Double Checking a "Fact Check" from MCPS

I know this is getting hard to follow, but stick with me for a moment.

On September 8th, 2010, the MCPS Public Information Office issued a press release and fact check that stated; it "is neither valid nor fair to compare MCPS” to other Maryland counties.

Coming from the office of the official spokesperson of MCPS one might get the impression this is the official position of the school system. Policy, so to speak.

However, it does not pass without notice that just 8 days later, on September 16, 2010, in its report; “Update on Prekindergarten Special Education”, the conclusion of this 14 page analysis (at page 7) uses rankings of Maryland counties, stating MCPS; “ranking 18th out of 24 jurisdictions statewide.”

Apparently it was okay to talk about how MCPS ranks in relation to the rest of the state prior to September 8, 2010, and it was okay to use rankings again as of September 16. It just was not okay when such comparisons did not serve the immediate purposes and convenience of the MCPS Public Information Office.

Let's also recall that the MCPS “Fact Check” was to correct a typo which drove a calculation error from which the Parents Coalition improperly posted that MCPS ranked 13th in Maryland in Graduation rate. The correct ranking was 11th, and the Parents Coalition promptly issued a correction.

Eleventh of 24 Maryland Counties in something as important as the Graduation rate. Not very good in the opinions of many. Next, let's roll back the clock to the press release from MCPS on June 9, 2010 which stated; “MCPS is Number One in High School Graduation Rate." Number one Nationally. Grossly misleading headline as that was really just #1 among the 50 largest school districts in the country and the data was over two years old when published.

From a more constructive perspective I find this cherry picking of data revealing and if properly used could open a new line of discussion that could really benefit children. If #1 among large districts nationally is only good enough to be middle of the pack (11th) in Maryland, then perhaps we should re-evaluate the sizes to which we allow our Maryland school districts to become?

Bob Astrove