A recent study has pronounced the Long Beach Unified School District the most improved urban district in the state, and fourth most improved in the nation. The study was based on testing done in 2000, and follow-up evaluation in 2007. During that time, LBUSD testing performance improved dramatically.
Testing results taken in the year 2000 showed LBUSD ranked significantly below state averages, but performance from 2007 had improved to score well above the state average. The improvement was equivalent to jumping from the 19th percentile to the 70th percentile in seven years. Results were based on fourth grade reading and eighth grade math scores.
“Our approach stems from a concern for equity,” said Tom Loveless, senior fellow at the Brown Center on Education Policy in a press release. “While it is always encouraging to see schools improving on state tests, if more affluent schools are improving even faster, that would raise disquieting questions about whether urban children are receiving an inferior education just because of where they live.”
The Brown Center on Education Policy conducted the study, and is part of The Brookings Institution, a private nonprofit organization devoted to independent research and innovative policy solutions.
By Ryan ZumMallen, Managing Editor