Urban schools are given good marks in study

Schools in the nation's largest cities compare favorably to rural and suburban schools in key kinds of academic achievement, according to the first ever detailed assessment of urban school districts.

In particular, city school systems fare well in such important academic areas as placement in advanced-level courses, scores on reading and mathematics tests and availability of all-day kindergarten, according to the study, conducted by the Council of the Great City Schools, an organization in Washington that represents the 44 largest school districts in the country.

The report provides evidence that even though urban schools have been buffeted by problems, including dilapidated buildings, underpaid teachers and increasingly troubled students, city schools are not as academically deficient as many Americans believe.