School Performance

I absolutely love the Interactive Map on School Performance in last week's St. Louis Post Dispatch! These are the percentages of students proficient or advanced on Missouri's state assessments in the districts where I live and work.


This is the district where I work…

Francis Howell High
English: 82.4
Math: 68.2
Science: 92.6
Social Studies: 70.6

Francis Howell Central High
English: 76.5
Math: 53.5
Science: 91.5
Social Studies: 61.4

Francis Howel North High
English: 80.1
Math: 54.4
Science: 93.4
Social Studies: 62.2

This is the district that my taxes support…

Ft. Zumwalt North High
English: 75.8
Math: 53.1
Science: 92.8
Social Studies: 57.4

Ft. Zumwalt South High
English: 83.6
Math: 51.1
Science: 94.2
Social Studies: 58.3

Ft. Zumwalt West High
English: 78.6
Math: 40.6
Science: 92.6
Social Studies: 58.3

Ft. Zumwalt East High
English: 72.7
Math: 34.2
Science: 87.4
Social Studies: 59


Ft. Zumwalt's highest math score is lower that Francis Howell's lowest. Considering Zumwalt's dismal math performance, how can these two districts be so close on the MSIP5 score card?

Francis Howell: 96.4%
Ft. Zumwalt: 92.9%

In my opinion, academic performance should be the focus in scoring schools.

No Algebra 1 in 8th Grade => No Opportunity to Take Calculus while in High School

Full Article Here => Boston Globe North, August 15


[Reading MA] has adopted a new sequence that leaves more than 80 percent of eighth-graders without a direct path to a high school calculus course. Only 18 percent will be enrolled in algebra 1, compared with 60 percent to 65 percent in previous years, according to Craig Martin, Reading’s assistant superintendent for learning and teaching.


[Parents] have expressed concern that the school system’s departure from the traditional math sequence, which required a majority of students to take algebra 1 in eighth grade, may leave little room for a high school calculus class, a requirement at many colleges for acceptance into a science or engineering undergraduate program.