Study: On global stage, Montgomery’s students average in reading

Gazette:  Report critical of affluent suburban students’ performance

Montgomery County schools fare well against other large districts in the U.S., but are middle-of-the-road when compared to international competition, particularly in reading, according to recently-released data...
...A study from the George W. Bush Presidential Center released last month states that when it comes to math and reading on state, national and international exams, suburban students like those in Montgomery County who are often thought of as flagbearers for American educational excellence are not making the grade when compared to students in 25 other developed countries...
“Doing better than other large districts is not particularly impressive for Montgomery County, because it’s not like other large districts because it’s not a major urban center with a large disadvantaged population,” said Greene, a professor of education reform at the University of Arkansas and a senior policy fellow at the Manhattan Institute, a conservative think tank in New York City.
In a blog post on his personal website on Monday, Greene argued that, “People who flee from urban education ills thinking that their children will get a top world-class education in the suburbs may be disappointed.”
Relatively small school districts in Massachusetts and New Jersey, as well as rural districts in Texas and Kansas, do very well on an international level, the study reported...
...Superintendent of Schools Joshua P. Starr could not be reached for comment Tuesday...