Many 'failing' schools aren't failing

Up to three-quarters of U.S. schools deemed failing based on achievement test scores would receive passing grades if evaluated using a less biased measure, a new study suggests.

Ohio State University researchers developed a new method of measuring school quality based on schools' actual impact on learning – how much faster students learned during the academic year than during summer vacation when they weren't in class.

Using this impact measure, about three-quarters of the schools now rated as "failing" because of low test scores no longer would be considered substandard.

That means that in these schools mislabeled as failing, students may have low achievement scores, but they are learning at a reasonable rate and they are learning substantially faster during the school year than they are during summer vacation.

"Our impact measure more accurately gauges what is going on in the classroom, which is the way schools really should be evaluated if we're trying to determine their effectiveness," said Douglas Downey, co-author of the study and professor of sociology at Ohio State University.

Reuters

APQC and DQC Partner on Study to Improve Student Achievement WASHINGTON & HOUSTON--(Business Wire)-- Seventy districts from 25 states have joined to participate in a four-month benchmarking and best practices study on "Data-Driven Decision Making." Conducted by non-profit APQC, the American Productivity & Quality Center, the study and networking will identify how districts are constructing and using longitudinal data systems to improve student achievement. Information on the research and how to participate is located at www.apqceducation.org/d3mstudy.

The 70 school districts from 25 states include the five largest districts in the United States: New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, Miami-Dade, and Clark County (Las Vegas). In addition participants include medium and smaller sized districts such as Community Consolidated School District15 in Palatine, Illinois and Jenks Public Schools, Oklahoma (both Baldrige Quality Education winners). The Data Quality Campaign (which is funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation) and APQC will collaborate on this study.

"Districts throughout the nation are inundated with data: state test data, attendance data, disciplinary data, and demographic data," stated C. Jackson Grayson, founder and chairman of APQC. "Though collecting and reporting data is essential, knowing how to analyze and apply this data and information is just as important for improving
student achievement. Based on the record participation by school districts of all sizes and across the nation, the need to understand best practices in data use is paramount."

The research begins by collecting and analyzing quantitative and qualitative data from districts to provide comparison reports against peers and exemplar districts as well as comparisons with districts of similar enrollment or demographics. APQC's renowned Process Classification Framework(TM), a common process taxonomy, permits the data to be comparable. During the study, APQC will conduct approximately 12 virtual webcasts and 5 in-person site visits to share and learn. The research will culminate on July 9-10, with a two-day symposium to share ideas and best practices, including implementation tips.