Failing School Imports Smarter Students to Raise Test Scores

Alex

Merrydale Elementary School in Baton Rouge, Louisana, has a problem: its test scores were abysmal. That in and of itself isn't a unique problem - many schools have low tests scores - but Merrydale's solution on how to raise its test scores is.

See, most failing schools try to improve its teaching staff to raise test scores, but the enterprising Louisiana school decided to do something else: import smarter students!

The proposal to move 100 gifted and talented students this fall from Glen Oaks Park Elementary, a C-rated school, to nearby Merrydale Elementary, an F-rated school, generated some heat Thursday. [...]

The higher-scoring gifted students would likely increase the school performance score of Merrydale from 71.2 to an estimated 77.5 under the shift, high enough to avert a state takeover.

Charles Lussier of The Advocate has the scoop: Link

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Comments (6)

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Not necessarily.

Say that good students + good teacher = test score of 10
good students + bad teacher = test score of 8

bad students + good teacher = test scores of 5
bad students + bad teacher = test scores of 3

So you can skew the test scores up by either improving the teachers (and keeping the bad/good student mix you have), or adding more good students (and keeping the bad teachers).
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If you take good students from a "good" school and put them in a "bad" school but they do just as good and raise the schools grade then doesn't that prove that the students are the reason the school gets bad grades and not necessarily the school or teachers?
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the npr story talked about how people need to accept the behavior of these parents and find ways to turn it into a positive situation

i disagree

helicopter parents are patronizing and ultimately self absorbed

if you really care about your kid you will have enough foresight to recognize how such erratic behavior will negatively influence your childs life and learn to hold it back

i mean seriously people
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I am a librarian at a university library. I don't know how many times I have had to deal with parents trying to get their kids out of fines or whatnot. Come on, parents, your kids are adults! Stop hovering!
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I've been working in higher education for over 20 years. I've heard stories about inappropriate parent behavior related to the child's workforce and it is depressing. I'm not saying that parents should not provide assistance because there may be times when this is suitable. But trying to keep a college-graduate child from experiencing any discomfort while job searching or working may stifle that child's ability to complete tasks on her/his own. Being an employee is very different from being a student. While a college or school may need to communicate and interact with parents in a certain way to keep the student enrolled, an employer has no such need when it comes to employees. Developing resilience is a critical skill in these uncertain times.
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