Further, a school's annual score is based only on students who have been enrolled for at least 150 days. Sanders says that he has found that the schools that earn the highest ratings are the ones that adjust their teaching to match each student's ability level. San Francisco and Dallas are among city school systems that break down school data in a similar way. They started out above average and by the time they get to 6th grade, they are below average because their gains have been retarded. On the other hand, a school with disadvantaged students occasionally will average more than a year's gain annually and catch up to the pack.
School systems use a variety of indicators to judge school success.
Chicago opts for simplicity with a single test score. Other districts, including Philadelphia and Seattle, consider other numeric data such as attendance, promo-tion rates and dropout rates. A handful, including San Francisco and Minneapolis, use surveys or site visits to incorporate parent satisfac-tion or school climate. Anthony Bryk, a University of Chicago professor who heads up the Consortium, would hold schools accountable not just for student achieve-ment but also for serious efforts to improve achievement. With the sole focus on test scores, he says, schools opt for quick fixes like practice testing rather than substantial investments that typically have a slower rate of return, like professional development for teachers.