An Urban Institute report considers the impact of proposed legislation that would add a measure of segregation to the state accountability system in North Carolina. The legislation would assign a “proportionality score” to schools based on how closely their racial demographics match those of the surrounding county. Using publicly available data, the report examines how scores would vary depending on the population used for comparison. This analysis highlights policymakers' control over what and how data is measured in accountability systems, showing how small changes to formulas can shift the story data tell about schools. The report raises important questions for policymakers to consider when evaluating different approaches; however, a note of caution is warranted, lest the different formulas be used to fish for optimal outcomes rather than drive deliberative policymaking.

Suggested Citation: Noonan, J. (2024). NEPC review: School segregation on school report cards: Who are we grading anyway?. Boulder, CO: National Education Policy Center. Retrieved [date] from http://nepc.colorado.edu/review/segregation