A Think Twice Review of:

Review of School Segregation on School Report Cards: Who Are We Grading Anyway?

Think Twice - Dec 10, 2024

Publisher/Think Tank - Urban Institute

Author(s) - Jay Carter and Leonardo Restrepo

A recent Urban Institute report examines proposed legislation in North Carolina that would add a "proportionality score" to the state accountability system, measuring how closely a school’s racial demographics match those of the surrounding county. James Noonan of Salem State University reviewed School Segregation on School Report Cards: Who Are We Grading Anyway? and found it to be logical but somewhat under-explained.

Reviewer(s) - James Noonan, Salem State University

Using publicly available data, the report examines how scores would vary depending on the population to which schools are compared. This "what if" exercise highlights the control policymakers have over what is measured and how, showing how small changes to formulas can shift the story data tell about schools. While the report does not recommend the best formulas, it raises important questions for policymakers to consider when evaluating trade-offs.