Straw man bursts into flames

Star Tribune Tue, 04 Mar 2008 04:28:17 GMT
Busing to suburbs didn't boost test scores

Students who stayed in Minneapolis Public Schools rather than choosing a suburban school fared as well or better. For the second straight year, low-income students in the Minneapolis Public Schools fared better than the ones who were bused to suburban schools under the Choice is Yours, a voluntary desegregation program. Minneapolis students in the district nearly doubled their test scores in reading and finished practically even in math compared with their suburban counterparts last year, according to results released Monday by the Minnesota Department of Education. State education officials reasoned that the difference may be because the suburban choice students tested each year are not the same students; only half of the suburban choice students were enrolled in their schools the previous year. However, Minneapolis officials say their students' results are significant enough to start urging parents to think twice about sending their kids to suburban schools.

[[keywords: Schools;Metro;]]