Math gains stall in big cities

12-09-2009

By John Hechinger/Wall Street Journal

Most urban school districts failed to make significant progress in math achievement in the past two years, and had scores below the national average, according to a federal study. The results, released Tuesday by the Department of Education, offer more ammunition to critics who question claims of academic progress in districts such as New York City. But federal and schools officials said that many of these districts had shown large gains since 2003, and didn't lose ground despite budget constraints. Four of the 11 school districts the study has tracked since 2003 -- including Washington, D.C., which is in the throes of a turnaround effort -- bucked the trend and showed solid gains between 2007 and 2009. Urban districts are central to federal efforts to improve U.S. education, especially among poor and minority students, who are disproportionately taught in underperforming schools. (more...)

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Math gains stall in big cities

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