstown and Lorain have not improved the districts.)
If state officials want the state to takeover some school districts, all districts should be in the pool of candidates for takeover, not just those that serve high concentrations of disadvantaged students.
Ditch HB 70. Just do it.
The Distribution of School Quality: Do Schools Serving Mostly White and High-SES Children Produce the Most Learning?
First Published August 23, 2019 Research Article https://doi.org/10.1177/0038040719870683
Abstract
What is schools’ role in the stratification system? One view is that schools are an CONTINUE READING: Bill Phillis: New Study Shows That Students Learn No Less in Poor Urban Schools | Diane Ravitch's blog