What Effect Are Our School Systems Having?

As we enter into a new school year, the most pressing question on my mind is this: how will we know whether or not our students are learning and growing? Every school board member and superintendent needs to be able to answer this question without hesitation. A great deal of energy is being focused on health and safety right now, and this is wise. School systems exist, however, to improve student outcomes so we can never let ourselves lose sight of this priority -- even in the midst of a crisis. 

Sometimes a fresh perspective is helpful to school system leaders trying to prioritize. So as a coach, I'm always looking for tools to help school board members and superintendents see their own school systems in new ways. Recently I came across a data trove that accomplishes this by letting you highlight the district of your choice. They've also provided two analyses that may inspire conversation and reflection.

• You can plug in your favorite school system here to see the extent to which our students are growing between 3rd and 8th grades. https://edopportunity.org/discoveries/affluent-schools-are-not-always-best/ 

• You can plug in your favorite school system here to see the differences between our black and white students' performance and the relationship to affluence and segregation. https://edopportunity.org/discoveries/white-black-differences-scores/

Blog Posts: