Counterpoint: Disaggregating student data will help, not hurt, the cause of addressing gaps

Apr 13, 2019

Star Tribune, Kendall King

The April 7 article “New law breaking down student ethnic data triggers battle among parents” provided readers with some, but not all, of the pieces of the puzzle. As a professor who prepares future educators, I know that many Minnesotans, not just those of Asian background, care — or should care — about better disaggregating student achievement data.

Our state has the unfortunate distinction of leading the nation with respect to gaps in academic achievement. State scores on the National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP), known as the “nation’s report card,” show that while Minnesota fourth- and eighth-graders perform among the best in the nation on assessments in reading and math, the gaps between students of color and their white peers is substantial, and significantly larger than national averages.