The Myth of Education Gap-Closing in NYC Scools (and the Nation)

Folks,

Malcolm X said (I'm paraphrasing): When a man with a 12 inch knife in your back
pulls it out 3 inches, you don't call that "Progress."

The Bloomberg/Klein spinmasters at the NY Times have produced another "gem"
of mythical propaganda with Dec 2's news article rosily headlined: "City's
Schools Cut Racial Gap in Test Scores". (the full article is below my critique)
also visit  for the data.

DAVID M. HERSZENHORN's raggedy mishmash article is a classic attempt to abuse statistics
for the sake of shoring up and covering up a major corporate-sponsored education
implosion. Herszenhorn and The Times can get away with it because 99% of US citizens
don't have a clue about analyzing statistical data. Let's be real here: there is
a real educational meltdown going on in NYC's public schools (as well as the rest
of the US's public education system).

So let's take a look at the Times's attempt at bamboozling and obscuring and fabricating....

"The results are divided into four categories: below basic, basic, proficient
and advanced."

What The Times DOES NOT tell you is that "below basic" and "basic"
are actually about being super-illiterate/innumerate and functionally illiterate/innumerate.
A "proficient" score means that your child is AT grade level. The National
Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) lumps the "basic" level with
the "proficient" and "advanced" levels, thus distorting the
reality of literacy and numeracy in the US. It prettifies a national horror of tens
of millions of academically ill-prepared young citizens (but that's what present-day
capitalism needs!). So when you go to: 
and look at the stats, regroup the stats to have basic and below basic together
to get a better picture of the depth and breadth of US miseducation.

For example: if we look at the nationwide Black 8th graders Math scores this way,
we'll see that 92 out of 100 Black 8th graders are incapable of doing -at best-
7th and 8th grade math! And 89 out of 100 NYC's Black students are in the same devastating
state. see: 
---------------------------

"Mirroring a nationwide pattern on state by state results released last month,
reading scores in the urban districts were up in the fourth grade but flat or lower
in the eighth grade."

So how's this education progress when by the 8th grade, most children -at best-
know only as much as they did in the 4th grade?
-----------------

"New York City's strongest results over all were in fourth-grade math, with
the number of students scoring at the basic level up 6 percentage points, to 73
percent, from 2003."

You get these results by:

(1)  making the test even easier than all the previous ones...

(2)  ...then spend 80-90% of classroom time teaching-to-the-test (meaning that no
real math education is going on... resulting in disastrous test scores and grades
by the 8th grade AND nurturing the pre-high school dropout rate)

(3)  Give the test earlier in the year, thus testing more 3rd grade material than
4th grade material.

(4)  systematically weed out low performing students test time.
-------------------------

"In fourth-grade reading, New York City's gap between the average score of
black and white students shrank by 10 points. Among Hispanic students the gap shrank
7 points."

10% and 7% shrinkage from what gap? It's never revealed. So these numbers sound
good but have no context. How wide was the gap? That's key to see how much progress
is being made and how long it will take to achieve parity.

"In all, 36 percent of white fourth graders achieved reading proficiency on
this year's test, compared with 16 percent of black students and 15 percent of Hispanic
students."

64 out of 100 white 4th grade students being illiterate is an alarmingly horrific
figure! But the Times hides this horror thru its glazing data-ese. 84 out of 100
Black 4th grade students can't read and 85 out of 100 Latino students can't read.
This is beyond horrific. This is educational genocide. But all this is counched
in the shroud of "progress" and "gap closing." I am convinced
that if white, Black, Latino parents are given test data in this manner, there would
be more outrage and action against Bloomberg/Klein (mis)education policies. But
the Times's job is not to give a true picture of the education crisis. There job
is to say: "You're doing a good job Bloomie!"
----------------------

"...New York had the most striking gains in fourth-grade reading scores, with
57 percent of students testing at the basic level this year, up from 47 percent
in 2002...."

(1)  How do you get 57% from the data state above: 36% white proficiency, 16% Black
profiency and 15% Latino profiency? Even if the Asian and "other" 4th
graders scored 100% proficiency (which they did not), they only constitute an even
smaller-than-white-students percentage of 4th graders.

(2)  Don't forget: not ALL 4th graders took the tests: thousands were "absent"
from the exams thru various underhanded bureaucratic maneuverings.
-----------------------

"But while New York City could boast of encouraging gains in several areas,
the overall picture of student achievement remains sobering. The results showed
that in the city 43 percent of students remained at the below basic level in reading
in the fourth grade. And eighth-grade reading scores fell slightly on the federal
test, to 20 percent at the proficient level from 22 percent in 2003. The eighth-grade
reading scores were the one area where the gap between white and black students
widened."

(1)  Education regression is progress according to The Times: "sobering progress."
I hate to see "drunken progress."

(2)  Now we see reality: "...eighth-grade reading scores fell slightly on the
federal test, to 20 percent at the proficient level from 22 percent in 2003."
Translation: By the time your 4th grader gets to an 8th grade class in NYC public
school system he/she will most likely be among the 80 out of 100 who CANNOT READ
at either the 7th or 8th grade level (because the test content is really wieghted
on 7th grade material).

