BM>  DT> MS>DT> MS>    All three are almost all-white, with very few 
BM> English-
BM>  DT> MS>DT> MS>as-a-second-language kids.
BM> 
BM>  Oh and for what it's worth.. the upper midwest, particularly
BM>  Minnesota, has a high number of immigrants from SE Asia, the former
BM>  Soviet Union and a number of Balkan countries...all those children 
BM> of
BM>  course speak flawless English when they arrive
    No, these immigrants don't speak flawless English upon arrival.  
    But these immigrant groups are groups where families value education and 
stress that to their kids.  They insist their kids learn.  A lot different 
attitude from the Hispanic and underclass blacks who drag down school 
statistics in urban areas!
    I've seen these kids.  They arrive speaking no English, but are fluent in 
a year...speaking better than the native-born.
    Also, the Soviet immigrants are a very recent group of arrivals, as are 
the kids from the Balkans.  Many aren't old enough to affect SAT averages, 
etc.
    Many SE Asian immigrants are "clustered" in certain counties, and thus 
don't impact many schools.
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