Achievement gap - evidence

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Did MCPS even say that the boundary study had to do with the achievement gap?

Nope.

^^^Boundary ANALYSIS. A boundary study is something different.

So since have the Language Police at Large on DCUM, I looked it up at the source before posting!

https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/publicinfo/boundary-analysis/

"Boundary Study Feedback Form"

There.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The government did a large study on this. "Moving to opportunity". Finding #4 is related to the achievement gap.

https://www.nber.org/mtopublic/MTO%20Overview%20Summary.pdf

"A total of 4,600 low-income families with children, the vast majority of them headed by African-American or Hispanic single mothers, were recruited from high-poverty public housing projects in five participating cities between 1994 and 1998. These families were assigned by lottery to one of three research groups: A Traditional Voucher group, a Low Poverty Voucher group and a control group."

The findings:

A follow-up study carried out 4 to 7 years after random assignment found that:

1. MTO improved neighborhood outcomes. Assignment to either of the MTO mobility groups led participating adults to feel safer and more satisfied with their housing and neighborhoods.

2. MTO had no effect on the labor market outcomes or social program participation of adults, but improved adults’ mental health as well as several important aspects of physical health.

3. MTO improved outcomes for female youth, particularly their mental health, but on balance had deleterious effects on male youth risky behavior.

4. MTO had no detectable effects on the math and reading achievement of children

Interesting. So you see better ability to function in society, especially for girls, but no change in math/reading scores. Thank you.

What this shows is that people are happier, but they don't do better in school or do better with jobs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Did MCPS even say that the boundary study had to do with the achievement gap?

Nope.

Then what's the reason, to deliberately antagonize property owners along 270? Increase cardiac MD income over the years? Like seriously, what pressing problem is the BOE trying to solve here if it's not the achievement gap?

It IS the achievement gap, by the way - or at least, that is what they said in the meetings that I attended.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Did MCPS even say that the boundary study had to do with the achievement gap?

That is certainly my understanding.

No. Read here: https://www.boarddocs.com/mabe/mcpsmd/Board.nsf/files/B8C2XD77A17C/$file/20190108%20ADOPTED%20Rev%20Boundary%20Assessment%20Study-FAA.pdf

WHEREAS, There is significant evidence that greater racial and socioeconomic diversity in
schools provides academic and social/emotional benefits for all students; and

WHEREAS, Policy FAA, Educational Facilities Planning, now permits the superintendent and
Board of Education to consider boundary options that involve not only schools within a high school
cluster, but also other adjacent schools to alleviate the need for additions and portable classrooms;
and

WHEREAS, The Board of Education revised Policy FAA, Educational Facilities Planning, to
consider various factors when changing school boundaries, particularly developing options that
maximize facility utilization and strive to create a diverse student body; now therefore be it

Resolved, That the superintendent of schools hire a consultant, through the Request for Proposal
process and with the approval from the Board of Education, to review school boundaries in light
of revised Policy FAA, Educational Facilities Planning, gather information and data regarding
current school boundaries, benchmark with comparable school systems, and collect community
input on the opportunities and challenges related to boundary setting using multiple methods and
venues, including but not limited to Capital Improvements Program hearings in fall 2019; and be
it further

Resolved, That the consultant present the findings and options to the Board of Education and the
superintendent of schools with all deliberate speed, no later than spring 2020, and that the findings
and options explore potential modifications to current school boundaries that comport to the four
factors in Policy FAA, Educational Facilities Planning: student demographics, geography,
stability of assignments over time, and facility utilization; and be it further

Resolved, That, after receiving the consultant’s report, the Board of Education determine next
steps, including how to obtain feedback from the community.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Did MCPS even say that the boundary study had to do with the achievement gap?

Nope.

Then what's the reason, to deliberately antagonize property owners along 270? Increase cardiac MD income over the years? Like seriously, what pressing problem is the BOE trying to solve here if it's not the achievement gap?

It IS the achievement gap, by the way - or at least, that is what they said in the meetings that I attended.

I'm a property owner in the I-270 corridor. I'm not antagonized. I think it's a good idea.