(3)  "The eighth-grade reading scores were the one area where the gap between
white and black students widened." Why is the widening happening?

(a)  Teacher expectation is higher for white teens than for Black or Latino teens.
(b)  More tutorial support (via parents and schools) for white students
(c)  White teens are surrounded by white achievement and power
(d)  Black/Latino teens are surrounded by oppression, negative/criminal imagery,
eurocentric curriculum
(e)  Black/Latino accept a form of racial inferiority complex about low test-score
expectations
(f)  White Teens go to qualitatively better middle schools than Black/latinos
-------------------------------

"Mr. Klein played down the fact that gains were made in moving students to
the basic levels, but not to the level of proficiency required by President Bush's
signature No Child Left Behind law."

Bloomberg/Klein Progress = getting students to basic level NOT proficiency level.
Emphasize this to parents and media rather than he reality that the city's children
are, for the most part, functionally illiterate.
--------------------------------

"New York City's gains among black and Hispanic students were also accompanied
by drops in scores among white students that both national experts and local school
officials were at a loss to explain.

Some said the drop might be a result of the fact that the National Assessment of
Educational Progress tests a sample of students rather than the entire district.
Both gains or declines in scores must exceed the margin of error to be statistically
significant."

The Real Deal: When you gear all your teaching to making sure students pass exams,
this has a ripple effect thruout the system. One result is "white student alienation."
That is, there are culturally given expectations for white student's intellectual
development. Their family, their friends, their neighborhood expects that. But being
immersed in a test-driven schooling system collides with these expectations by the
time of the 8th grade test. Remember, most of these white students and their family
are already looking at high school and college. But many of them have experienced
only teaching-to-the-test and very little critical thinking that's essential for
being college bound. Hence, many white students join the ranks of the academically
aliented... and just tune out of his miseducation scene.

The National Assessment of Educational Progress's sampling is done in the standard
scientific manner: maximizing the possibility of getting a true representation of
NYC's white student population. So... don't blame NAEP for the white student score
decline: it's a result of years of teaching-to-the-test having a negative impact
on thousands of white teens.
--------------------------------

"Mr. Easton, one of several officials making the presentation, cited research
in Chicago showing that ninth-grade outcomes are highly predictive of high school
success or failure, and he noted that black eighth graders in about half of the
urban districts had very low math scores."

This telling fact is buried near the end of the article. One thing we never see
in these news articles is projection. That is, given these data how long will it
take for Black/Latino 4th and 8th graders to reach parity with white/Asian students?
They don't want us to look at this because it would reveal that it would take DECADES
to reach parity. Remember, the education gap existed from the end of slavery and
was exacerbated by segregation's separate and unequal policies both NORTH and SOUTH.

Only total systemchange based on the premise that education is a Human Right can
reverse this education pogrom/implosion. No Bloomberg/Klein mandates of corporate
intervention can do it. No moral and intellectual suasion with Bloomberg/Klein can
do it. It's parents, students, teachers, communities emnvisioning another educational
system grounded in critical thinking and truly embracing New York's vast cosmopolitan
culture and fighting to make it real.
==========================

December 2, 2005
City's Schools Cut Racial Gap in Test Scores
By DAVID M. HERSZENHORN

BOSTON, Dec. 1 - New York City has narrowed the gap in achievement between black
and Hispanic students and their white counterparts, largely outpacing 10 other large
urban school districts in addressing such disparities, according to federal reading
and math scores in fourth and eighth grades that were released here on Thursday.

The scores, part of the National Assessment of Educational Progress ,
often called the nation's report card, measured math and reading skills in 11 of
the country's largest urban school systems. The scores are a subset of results from
nationwide testing that is widely regarded as the country's best measure of school
performance.

Over all, the results showed the urban districts making substantial progress in
math and very limited gains in reading compared to 2002 and 2003, when the big-city
schools were previously tested. In fourth-grade math, for example, eight of the
10 districts tested in 2003 posted significant gains in 2005. In eighth-grade math,
four of the 10 made gains. (Austin, Tex., which joined the urban study this year,
was not included in the 2003 results.)

Mirroring a nationwide pattern on state by state results released last month, reading
scores in the urban districts were up in the fourth grade but flat or lower in the
eighth grade.

Except for Austin and Charlotte, N.C., the urban districts remained solidly below
the national average in both reading and math. And some experts said Thursday's
results were a reminder of how far the urban districts still have to go.

New York City's strongest results over all were in fourth-grade math, with the number
of students scoring at the basic level up 6 percentage points, to 73 percent, from
2003.

New York was also the top urban district in reading in both the fourth and eighth
grades among students eligible for free and reduced lunch, an indicator of socioeconomic
disadvantage.

The results are divided into four categories: below basic, basic, proficient and
advanced. And New York, like the other urban districts, made better progress in
moving students from below basic to basic than in moving students from basic to
proficient. For example, in Charlotte, the most consistently high-performing district
in the study, only 24 percent of fourth graders were proficient in reading, which
is defined as solid academic performance.

