Ignoring white test scores? My reply.

In a letter-to-the-Editor published earlier this week in the News & Observer, Wake County School Board member Kevin Hill took me to task for ignoring the scores of white students in Wake County who beat their student counterparts in Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools (CMS) on high school end-of-course tests and also for rounding off percentages.  My comments were originally made in response to an N&O editorial, Risks in Wake County’s school revolution.

Rounding percentages? I guess I stand guilty. However, Mr. Hill’s claims about white test scores, conveniently ignored the larger– and still valid — point: high percentages of minority populations in CMS are doing better than their WCPSS counterparts on EOG and EOC tests, and CMS minority test scores are trending better.  (To inspect actual scores, click, here.).  The differing paths of minority test scores in Wake and Charlotte is my focus because boosting scores was a major claim and selling point of Wake’s diversity plan.

For additional information on this topic see: Results Don’t Justify Wake’s Diversity Policy.

As it looks like my reply to the N&O and Mr. Hill will not be printed, click here to view a copy.