Consider This Abysmal Perfomance of Students at the Minneapolis Public Schools as You Evaluate the Obstructionism of MPS Official Nan Miller as to Data Requests

I have been stringently compiling data in an effort to be as accurate as possible in my ongoing investigation of the inner workings of the Minneapolis Public Schools. 


Scott Weber at MPS Human Resources has frequently been very efficient and highly responsive;  the meticulous compilations of Eric Moore, director of MPS Department of Research, Evaluation, and Assessment (REA) are a marvel;  and Communications Director Gail Plewacki is a very diligent and responsive public official.


But most requests for information at the Minneapolis Public Schools have to be routed through Data Requests, formally overseen by General Counsel Amy Moore but with Nan Miller as the official making responses that come from Data Requests.


In replying to my two most recent requests, Ms. Miller has given evidence of a spirit of obstructionism, appalling ignorance, or both.   I will be detailing Ms. Miller's stonewalled and delayed responses as often as necessary as I seek ever more data on the inner workings of the Minneapolis Public Schools. 


The data that I compiled below required my going to a source other than Ms. Miller.  Much of the information was in fact embedded in the recent MPS Report Card giving Minnesota Comprehensive Assessment results.  I additionally sought a finer gender breakdown, especially as we think about the effectiveness of the Office of Black Male Achievement that was created two years ago.


Ms. Miller, two weeks after my request was issued, gave me a reply that indicated the compilation of the figures given below would take seven hours of staff time and cost me $1,750.  Instead, I drew from research that I had already done and went to a source for additional information;  none of this took more than 30 minutes.


This strongly suggests either prevaricating obstructionism or appalling incompetence on the part of Ms. Miller.


For the benefit of my readers, I give the data that seemed to elude Ms. Miller (I have provided this information to her, the same that I originally sought from her, conveying to Ms. Miller that I will waive the $1,750 fee that she indicated was the going rate for the information):


Percentage of Students Recording
Grade Level Performance on MCAs:


Disaggregated Data for Academic Years
Ending in 2014, 2015, and 2016


                    Math                   


                                                           


African American                  2014       2015      2016 


Male                                       20.8%    22.0%   19.1%


Female                                    21.2%   20.7%   20.5%


African (Somali, Ethiopian, Liberian---
(late 20th/early 21st century immigrant populations)


                                                2014       2015      2016 


Male                                       24.2%      25.0%   23.6%


Female                                    24.1%     25.9%    21.5%




Hispanic                                  2014       2015      2016 


Male                                       32.1%      33.5%   32.1%


Female                                   29.4%       30.3%  30.4.%




Native American/                   2014       2015      2016 
American Indian


Male                                      19.9%      16.5%   16.0%


Female                                  25.0%      21.9%   21.3%




Asian                                      2014        2015      2016 


Male                                      44.1%      47.4%   45.4%


Female                                   51.3%      53.4%   54.1%




White/ Caucasian                   2014       2015      2016


Male                                       76.7%     78.4%   77.4%


Female                                    77.0%     77.9%   78.4%


All Students                           2014       2015      2016 


Male                                      43.1%     44.3%    42.9%


Female                                  43.9%      44.5%   44.4%




Percentage of Students Recording Grade Level Performance on MCAs:
Disaggregated Data for Academic Years Ending in 2014, 2015, and 2016


Reading                                         


African American                2014       2015      2016


Male                                    18.8%     18.5%    18.2%


Female                                 24.0%     24.5%    23.4%


African (Somali, Ethiopian, Liberian---
 late 20th/early 21st century immigrant populations)


                                            2014       2015      2016 


Male                                   18.8%     19.3%    20.4%


Female                               27.6%     24.3%     23.2%


Hispanic                             2014       2015      2016 


Male                                   22.0%     22.9%   24.7%


Female                               24.5%     26.6%    27.6%




Native American/              2014       2015      2016 
American Indian


Male                                   18.3%     13.9%   15.3%


Female                                23.6%     26.1%   25.9%


Asian                                   2014       2015      2016 


Male                                    36.0%     35.8%   38.8%


Female                                 44.7%     44.1%   50.6%




White/ Caucasian                2014       2015      2016 


Male                                    75.3%     74.3%   74.0%


Female                                 81.0%     80.2%   80.0%




All Students                         2014       2015      2016 


Male                                     39.2%    38.7%    39.6%


Female                                  45.3%    45.1%   45.8%