Eden Prairie, MN NUA Case Study:
Closing the Achievement Gap, One Student at a Time in Eden Prairie, MN
The district has made unprecedented gains with NUA support from 2005 to 2011. This initiative is part of a larger multiple year desegregation effort called the West Metro Education Program with Minneapolis, where students and adults alike are learning to address the challenge race, culture and poverty can often have on life trajectories.
- Subgroups doubled, tripled and quintupled the gains of whites and cut the achievement gap between white students and minority students by nearly 60 percent for some “subgroups” without lowering ceiling for high performing students; white students gained 5-percentage points.
- 91 percent of white students met state standards.
Recent state test scores affirm that Eden Prairie is on the right track. Since 2008, the district’s reading scores on the Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments have risen steadily In 2011 Black students have posted a 21 percent improvement in proficiency over the 3 years. The rate is 12 percent for Hispanics; 27 percent for Limited English Proficient students; 14 percent for special education students; and 21 percent for students who qualify for free and reduced-price meals. White students improved 5 percent as well where 91% now meet the rigorous state standard.
In 2008, Eden Prairie African American students were 0 to 5% proficient in math MN assessments. In 2011, 26% are now proficient. National correlations have been done with MN math standards and it is projected that only 20% of all American students would pass the MN exam. In one of EP’s elementary schools which has a high population of Latino students, the gap has been narrowed by nearly 60% for 3 and 4th graders from 2010 – 2011.
