Public School 30 and Public School 179 are about as alike as two schools can be. They are two blocks apart in the South Bronx. Both are 98 percent black and Latino. At P.S. 30, 97 percent of the children qualify for subsidized lunches; at P.S. 179, 93 percent. During city quality reviews — when Education Department officials make on-site inspections — both scored “proficient.” The two have received identical grades for “school environment,” a rating that includes attendance and a survey of parents’, teachers’ and students’ opinions of a school. And yet, when the department calculated the most recent progress report grades, P.S. 30 received an A. And P.S. 179 received an F.

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