one can safely assume neither that the schools with the largest score gains are in fact improving the most rapidly nor that those with the highest scores are the best. So how should you use scores to help you evaluate a school? Start by reminding yourself that scores describe some of what students can do, but they don’t describe all they can do, and they don’t explain why they can or cannot do it. Use scores as a starting point, and look for other evidence of school quality—ideally not just other aspects of student achievement but also the quality of instruction and other activities within the
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