The Challenge Index

The Washington Post comes out with the “Challenge Index” every year.  It’s based on a simple formula that education columnist Jay Mathews developed.   From the WaPo: “The formula is simple: Divide the number of Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate or other college-level tests a school gave in 2010 by the number of graduating seniors.”  If you want some more nitty-gritty there is a discussion here.

The Challenge Index (CI) is not without its problems.  For instance, every kid at Osbourn High School could be enrolled in AP classes and it wouldn’t alter our CI score.  It’s the test part that matters. 

If the kids don’t take the AP test associated with the class (there is no requirement that you take it) it doesn’t count for the purposes of the CI.  The second shortcoming that others have noted is that the test costs money.  Now, if you’re going to college and want to pay for that test as a passing score gives you college credit – at a lower price.  However, there are a bunch of kids that don’t take it – maybe they don’t have the money?  I don’t know.  Some of our surrounding jurisdictions pay for those tests – as we have in the past but do not now.

The reason that anyone is interested in this is our performance: we are ranked #169 out of 178 area high schools this year.  The scores at Osbourn over the past couple of years are as follows: 169, 153, 70, 161, 76.  That data seems to indicate that at least some of this depends on the students that are present in the school, but our average is just too low.  This isn’t good enough.  Councilman Randolph asked our Superintendent, Dr. Pope about our performance and her answer was, more or less, “we disagree with the methodology and we’ve talked to Mr. Mathews about it.”

In all honesty, I agree with Dr. Pope.  I think the formula used for this index is lousy but it hardly matters; the forumula is what it is and the WaPo is an important media outlet.  What happens when Mr. and Mrs. Smith decide to move to the suburbs with their 2.5 kids? They do school research! When Osbourn comes up at the bottom of the barrel, Manassas is off their list.  If you are a real estate agent and  have several properties to handle, are you going to push clients to Manassas?

The schools have got to get on the right page with these things.  Between the CI and the ROI study from awhile back, we’re in the hole.  We may not like them but perception in public policy is nearly reality. 

The problems with the schools are the single largest problem that our City is facing.  We cannot self-eliminate in the battle for residents.  There must be a Demand for Excellence in our schools.  I don’t believe that money is the problem.  We spend plenty per child – the problem is that nobody is saying that current results aren’t good enough.  I don’t know that it matters but I’m saying it: I demand better.  Now.