Website Claiming to Grade Schools Fails on Technical and Philosophical Grounds

East Lansing, Mich. – In the fall of 2015, the Manhattan Institute for Policy Research launched a new website, SchoolGrades.org, which aimed to provide a means to compare how well America’s schools prepare students in core subjects. The website attempts to evaluate and assign letter grades to schools using reading and math test scores. Unfortunately, an academic review released today finds technical and logistical shortcomings associated with the website.

Jaime L. Del Razo, Annenberg Institute for School Reform and Brown University, reviewed the website SchoolGrades.org for the Think Twice think tank review project of the National Education Policy Center with funding from the Great Lakes Center for Education Research and Practice.

The website claims that the school grades found on the site allow parents to compare local schools against schools across the nation and in other countries using a four-step process.

Del Razo, in his review, notes that the process used to evaluate and assign grades is never fully explained. An investigation of the methods used found that the process apparently: (1) averages two state test scores; (2) “norms” the results to the NAEP exam; (3) makes an adjustment to this nationally normed measure using free and reduced lunch data to account at least partially for differences in socioeconomic status; and then (4) “norms” the results to the international PISA exam.

Ultimately, the review finds that the unsubstantiated norming chain is too tenuous and the results are overly extrapolated, which diminishes their value. Del Razo’s technical analysis also finds that the website fails to explain how:

  1. International scores are equated to a national standard created by the website;
  2. Letter grades are determined; and
  3. Free and reduced lunch counts were used to make socioeconomic adjustments.

In his conclusion, Del Razo indicates that the site fails on two grounds; technical and philosophical. He says, “the Manhattan Institute’s website fails to advance policy not only on the technical shortcomings of its efforts but most importantly, for not appreciating the purposes of education.”

Read the full review at: www.greatlakescenter.org.

Featured

  • Pangram Secures Funding for AI Detection Technology

    Pangram, which provides technology that detects AI-generated text, recently announced that it has secured nearly $4 million in pre-seed and seed funding, according to a news release. The most recent round of investments, totaling $2.7 million, come on top of the pre-existing seed fund of $1.25 million.

  • Empowering People Through Smart, Sustainable Campuses

    Sustainability is facing increasing scrutiny, with some questioning its costs and priorities. Yet for universities, it remains an essential driver of resilience, operational efficiency and long-term competitiveness. At the same time, there is a growing recognition that sustainable transformation is not just about reducing energy consumption and emissions to comply with tightening regulations ‒ it’s about creating vibrant, comfortable environments where people can thrive, innovate and connect. For university leadership, this is a complex balancing act, with rising energy costs and limited budgets only adding to the challenge.

  • Fellowes Launches New 3D Modular, Product Configurators

    Contract interiors and architectural solutions provider Fellowes recently announced the launch of new 3D modular and product configurators for several of its product lines, according to a news release. The new products offer SIF file integration and pricing for the Volo, Markerboards, Sena, and Rising product lines in connection with 3D Cloud, which provides 3D product visualization and 3D digital asset management.

  • Epson Receives Seven AV Industry Awards

    Projectors manufacturer Epson recently announced that it received multiple awards across the Higher Ed AV Awards, SCN Stellar Service Awards, and InfoComm 2025, according to a news release. The company was recognized for three projectors from its PowerLite L-Series line, accessories, installation process, and its customer support team.

Digital Edition