At Blue Ribbon schools, big gains, an award, then declines

Atlanta-Journal Constitution: At Blue Ribbon schools, big gains, an award, then declines

...At dozens of schools, statistically improbable spikes in test scores peaked in the year the schools submitted successful Blue Ribbon applications, the AJC analysis found. In that year, suspicious gains occurred about three times more often in Blue Ribbon winners than at all schools nationwide. At many, scores fell after the award.
Highland Elementary of Montgomery County, Md., is one school that follows this pattern...