The Council of the Great City Schools (CGCS) has released
a report describing how well large public school districts are mitigating the
effects of poverty and other barriers. The study, Mirrors
or Windows: How Well Do Large City Public Schools Overcome the Effects
of Poverty and Other Barriers? uses data collected over the past
ten years in reading and mathematics at the fourth-
and eighth-grade levels from the National Assessment of Educational Progress
(NAEP) to answer the question of whether “schools are windows of opportunity – helping
overcome poverty and other barriers – or they are mirrors of society’s
inequities.” Data was also used from the Trial
Urban District Assessment (TUDA) of NAEP. The Council initiated TUDA in
2000 so the nation’s largest school systems can track their progress against
other cities, states, and the nation.
“Miami-Dade
County Public Schools (M-DCPS) believes that all children deserve a quality
education,” said Superintendent of Schools Alberto M. Carvalho. “We are proud
of the tireless efforts of our team of educational professionals and the
ongoing support of families, which has propelled M-DCPS students to achieve and
soar academically and personally. This report strongly validates our work over
the past decade in providing a window of opportunity for all children that is
unparalleled.”
The study found that Miami-Dade County Public Schools (M-DCPS)
not only scored higher on NAEP than Large City School averages in all areas, but
the District also outperformed All Other Schools, public and private,
nationally in 4th grade Reading and Mathematics. In addition, “district
effects” were calculated, representing the difference between the district’s actual
test scores and predicted scores based on demographic attributes of the
students tested that are known to impact achievement. M’DCPS’ district effects exceeded that of All
Other Schools in 4th and 8th grade Reading and Math. Miami-Dade emerged as the
only District to excel in the top rankings for both average scores and district
effects in three of the four NAEP assessments. Overall, the study further
reveals that the urban public schools did accelerate the performance of their
students to a degree not seen in the comparison group, which included non-urban
public and private schools.
“The
significant accomplishments highlighted in this report reflect the outstanding
work of Miami-Dade’s educators. I am proud of the consistent academic growth
demonstrated by our students,” said Perla Tabares Hantman, Miami-Dade School
Board Chair. “As illustrated by the data highlighted in this report, our
District continuously aims to provide students with the resources and support
they need to excel. On behalf of our entire School Board, I commend all who
made this possible.”
M-DCPS showed results that were above expectations in
fourth- and eighth grade reading and mathematics in 2019 and in most years over
the 10-year period. Moreover, the District demonstrated some of the largest
overall gains. M-DCPS district effects ranked first among TUDA districts,
higher than Large City and All Other Schools in grade 4 Mathematics and Reading
and ranked second in both grades in Reading.
·
Grade
4 in both Reading and Mathematics exhibited greater than 14-point differences
between observed and expected scores, outpacing all other districts in this measurement
of accelerating student achievement.
·
In 2019, M-DCPS was one of only five districts
that showed significant positive district effects in both Reading and
Mathematics and at both grade levels.
M-DCPS was also
lauded for intentionally focusing investments by community partners on
“fragile” schools—aligning those resources to meet student needs—as part its
district improvement strategy. In addition to deploying the most effective
teachers and leaders to these schools, the District directed greater support
and resources to these sites.
For the most up-to-date information, please download the Dadeschools
Mobile App to your iPhone or Android device. Follow us on Twitter @mdcps and @miamisup, on Instagram @miamischools and @miamisup, and on Facebook at MiamiSchools and AlbertoCarvalho.
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