[Anonymous]

Yes, but why bother to increase diversity if not to reduce the achievement gap?

Don't we hear over and over that this is done for EDUCATION? To me education means performing well on basic proficiency tests, which is what GreatSchool reflects.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Did MCPS even say that the boundary study had to do with the achievement gap?

Nope.

Then what's the reason, to deliberately antagonize property owners along 270? Increase cardiac MD income over the years? Like seriously, what pressing problem is the BOE trying to solve here if it's not the achievement gap?

It IS the achievement gap, by the way - or at least, that is what they said in the meetings that I attended.

I'm a property owner in the I-270 corridor. I'm not antagonized. I think it's a good idea.

Are you in a corner by the river where your choices are between good and better schools?
It not, than hats off to you.

[Anonymous]

IF you have any more research on the achivement gap, please post it. We can discuss relative merits of diversity in the neighboring 80 page thread.

Thank you,
Normal Parent

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Did MCPS even say that the boundary study had to do with the achievement gap?

Nope.

Then what's the reason, to deliberately antagonize property owners along 270? Increase cardiac MD income over the years? Like seriously, what pressing problem is the BOE trying to solve here if it's not the achievement gap?

It IS the achievement gap, by the way - or at least, that is what they said in the meetings that I attended.

I'm a property owner in the I-270 corridor. I'm not antagonized. I think it's a good idea.

Are you in a corner by the river where your choices are between good and better schools?
It not, than hats off to you.

No.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes, but why bother to increase diversity if not to reduce the achievement gap?

Don't we hear over and over that this is done for EDUCATION? To me education means performing well on basic proficiency tests, which is what GreatSchool reflects.

WHEREAS, There is significant evidence that greater racial and socioeconomic diversity in
schools provides academic and social/emotional benefits for all students; and

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, but why bother to increase diversity if not to reduce the achievement gap?

Don't we hear over and over that this is done for EDUCATION? To me education means performing well on basic proficiency tests, which is what GreatSchool reflects.

WHEREAS, There is significant evidence that greater racial and socioeconomic diversity in
schools provides academic and social/emotional benefits for all students; and

OK great.

Do you have any studies to support that great racial and socioeconomic diversity in schools provides academic and social/emotional benefits for ALL students? Does anyone else have any such studies? What are we basing all of this on?

Thank you,
Normal Parent

[Anonymous]

The most relevant study here would be one that controls for school resources, curriculum and teachers as here we have the situation where the lower performing schools have more resources, the same curriculum and same quality of teachers. I’ve looked for such a study but cannot find it - would love to read one though - everything I’ve seen is where kids are moved to higher wealth districts that spend more have better teachers etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The most relevant study here would be one that controls for school resources, curriculum and teachers as here we have the situation where the lower performing schools have more resources, the same curriculum and same quality of teachers. I’ve looked for such a study but cannot find it - would love to read one though - everything I’ve seen is where kids are moved to higher wealth districts that spend more have better teachers etc.

Excellent point
If the teachers are equally qualified, you have the same curriculum and the same per student funding it suggests the achievement gap might be beyond the scope of what a school system can achieve

[Anonymous]

" The most relevant study here would be one that controls for school resources, curriculum and teachers as here we have the situation where the lower performing schools have more resources, the same curriculum and same quality of teachers. I’ve looked for such a study but cannot find it - would love to read one though - everything I’ve seen is where kids are moved to higher wealth districts that spend more have better teachers etc.

Excellent point
If the teachers are equally qualified, you have the same curriculum and the same per student funding it suggests the achievement gap might be beyond the scope of what a school system can achieve."

Equal teacher qualification is itself difficult to determine let alone figure out how to implement controls. For example:

All teachers having masters degrees and 10-15 years of experience teaching classes with narrow demographics IS NOT the same as All teachers having masters degree and 10-15 years of teaching classes with broad demographics.

[Anonymous]

Look there is no easy answer to closing the achievement gap and I don't really believe that is what this is about. This is more of an equity issue. Shouldn't all kids have access to decent schools?