Here’s more on that downright odd NYT story on Wake County schools. We knew it got the bit about CMS having adopted an “economic integration” plan wrong. Now The Daily Howler fills in what else was wrong with reporter Alan Finder’s ode to Wake schools. In short, everything:
Wow! Times readers felt a familiar glow; 80 percent of Wake County black kids scored at grade level on last spring’s tests! But here’s what Finder didn’t tell you—across the state of North Carolina, 77 percent of all black kids scored at grade level on those same tests! That’s right; the Times devoted this front-page story to a three-point difference in passing rates—a three-point difference in passing rates on tests almost everyone passes!
So you can grasp the grinding illiteracy found among New York Times ed writers, let’s make sure you understand how these numbers work. For example, how well did Wake County black fifth-graders do on last spring’s reading test? According to the state’s official results, 88 percent of Wake’s black students tested “proficient” on the state test. But then, 83 of black fifth graders tested “proficient” on this same test statewide! In short, the large majority of fifth-graders—black, white and brown—tested “proficient” all over the state! But you never learn that in Finder’s piece. Instead, you get a warm, fuzzy feeling about Wake’s score gains—score gains which Finder attributes to a particular aspect of Wake’s educational program.
The whole thing is must reading for anyone remotely interested in how education stats can be twisted to mean just about anything.
Meanwhile, I’ve asked the Times for a clarification on what exactly Finder was talking about with regard to CMS policies. Let’s see what we get.
Update: Here’s what a 12-veteran of the Wake County schools has to say about that story: “I am hesitant to attribute all that improvement to busing just a small percentage of students around to different schools.” Read it all.