By looking only at writing scores, Golden fails to notice the variability in scores from subject to subject. Looks like they're focusing on literacy and paying for it in math and science. By calling attention to ranks , Golden calls attention away from scores. In reading, where the schools tie with Massachusetts for second place at the 8 th grade level, the military schools score at 269 while the national average is 261. Small increases in a score will produce large increases in ranks.
Military kids do move around a lot but the schools share a common curriculum which helps.