Perhaps the most dramatic of New York's results was the substantial narrowing of
the racial achievement gap.

In fourth-grade reading, New York City's gap between the average score of black
and white students shrank by 10 points. Among Hispanic students the gap shrank 7
points.

In all, 36 percent of white fourth graders achieved reading proficiency on this
year's test, compared with 16 percent of black students and 15 percent of Hispanic
students.

In Washington, Margaret Spellings, the education secretary, singled out the gains
by minority students in New York as evidence of progress in big cities nationwide.
"We have proof now that high standards and accountability are paying off,"
she said. "Over all, this data shows that urban districts are helping urban
students achieve."

Schools Chancellor Joel I. Klein of New York said he viewed the federal test results
as a reaffirmation of big gains on the state and city reading and math tests last
school year.

"Our fourth-grade story is compelling," Mr. Klein said. "I think
it confirms a trend that we've heard a lot about, which is in the lower grades we're
getting really good results."

Of the 11 urban districts, New York had the most striking gains in fourth-grade
reading scores, with 57 percent of students testing at the basic level this year,
up from 47 percent in 2002. And Mr. Klein said the results reaffirmed his choice
of literacy curriculum.

"Some questions were raised about our curriculum and whether it would work
in high-needs minority communities," the chancellor said. "What this data
is telling you is, indeed, it does."

But while New York City could boast of encouraging gains in several areas, the overall
picture of student achievement remains sobering. The results showed that in the
city 43 percent of students remained at the below basic level in reading in the
fourth grade. And eighth-grade reading scores fell slightly on the federal test,
to 20 percent at the proficient level from 22 percent in 2003. The eighth-grade
reading scores were the one area where the gap between white and black students
widened.

Mr. Klein played down the fact that gains were made in moving students to the basic
levels, but not to the level of proficiency required by President Bush's signature
No Child Left Behind law.

"Look at the nation and you will see across the nation that there was no dramatic
changes in proficiency," Mr. Klein said. "That's why these data have to
be read comparatively."

New York City's gains among black and Hispanic students were also accompanied by
drops in scores among white students that both national experts and local school
officials were at a loss to explain.

Some said the drop might be a result of the fact that the National Assessment of
Educational Progress tests a sample of students rather than the entire district.
Both gains or declines in scores must exceed the margin of error to be statistically
significant.

Some officials hailed Thursday's results as evidence of marked improvement in school
systems long regarded as troubled and, in some cases, as educational wastelands.

"The real news here is not that we score below national averages, we know that;
most of the nation knows that," said Michael Casserly, executive director of
the Council of the Great City Schools, a lobbying group for urban districts. "The
real news is we are gaining ground on the rest of the country. The real question
is not whether urban districts can improve, but how fast can we do it?"

Ms. Spellings, who spoke at a conference on English language learners, said the
new data "belies some of the myths that urban America, that urban schools,
inner-city schools cannot effectively serve kids - and that is just wrong."

John Q. Easton, a member of the National Assessment Governing Board, which oversees
the federal testing, said at a news conference announcing the results that although
the scores were encouraging, much more needed to be done.

"The achievement gaps between whites and minorities are unacceptably high,"
said Mr. Easton, who is also executive director of the Consortium on Chicago School
Research at the University of Chicago. "On average, the lowest-scoring white
students often do better than the highest-scoring black students."

He added: "These data highlight a tremendous challenge. I hope they will help
keep us focused."

Local school officials, in districts stretching from Boston to San Diego, said they
viewed the federal results as cause for optimism.

Thomas W. Payzant, the superintendent of the Boston public schools, said: "The
most important thing about this for me is it creates a sense of hope. This is evidence
that urban school districts can improve and make significant progress."

The National Assessment Governing Board, which oversees the federal testing, unveiled
the urban district scores at a news conference at the Boston Public Library.

Mr. Easton, one of several officials making the presentation, cited research in
Chicago showing that ninth-grade outcomes are highly predictive of high school success
or failure, and he noted that black eighth graders in about half of the urban districts
had very low math scores.

"These students will have enormous difficulty in making the transition to high
school and passing, not mention doing well, in their freshman courses," he
said. "Urban districts must continue to seek new ways to prepare these students."

In some urban districts, the results were mixed. In Houston, for example, once led
by Mr. Bush's first education secretary, Rod Paige, the average reading scores in
fourth and eighth grade were not significantly higher than in 2003 or 2002. There
was also no significant change in the percentage of students scoring proficiently
in either the fourth or eighth grade.

But Houston's math scores were up significantly in both grades and the number of
fourth graders scoring proficiently in math rose to 26 percent, from 18 percent
in 2003. Among eighth graders, the number scoring proficiently rose to 16 percent
from 12 percent in 2003.

Mr. Casserly, of the Council of the Great City Schools, said the focus by many districts
on reading might actually be paying early dividends in math scores because students
can better read and understand problem-solving questions.

Elissa Gootman, in New York, and John Files, in Washington, contributed reporting
for this article.


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