Report on Schools Details Inequality

Cambridge School Committee members were both encouraged and dismayed by a recent report from the Superintendent of Schools, which detailed improvements in the city's elementary schools, but warned of disparities between economic and social groups throughout the school system.

Despite the city's celebrated program of controlled school choice, school administrators say some schools are consistently more popular and more diverse than others.

The Student Data Report, which was released late last month, highlighted improvements among Cambridge's elementary schools, including improved achievement test scores in grades two, three and eight, improved reading scores and fewer suspensions.

However, administrators are worrying because the report revealed great disparity between Cambridge's fourteen elementary schools in test scores, discipline and racial and economic representation.

"I was disappointed to see that there were schools out of balance," said School Committee member E. Denise Simmons.

The disparity in student achievement correisted with enrollment in the Federally subsidized free lunch program--the only recorded indicator of a student's economic status--as well as with the percentage of minority students enrolled at the school.

For example, at the Fitzgerald Elementary School, where over 65 percent of the students were enrolled in the free lunch program and 60 percent were minorities, first graders scored below the mean on standardized tests.

At the Agassiz School, where fewer than 20 percent of the students were enrolled in the free lunch program and 45 percent of students were minorities, achievement test scores for first-graders were third-highest in the district.

"The disparity is dearly not acceptable," said Cambridge School Committee member-elect Alice Turkel. "Right now schools are somewhat economically segregated."

School Committee members suggested that exclusive focus of the desegregation policy--known as "controlled choice"--on race was partly to blame for the inequity.

The Superintendent's report suggests that broader guidelines which include economic status will help move Cambridge schools toward equality.

Race and economic background were also issues at Cambridge Rindge and Latin School, the city's only public high school.

Most disturbing to school officials was the high rate of course failure for Black and Hispanic students at the high school. Nearly half of all Black students failed a course last year. Only half as many white students failed one class last year.

"That was the most disheartening piece of information," said outgoing School Committee member Robin A. Harris. "The school committee has to say, 'Why is the data in front of us like this?'"

Turkel points to Cambridge's primary schools as a possible source of the problem.

"If we look carefully, I think we will find that it's happening in the elementary schools. I don't think we're serving our children effectively for nine years, and then they are suddenly falling out of school," Turkel said

Race and economic background were also issues at Cambridge Rindge and Latin School, the city's only public high school.

Most disturbing to school officials was the high rate of course failure for Black and Hispanic students at the high school. Nearly half of all Black students failed a course last year. Only half as many white students failed one class last year.

"That was the most disheartening piece of information," said outgoing School Committee member Robin A. Harris. "The school committee has to say, 'Why is the data in front of us like this?'"

Turkel points to Cambridge's primary schools as a possible source of the problem.

"If we look carefully, I think we will find that it's happening in the elementary schools. I don't think we're serving our children effectively for nine years, and then they are suddenly falling out of school," Turkel said