What do the numbers say?

"Statistics are like bikinis. What they reveal is suggestive, but what they conceal is vital." ~Aaron Levenstein

You can use statistics to decide if a school is the right one for your child. But what stats do you use? And what do they say? Here are two links to vital stats for Henry, both are the most recently published.

1. Henry's No Child Left Behind report card, 2003/04
2. Henry's PSSA results, 5th Grade as reported in Inquirer for 2003/04 (you can get to the Inky's report on 3rd and 8th grade from this link)

Looking at the upper end of the stats, here's what the NCLB report says for the 2003/04 school year:

• In at least 12 measures, Henry students perform better than their peers throughout Pennsylvania.
• In at leat 18 measures, Henry students perform better than their peers throughout the district.

For the specific stats:

• Henry's 5th graders were 23.7% more likely to be Proficient or Advanced in math than the rest of the district.
• Henry's 5th graders were 24.6% more likely to be Proficient or Advanced in reading than the rest of the district.
• Henry's 8th graders were 16.9% more likely to be Proficient or Advanced in math than the rest of the district.
• Henry's 8th graders were 34.2% more likely to be Proficient or Advanced in reading than the rest of the district. And 6.4% more likely to be Proficient or Advanced in reading than THE REST OF THE STATE.

For all grades combined for the 2003/04 school year:

• Henry students were 23% more likely to be Proficient or Advanced in math than the rest of the district.
• Henry students were 34.4% more likely to be Proficient or Advanced in reading than the rest of the district. And 3.7% more likely to be Proficient or Advanced in reading than THE REST OF THE STATE.

For male students:

• 18.1% more likely to be Proficient or Advanced in math than the rest of the district.
• 26% more likely to be Proficient or Advanced in reading than the rest of the district.

For female students:

• 26.7% more likely to be Proficient or Advanced in math than the rest of the district. And only 0.3% less than THE REST OF THE STATE.
• 40% more likely to be Proficient or Advanced in reading than the rest of the district. And 10% more than THE REST OF THE STATE.

For white students:

• 18.9% more likely to be Proficient or Advanced in math than the rest of the district. And 6.7% more than THE REST OF THE STATE.
• 35.4% more likely to be Proficient or Advanced in reading than the rest of the district. And 18.8% more than THE REST OF THE STATE.

For black students (the term used in the NCLB report):

• 25.8% more likely to be Proficient or Advanced in math than the rest of the district. And 21.5% more than THE REST OF THE STATE.
• 34.8% more likely to be Proficient or Advanced in reading than the rest of the district. And 28.2% more than THE REST OF THE STATE.

For economically disadvantaged students:

• 25.8% more likely to be Proficient or Advanced in math than the rest of the district. And 16.8% more than THE REST OF THE STATE.
• 37.5% more likely to be Proficient or Advanced in math than the rest of the district. And 25.4% more than THE REST OF THE STATE.

For students with disabilities:

• 13.8% more likely to be Proficient or Advanced in reading than the rest of the district. And 0.4% more than THE REST OF THE STATE. (although 0.2% less likely to be Proficient or Advanced in math than their peers in the rest of the district, and 12.5% less than the rest of the state)

Henry's attendance rate:

• 4% better than the district and 1.1% better than THE REST OF THE STATE.

Are there failing kids at Henry? You bet. Are there kids without family educational support at Henry? Yes. But the reality is that for kids in families where education is important - including economically disadvantaged families and minority families - Henry is a place where the statistics prove they can learn and excel.