Quote Originally Posted by Tony1941 View Post
The link you posted leads to a the web site of the San Diego Office of Education, a source which I believe to have a credibility problem.

Since politics and K-12 education are local, do a bit of data collection on Westford from 1971 to 1980, PSATs, SATs, socio economic status, nationality, etc and compare with 2001 to 2010 data.
You will note that the major factors have been median family income, educational level of parents and nationality (Indian, Chinese and Pakistani students) that have led to large increases in test scores and quality of colleges which accepted WA students.
I agree that the pre-dominant reason for the increased test scores in Westford is due to the changing demographics of the town which as you correctly state, includes an increased Asian population, higher family income and higher educational levels (although the school admin likes to take sole credit). However these demographic changes alone have been shown not to be the driving factor. It is the fact that within these demographic groups, the families are generally more involved in their children's education, have higher expectation levels and can afford external help (tutors, educational materials, etc.).