Harlem Public Schools Outscore KAPPA, Schools Threatened With Closure Make Top 10 List

Just like we don't like to blame schools as failures when test scores are dismal, we don't accept great scores as signs of success. But since they Ed Deformers are setting the agenda, when a windfall of data comes our way, we use it. Note in particular Harlem's PS 241. (Some teachers from there are GEMers.) Here are some delicious morsels from Leonie.

See below article in Daily News – reporting that PS 150 in Brownsville, which the DOE tried to close this year to make way for a charter school over the objections of the community, made the fourth greatest gains of any school in the city on its 4th grade reading scores.

There is a chart in the print Daily News – not online that I can find -- of the top ten schools – and PS 241 was the only school in Manhattan to make the list.

This was the second school that DOE tried to close to make way for the expansion of Eva Moskowitz’ charter chain. Two out of the top ten schools.

The only thing stopping him was the lawsuit filed on behalf of parents in these communities, which saved Joel Klein from the embarrassment of having closed two of the top ten most improved schools.

Of course, he already sent letters to the parents in each these schools asking them to withdraw their kids, so who knows whether the schools will survive.

Meanwhile, look at these KAPPA Ii test scores in D5:

MANHATTAN DISTRICT 5 Knowledge And Power Preparatory Academy Ii 50 48.2 42.4 ( percent of 6th-8th graders at grade level)

Compared to District 5 as a whole: 71.3 64.9 45.6

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/education/2009_school_score/manhattan/index.html#ixzz0Ey9lhNdH&B