Hi. I'm Jarod Apperson, and this is my Atlanta education blog. In 2006, I graduated from New York University with a B.S. in Finance and Accounting. I currently live in Midtown Atlanta and work in the for-profit sector as a forensic accountant. For the most part, the site will focus on local education data analysis with a few national and NYC pieces as well. I hope you will find it interesting & useful.
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13
Jun
As a Midtown resident, I was happy to see that Inman Middle School ranked sixth out of 199 Metro Atlanta middle schools in my 2011 middle school rankings. I always knew that Inman was considered a high-quality school, but I didn`t know just how impressive it`s performance was until I started digging into the data released by the Governor´s Office of Student Achievement. Inman excels every way you look at it.
12
Jun
As parents make decisions about the schools their children attend, having access to useful performance data is informative. As a resident of Atlanta and someone interested in public education, I have been surprised at the lack of accessible information. So, I set out to compile a ranking of academic performance in Metro Atlanta´s public schools.
I have ranked each of Metro Atlanta´s public middle schools considering both the school´s overall performance (40%) and it´s performance relative to peer schools (60%). Peer schools are schools whose students have a similar level of needs. In my analysis, economic disadvantage, English language learners, ethnicity, and special education are each considered in determining a school´s level of needs. A more technical explanation is provided in the linked methodology.
(Source: 2011 Metro Atlanta Middle School Ratings)
11
Jun
I recently posted a piece on performance of charter schools in the Atlanta Public School system. Several who read the article were disappointed to see that Grant Park´s popular Neighborhood Charter School (ANCS) received a grade of “C” in my ratings.
Since some felt that the rating was unfair, I would like to present a closer look at the school´s performance. I explained yesterday that a significant portion of the variation in school performance is explained by needs level. Therefore, it is important to benchmark schools against others with similar needs. My analysis identified 99 elementary schools in Metro Atlanta which have a similar level of needs to ANCS (Methodology).
For grades 3 through 5, I present below school CRCT scores (Methodology) for ANCS and the average for schools with similar needs (Needs Index 1).
10
Jun
Early this year, the New York Times posted an interesting piece on economic mobility in America. The world knows America as “the land of opportunity,” and throughout our history immigrants have come to the country and risen up the ranks.
However, the Times piece noted that, in recent years, U.S. economic mobility for some groups has lagged other developed countries. For example, 43% of Americans raised in the bottom fifth of incomes will stay there. Only 25% of Danes raised in the bottom fifth will stay there.
08
Jun
Eva Moskowitz glared at the linoleum tile on the Try and Try stairwell, brow furrowed at a micromanager´s nightmare: a gray stain, six inches long. ´This drives me crazy,´ she says.
So begins New York Magazine´s profile of Success Academies founder and Gotham lightning rod, Eva Moskowitz: The Patron Saint (and Scourage) of Lost Schools.
The mere mention of Eva´s name is enough to set some people´s blood racing. Commenters on local school news sites call her derogatory names ranging all the way from ”hussy” to “vampire.”
05
Jun
Metro Atlanta Elementary School Rankings showed that student academic achievement varied significantly among the Metro Atlanta area’s elementary schools. While there are certainly a variety of factors that impact student performance, one important factor may be the school’s diversity.
Take a look at the graph below. You can clearly see that schools with higher diversity also have higher academic achivement. As always, we have to remember that correlation does not necessarily reflect a cause & effect relationship. However, the findings certainly give Metro Atlanta’s parents cause to at least consider diversity when enrolling their children.
04
Jun
As parents make decisions about the schools their children attend, having access to useful performance data is informative. As a resident of Atlanta and someone interested in public education, I have been surprised at the lack of accessible information. So, I set out to compile a ranking of academic performance in Metro Atlanta´s public schools.
I have ranked each of Metro Atlanta´s public elementaryschools considering both the school´s overall performance (40%) and it´s performance relative to peer schools (60%). Peer schools are schools whose students have a similar level of needs. In my analysis, economic disadvantage, English language learners, ethnicity, and special education are each considered in determining a school´s level of needs. A more technical explanation is provided in the linked methodology.
