Achievement gap

The achievement gap between blacks and whites is stark in Faribault Public Schools, as it is in districts all over southern Minnesota and the state as a whole. (Daily News file photo)

 By JACI SMITH jsmith@faribault.com

Minnesota has some of the worst academic achievement gaps in the nation between white kids and students of color. For example, Minnesota has the nation’s worst on-time graduation rates among Latinos and American Indians and is among the worst for black and Asian students.

Reach Managing Editor Jaci Smith at 333-3134, or follow her at Twitter.com @FDNJaciSmith

Wife, mother, managing editor of the Faribault Daily News and wannabe great American novel writer.

Recommended for you

Methodology

MinnCAN uses results from the Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments for grades three through eight, 10(for reading) and 11 (for math), as well as four-year graduation rates for high schools.

This year’s report cards feature data from the 2011-2012 state assessments and the four-year cohort graduation rates for students who entered ninth grade in 2007.

MinnCAN’s 2013 school and district report cards assign letter grades in five categories:

Student performance (Average percentage of students who are proficient or above across reading and math).

Subgroup performance (Average percentage of low-income, black and Latino students who are proficient or above in reading and math).

Achievement gap (Average difference between the percentage of low-income and minority students and percentage of non-low-income and white students who are proficient or above in reading and math).

Performance Gains (Average one-year change among a cohort of students who are proficient in reading and math).

Four-year cohort high school graduation rates (new as of 2013).

Load comments