Following the op-ed I wrote for the Journal Sentinel (see Journal Sentinel Op-Ed: Rocketship Charter Schools Need Scrutiny) on Rocketship’s 3 “model” schools in San Jose California I received a “Key Facts” response from them (view at Rocketship Provided Data). They speak to the issues of attrition and special education.
I find it curious that the number of students with special needs, in all 3 schools, is below the NCLB minimum for constituting a “subgroup”. Is it just a coincidence that in all 3 schools the numbers fall below 20 students identified for special services? If any of 10 subgroups do not make “adequate yearly progress” on a state’s standardized test for 2 years in a row, the school becomes “identified for improvement” and may be subject to sanctions. 20 students must be identified to constitute a subgroup. Commonly throughout the nation, the subgroup that has the most difficulty meeting “adequately yearly progress” is students with special needs.
To see the California Department of Education documentation for special education AYP for the 3 model Rocketship schools go to the following:
Rocketship Mateo Sheedy Elementary:
http://dq.cde.ca.gov/dataquest/Acnt2011/2011GrowthSch.aspx?allcds=43104390113704
Rocketship Si Se Puede: http://dq.cde.ca.gov/dataquest/Acnt2011/2011GrowthSch.aspx?allcds=43104390113704
Rocketship Los Suenos:
http://api.cde.ca.gov/Acnt2011/2011GrowthSch.aspx?allcds=43104390120642
Educate All Students, Support Public Education 
Link for “Yes, We Can” take taxpayer dollars is wrong. This, I think, is what you want.
(http://api.cde.ca.gov/Acnt2012/2012GrowthSch.aspx?allcds=43104390119024 if links not enabled in comments.)
Comment by Ken Houghton — December 30, 2012 @ 7:56 pm |
[…] of special needs students than its neighboring public schools (Rocketship responds to Miller here). David Goldberg, Atherton, CA: $8,000 donation. Goldberg is CEO of SurveyMonkey; his wife […]
Pingback by Who Runs the Indianapolis Public Schools? — March 8, 2013 @ 12:58 pm |
[…] – Arthur Rock, San Francisco CA; $8,000 donation. Rock is a well-known venture capitalist who also serves on the board of TFA and is an active funder of KIPP. Rock has invested in the Rocketship Education, a “hybrid” school that features extensive use of computerized instruction and, consequently, has a smaller faculty than regular public schools. Larry Miller found that Rocketship had large student attrition rates and smaller percentages of special needs students than its neighboring public schools (Rocketship responds to Miller here). […]
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