S. ILLINOIS SCHOOLS ARE DOING THEIR JOBS

It is unfortunate that recent reporting by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch left the impression that schools in Meridian and Cairo, both in Southern Illinois, were among the state's worst. In fact, the Illinois schools that are among the lowest in performance rankings are in its metropolitan areas of East St. Louis, Peoria and Chicago.

Illinois, like many states, has established education checkpoints that rely on test scores, funding effort, dropout rates and other standards that serve as warning signs when school districts are struggling. Indeed, the Illinois Board of Education has the authority to step in and take over school districts that fail miserably in their mission to give students an appropriate education.

So it was with some dismay that the two Southern Illinois school were rated among the state's worst by the Post-Dispatch's own analysis. This was particularly shocking news to administrators in both districts who have worked so hard to create good schools, sometimes in the face of overwhelming odds.

Overall, neither the Meridian nor the Cairo schools show signs that are of concern to state officials. The newspaper's analysis led to conclusions that were "just not true," according to a representative of the Illinois Board of Education.

As with any analysis of statistical data, great care must be taken not to allow one segment of a study to overshadow a school district's overall performance. Many news organizations have come to rely on the ability of computers to generate and compare a multitude of facts and figures, but unless a reporter or editor exercises some care in judgment, the statistics themselves can be terribly misleading.

Why should the two Southern Illinois districts be so sensitive about all this? For one thing, the Post-Dispatch analysis was far more widely reported than just in St. Louis. Other newspapers picked up the story and reprinted it. More than that, too many school districts these days have a tough time establishing a good working relationship with teachers, students and patrons. And reporting that focuses on any negative aspects without regard for positive efforts can quickly erode any foundation a district has built up.

Schools, particularly those in small towns and rural areas, of any state are to be commended for their efforts to make the most of what the have.