Much Better Than Adequate Progress

Jay Mathews hands over his weekly column space to former reporter Karin Chenowith, who, troubled by reports about schools missing AYP, went looking for schools that made the grade despite high poverty rates and other obstacles.

Not only did she find some schools, she found that they were great places.

"For all I knew they might have turned out to be the soul-deadening, test-prep factories that we are told characterize high-poverty schools that do well on state tests. But that is not what I have found. Instead, I have found vibrant intellectual communities where teachers and principals are constantly thinking about their profession and how to improve their instruction." (via Eduwonk)