Geographic Academic Policy Series - GAPS
The National Office for Research, Measurement and Evaluation Systems (NORMES) is pleased to introduce the new Geographical Academic Policy Series (GAPS): Analyzing the Educational Achievement Gaps in Arkansas. The goal of GAPS is to provide educational analysis through geographical representations.
In the last few years, through the Office of Research, Measurement, and Evaluation (ORME), and now through NORMES, we have been asked to provide information on numerous education related policy issues. Our immediate reaction was to organize and develop formal academic studies. However, we have also learned that in most cases what is being requested was not a comprehensive research study, but an overview of data addressing the question being asked.
The goal of GAPS is to provide that quick snapshot using geographical information and colors to represent the results for the analyses. This process begins by obtaining the latitudinal and longitudinal information for the geographical boundaries of school districts. Next, we analyze district wide performance data from the Arkansas Benchmark and End-of-Course exams for literacy and mathematics. Finally, for each map generated we provide a narrative of the methodology and a brief interpretation from our perspective.
We invite you to submit suggestions for future analyses, or issues you would like to see analyzed and presented in this format. In addition to the quarterly series of analyses, we plan to supplement analyses where and when time permits.
Professionally,
Sean W. Mulvenon, Ph.D.
Professor of Educational Statistics, University of Arkansas
Director, National Office for Research, Measurement and Evaluation Systems
