- K-12 Education - Higher Education - Who We Are In 1997, the
state of California labeled Markham Middle School as low-
performing. Located in the Watts neighborhood of Southeastern
Los Angeles, Markham is stuffed with over 1,500 students in just
three grades, sixth–eighth. Roughly 70 percent of the students
are Hispanic, and 30 percent are black. Eighty-two percent are
poor. That year, the average Markham student scored at the 16th
percentile in math and 12th percentile in reading. Over the next
11 years, the state and then the federal government under the No
Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) enacted a series of reforms
designed to turn Markham and other schools like it around.
Officials affixed a variety of alarming labels to these schools:
“chronically low performing,” “failing,” or “troubled.” They
drew up plans, disbursed funds, and hired specialists.
Principals and teachers came and went, while politicians of all
stripes vowed to get tough and do what it takes to reform these
schools or close them down. Yet,