A gap in data on education

Re “Schools that fail all our children,” Opinion, Nov. 20

John Rogers and Jeannie Oakes, in making the argument that California’s white students lag behind students in other states, relied on student self-reported ethnicity data, which may not be as accurate as the school-reported data, particularly when the students are fourth-graders.

For example, 44% of those fourth-graders, who were classified as Hispanic by their schools, self-reported that they were white. Using the school-reported data, California’s white students score at about the same level as students in 36 other states. Using self-reported data, as Oakes and Rogers did, California’s white students score 13 points lower than the nation. However, using the school-reported data, the difference is a statistically nonsignificant two points.

Although we have much work to do to prepare all students to meet California’s high standards, the greatest need is to focus on the achievement gap in which African American, Latino and socioeconomically disadvantaged students are achieving at levels below their potential.

Jack O’Connell

State Superintendent

of Public Instruction

Sacramento