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Grading the Schools |
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Last month, the Department of Education gave almost every public school in the city a letter grade. One hundred and fifty-one schools got either a 'D' or an 'F,' and the city has announced that thirteen of them will be shut down at the end of the year, with more to follow.
But why did some failing schools get 'A's, while others with great reputations got 'D's and 'F's?
Fifty-five percent of the grades were derived from what the city calls "student progress." That's a measure of the extent to which test scores went up or down over the course of one year. Some parents say this formula puts too much emphasis on test scores — and last year's test scores in particular.
We visit four schools to hear reactions from principals and parents: P.S. 154 in Windsor Terrace; P.S.35 in Staten Island; JHS 50 in Williamsburg, and Central Park East I in Manhattan.
Then Rafael Pi Roman sits down with School's Chancellor Joel Klein to discuss the new grading system.
ORGINAL AIRDATE: 12/11/07
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The Controversy:
A-F grades are being given to almost all public schools...is the process fair?
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Interview with Joel Klein: The school's chancellor defends the city's new grading system.
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