City Schools Improve (Some)

Here's the big-urban school performance report that's getting so much press today. (Look here for city-by-city results in reading; here for math).

The news overall sounds good as far as math goes. Fourth grade math scores are up in Atlanta, Boston, Cleveland, D.C., Houston, Los Angeles, New York City, and San Diego. Progress in reading sounds a bit flatter. And in general, the report notes, urban schools still perform worse than the schools in the rest of the country (with the exception of Charlotte, N.C. and Austin, Tex.)

EXTRA: How Does Charlotte Do It? Answer: intensive data crunching and early intervention with kids who need help. (WSJ - paid subscription)