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Friday, October 25, 2013

The Latest New Orleans Miracle | Gary Rubinstein's Blog

The Latest New Orleans Miracle | Gary Rubinstein's Blog:

The Latest New Orleans Miracle

Anytime there is a press release from the Louisiana Department of Education, I know I have some work to do.
Two years ago it was how the RSD had the highest percent growth even though that statistic is exaggerated for districts with low baseline scores.  One year ago it was the ‘growth’ of their ACT scores, which was flawed for similar reasons.  A few months ago it was the increased AP participation despite awful pass rates.
Today they announced the latest district and school ratings and, guess what? — the miracles keep on happening.  Some highlights from the press release on their website:
  • the percentage of students attending a failing public school is less than 6 percent, down from 65 percent in 2008.
  • Only 9 of the 88 public schools in New Orleans are failing
  • For 2013, the RSD New Orleans DPS was 71.9, earning the district a C letter grade for the first