Again, no data, no credibility.

Yesterday the JG printed a column coauthored by Wendy on the success of their new teaching methods. At the end of the piece she cited Study Elementary school as an example that should be held high for all to see. But she had no data to support her lavish praise.

I've subbed and tutored at Study, an elementary school on Brooklyn Avenue (and enjoyed it by the way). The Indiana DOE web site data shows that Study has a considerably higher percentage of minority and free lunch children than the average FWCS elementary school. In the last ten years the ISTEP passing rates have improved from around 20% to a little over 60% but now appear to be tailing off. 60% is about the average for FWCS as a whole. So with a tremendous effort by principal Trudy Grafton (for whom I have great respect) and her staff, Study has managed to become average. That's actually quite an accomplishment considering the demographics but if the statistics had been included in the article, the the claims would have looked much less impressive. So the statistics were omitted. Without data, it's fluff.