Seattle Achievement Gap

Today's Seattle Times reports on the Seattle School District's evolving plan for narrowing the achievement gap between different groups of students. The proposals include:

efforts to assure that all students are proficient in reading by third grade; a process for assigning the best teachers to the students with the greatest needs; systemwide tests of students in reading, writing and math at the beginning, middle and end of each grade; mandating extra time and instruction for students not making adequate academic progress; and early-childhood education for 4-year-olds in selected areas, with funding from the city and state.

School Board member Darlene Flynn's reported response is a bit of a non-sequitur:

Flynn said that rather than take a punitive approach to low-performing students, the district should look at research that supports year-round schools.

It's not clear which of the above proposals is punitive -- except for the last one, i.e. to extend the failure of government-monopoly schools to 4-year-olds.

The most obvious way to help raise academic achievement for the kids who have been poorly served by the government-monopoly schools is to offer their parents the choice of independently operated charter schools, such as KIPP schools. If the Washington legislature cares about our state's academically disadvantaged children, it will get its act together in the coming session and finally pass a bill to permit charter schools in this state.

Posted by Stefan Sharkansky at December 27, 2003 03:22 PM