MOUNTAIN VIEW -- Silicon Valley public schools are largely failing poor students and English learners, a report issued Monday asserts, indicating that even schools in wealthy neighborhoods perceived to be highly successful are inadequately preparing these students, considered the hardest to educate.
"Broken Promises: The Children Left Behind in Silicon Valley Schools" highlights two tiers of achievement, based on state test scores from 2012-13. Only 14 percent of English learners, 21 percent of African-American students, 24 percent of Latinos and 29 percent of low-income students tested proficient in algebra at the end of eighth grade. That's compared with 58 percent of white students and 80 percent of Asians.
Historically, those numbers carry over into high school, with huge gaps in college readiness.
"We've got a big problem in the valley for low-income kids and English-language learners," said Matt Hammer of Innovate Public Schools, the year-old nonprofit that published the report. At the same time, he said, the report found encouraging news. "There are some schools that are showing you can do amazing things and achieve high performance with kids in any of these subgroups."
Elementary schools doing the best for poor students, as measured by the state's Academic Performance Index, include some in districts serving high-needs students. At the top was Gilroy