DPS Students Fail In Math, Reading Compared With Other Urban Districts
DETROIT (WWJ) - Detroit students got a failing grade on a new national report card when compared with kids in other urban areas.
Students in the Detroit Public Schools scored the lowest in the nation among big-city school districts in math and tied for the lowest in reading on the National Assessment of Educational Progress' (NAEP) Trial Urban District Assessment (TUDA).
DPS trailed 20 other big cities that took part in the assessment, which compares fourth and eighth graders' reading and math scores.
[View A Summary Of The Report]
According to test officials, the majority of students in TUDA are black, Hispanic or from lower-economic households. In Detroit, 88 percent of students are eligible for free or reduced lunch due to income status.
Amber Arellano, executive director of the Education Trust-Midwest, a non-partisan education policy and research organization said DPS student achievement continues to be "devastatingly low" – and has changed very little in the last four years.
DPS has remained at the bottom in test scores for the last three test cycles.
"Clearly we have an education crisis in our state, regardless of sector – traditional or charter public schools," said Arellano, in a statement. "We've known this for years, and these new data reinforce that we are not doing enough to better serve our students. As a state, we need to focus on and invest in proven strategies and policies that raise achievement, especially in our urban centers such as Detroit."
Michael Casserly, executive director of Council of the Great City Schools and an urban education expert, said some cities have seen improved test scores after two test cycles — but cities like Detroit need more time to make changes and improve student outcomes.
View district snapshots by subject and grade at this link.
