Harvest+Preparatory+School

The Star Tribune declares it a miracle school on 9/24/11 with the headline 'At this school, usual excuses don't apply' http://www.startribune.com/opinion/otherviews/130474133.html

Claim from the article: In this year's state math tests in grades three through eight, this school outperformed every metro-area school district, including Edina and Wayzata. Its students outperformed all state students in reading proficiency (77 percent to 75 percent), and state white students in math proficiency (82 percent to 65 percent).

I went to the state education data system at http://education.state.mn.us/ReportCard2005/schoolDistrictInfo.do?SCHOOL_NUM=010&DISTRICT_NUM=4032&DISTRICT_TYPE=07

I downloaded the NCLB Data Report at http://education.state.mn.us/ReportCard/2011/NCLBDataReport/RCF2514.pdf

Here are some things I learned about the school: 1) Though the school has 343 students, their test scores are only based on 120 students. This is a small sample size. 2) Big attrition, 121 total 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders in 2010 became 82 total 4th, 5th, and 6th graders in 2011. 3) They admit in article to test prep drilling. So their math and English scores are good while their 5th grade science proficiency, according to the data report, is just 7%. 4) Some scores changed very dramatically. For example, 4th grade math went from 53% in 2010 to 88% in 2011. Schools just don't improve that dramatically in one year without some clever use of statistics.