Dallas Independent School District Presented Two-Year Evaluation
At August 14 Board Meeting
NEW YORK, Aug. 14 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ --
Edison Schools (Nasdaq: EDSN), the nation's largest private manager of public
schools, announced today that customer satisfaction survey results in Dallas
demonstrate strong parent satisfaction at seven Edison partnership schools in
the Dallas Independent School District (DISD).
At the end of each school year, Harris Interactive, one of the nation's
leading independent pollsters, administers an annual customer satisfaction
survey to Edison school students, teachers and parents. In the seven
partnership schools in Dallas, 88 percent of the parents rated their child's
school an A or B, a rate of satisfaction that is noticeably higher than
parents across the country. According to the most recent Gallup Poll
published by Phi Delta Kappa in September 2001, only 68 percent of parents
nationwide rate their child's public school an A or B.
Parent satisfaction remains extremely high at Edison schools throughout
the nation, where 85 percent of parents rate their Edison school an A or B. In
Dallas, the parent satisfaction rate is particularly high, as a system and in
each individual school. Following are the percentage of parents in each
Dallas-Edison school who rated their child's Edison school and A or B:
89 percent in Edison-Blair, 88 percent in Edison-Henderson, 86 percent in
Edison-Hernandez, 90 percent in Edison-Maple Lawn, 97 percent in
Edison-Medrano, 87 percent in Edison-Runyon, and 83 percent in Edison-Titche.
This is the seventh year that Edison has contracted with Harris
Interactive (formerly Gordon S. Black) to conduct an independent survey of
parents, student, and teacher satisfaction rates. Harris Interactive survey
has a margin of error of less than one percent.
In related news, DISD issued a required report on the performance of
Edison schools after two years of operation in Dallas. The report concluded
that Edison schools made excellent progress on the TAAS and SAT9 assessments.
The report also concluded that this progress did not quite match the progress
of comparable students in comparable schools in reading and math, but
nominally exceeded the progress of comparable students in writing. The
statistical significance of these results remains to be determined. In a
related presentation to the board, John Chubb, Edison's Chief Education
Officer, observed that DISD's conclusions were sensitive to the choice of
comparison schools. In an report issued in June by DISD, Edison's performance
was shown to be on par with that of the district. Nevertheless, both parties
concluded that the Edison schools overall have made excellent progress.
About Edison
Edison Schools manages 133 public schools with a total enrollment of
approximately 74,000 students. Through contracts with local school districts
and public charter school boards, Edison generally assumes educational and
operational responsibility for individual schools in return for funding that
is comparable to that spent on other public schools in the area. Over the
course of three years of intensive research, Edison's team of leading
educators and scholars developed an innovative, research-based curriculum and
school design. Edison opened its first four schools in August 1995, and has
grown rapidly in every subsequent year. For more information, please visit
http://www.edisonschools.com.
Any statements in this press release and any other press release issued by
Edison on or about the date hereof about future expectations, plans and
prospects for Edison, including statements containing the words "believes,"
"anticipates," "plans," "expects," "will," and similar expressions, constitute
forward-looking statements within the meaning of The Private Securities
Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Actual results may differ materially from
those indicated by such forward-looking statements as a result of various
important factors, including the risk factors discussed in our most recent
quarterly report filed with the SEC, and other factors such as, among other
things, the possibility that: (1) Edison, its independent auditors and/or the
SEC may identify additional items that materially and adversely affect
Edison's financial results; (2) the financing discussed separately by Edison
today may not be consummated; and (3) the events relating to the informal SEC
inquiry or its settlement may result in defaults under Edison's material
agreements or give rise to costly and protracted litigation against Edison.
The forward-looking statements included in this press release represent
Edison's estimates as of August 14, 2002. Edison anticipates that subsequent
events and developments will cause its estimates to change. While Edison may
elect to update these forward-looking statements at some point in the future,
Edison specifically disclaims any obligation to do so. These forward-looking
statements should not be relied upon as representing Edison's estimates or
views as of any date subsequent to August 14, 2002.
SOURCE Edison Schools
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Related links:
http://www.edisonschools.com
CONTACT:
John Chubb, Chief Education Officer,
+1-212-419-1641, or Adam Tucker, VP Communications,
+1-212-419-1602, both of Edison Schools
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