"The district scores regularly exceed state averages, but the minority and economically disadvantaged students score materially lower than the non-minority students. The general impression that the Plano Independent School District is doing 'very well' in test performance is not reflected in the entire student population."

"The district is to be commended for initiating programming for students who are not being successful. However, there needs to be continual effort in providing an education for all students."

USP editors' comments: Auditors document disparities between different demographics, as well as between PSHS and PESH. This is important for one reason. It is common for low-performing districts, often in inner-city areas, to attribute low performance to broken homes, poverty and lack of education among parents. These are valid arguments. However, Plano has never accepted the flip side of that coin: that Plano's high percentage of two-parent families, highly-educated, successful parents and great wealth, have at least as much to do with students' success as anything the schools are doing. The great disparity between the two groups seems to demonstrate that families deserve most, if not all of the credit for PISD's high test scores.