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A comment on Mississippi Can't Possibly Have Good Schools. Parent comment

Re:Mississippi Can't Possibly Have Good Schools by bitshiftfaced on Wednesday May 07, 2025 @05:33PM (#43920784)
You could make the argument that not adjusting for demographics obscures the fact that some states are for some reason failing to teach certain demographics as well as Mississippi.
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Re:Mississippi Can't Possibly Have Good Schools by margalabargala on Wednesday May 07, 2025 @07:06PM (#43921399)
The more "adjustments" you do based on demographics, the more likely that one of your adjustments is incorrect and obscures problems or encourages incorrect solutions.
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Re:Mississippi Can't Possibly Have Good Schools by bitshiftfaced on Wednesday May 07, 2025 @07:26PM (#43921511)
Controlling for demographics is done all of the time in social and behavioral sciences.
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Re:Mississippi Can't Possibly Have Good Schools by lolinder on Wednesday May 07, 2025 @11:23PM (#43922789)
This is an argument to extremes, and it falls apart when you go to the other extreme: if you refuse to make any adjustments then you're now unable to separate the marginal effect of the school from the much larger effect of socioeconomic status. This would likewise obscure significant problems and encourage incorrect solutions.

The correct approach is to adjust for demographics but do so carefully, rigorously, and consistently.

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