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2001, 4th & 8th Grade ELA & Math Results

Updated 16 Oct 2006

Click Here for the 2002 Results
4th Grade ELA Resources for Parents
Commentary on S-G's Scores
Articles

Resources:
bulletSED Press Conference 4th & 8th Grade Test Results 2000-2001
bulletStatewide Performance at 4th & 8th Grade Levels 2000-2001
bulletMore information from SED



FLASHBACK! Remember this:

Quote:

In the second year of more rigorous testing in grades four and eight, schools across New York state hit a speed bump on the road to higher standards.

--New York State United Teachers Union, October 21, 2000

So much for the speed bump theory of non-improvement.

CAPITAL DISTRICT SCHOOLS RANKED BY THE SUM OF THE MEAN SCORES IN 4th GRADE ENGLISH AND 4th GRADE MATH (1999-2001)

2001
2000 (1999) Rank

District Name
4th Grade English Mean Score 2001 2000 (1999) 4th Grade Math Mean Score 2001  2000 (1999) Combined Math & English Scores 2001 2000 (1999)
State Math High (over 100 students tested) George M. Davis Elementary (Westchester)  687 734  1421
State ELA High (over 100 students tested) East Hills School (Nassau) 706 699 1405
1 3 (2) Maplewood-Colonie (518.273.1512) 689 685 (663) 691 671 (700) 1380 1356 (1363)
2 1 (3) Bethlehem (518.439.7098) 683 687 (670) 687 675 (685) 1370 1362 (1355)
3 7 (4) Voorheesville (518.765.3313) 684 680 (671) 682 670 (678) 1366 1350 (1349)
4 11 (9) Burnt Hills Ballston Lake (518.399.6407) 681 671 (661) 681 670 (673) 1362 1341 (1334)
5 9 (10) North Colonie (518.785.8591) 678 678 (659) 676 665 (672) 1354 1343 (1331)
6 6 (6) Niskayuna (518.377.4666) 674 680 (667) 677 671 (673) 1351 1351 (1340)
7 23 (23) Edinburg (518.863.8412) 672 671 (641) 678 648 (671) 1350 1319 (1312)
8 5 (5) Schodack (518.732.2297) 669 674 (665) 680 677 (675) 1349 1351 (1340)
9 4 (12) Wynantskill (518.283.4679) 674 674 (651) 675 682 (678) 1349 1356 (1329)
10 13 (17) Averill Park (518.674.7055) 675 667 (655) 674 667 (666) 1349 1334 (1321)
11 14 (26) Stillwater (518.664.8656) 671 670 (648) 678 674 (660) 1349 1334 (1308)
12 8 (11) SCOTIA-GLENVILLE (518.382.1215) 673 680 (660) 674 666 (670) 1347 1346 (1330)
13 19 (18) So. Glens Falls (518.793.9617) 672 667 (657) 670 661 (664) 1342 1328 (1321)
14 31 (19) Schuylerville (518.695.3255) 666 658 (653) 676 651 (666) 1342 1309  (1319)
15 10 (7) Guilderland (518.456.6200) 671 674 (660) 670 668 (675) 1341 1342 (1335)
16 20 (25) So. Colonie (518.869.3576) 669 666 (650) 672 659 (660) 1341 1325 (1310)
17 2 (1) Menands (518.465.4561) 668 686 (683) 671 671 (693) 1339 1357 (1376)
18 12 (14) E. Greenbush (518.477.2755) 667 668 (654) 672 666 (674) 1339 1334 (1328) 
19 16 (16) Saratoga Springs (518.583.4708) 670 670 (657) 669 660 (666) 1339 1330 (1323)
20 15 (15) Shenendehowa (518.877.6251) 670 672 (657) 666 658 (668) 1336 1330 (1325)
21 18 (28) Rotterdam-Mohonasen (518.356.8200) 663 666 (648) 671 663 (658) 1334 1329 (1306)
22 33 (30) Schalmont (518.355.9200) 662 655 (645) 667 651 (658) 1329 1306 (1303)
23 22 (22) Galway (518.882.1033) 665 662 (653) 662 657 (660) 1327 1319 (1313) 
24 17 (13) Brunswick (518.279.4600) 665 673 (661) 659 656 (668) 1324 1329 (1329)
25 21 (8) Duanesburg (518.895.2279) 660 667 (667) 663 656 (667) 1323 1323 (1334)
26 32 (21) Berne-Knox-Westerlo (518.872.1293) 660 655 (652) 663 653 (663) 1323 1308 (1315)
27 26 (29) Ballston Spa (518.884.7195) 662 657 (647) 659 655 (657) 1321 1312 (1304)
28 27 (31) Mechanicville (518.664.5727) 665 662 (648) 654 650 (652) 1319 1312 (1300)
29 34 (35) Ravena Coeymans Selkirk (518.756.5201) 658 652 (648) 661 649 (647) 1319 1301 (1295)
30 25 (24) Waterford-Halfmoon (518.237.0800) 663 665 (648) 655 650 (664) 1318 1315 (1312)
31 36 (27) Berlin (518.658.2690) 659 650 (650) 655 645 (658) 1314 1295 (1308)
32 28 (34) Hoosick Falls (518.686.7012) 653 660 (644) 659 651 (651)

1312 1311 (1295)

33 29 (37) Cohoes (518.237.0100) 654 655 (633) 658 656 (654) 1312 1311 (1287)
34 24 (33) Hoosic Valley (518.753.4450) 654 663 (642) 657 653 (654) 1311 1316 (1296)
35 40 (40) Troy (518.271.5210) 654 643 (635) 656 637 (642) 1310 1280 (1277)
36 30 (32) Corinth (518.654.2601) 654 658 (644) 656 652 (655) 1310 1310 (1299)
37 39 (38) Watervliet (518.273.4661) 650 640 (638) 658 642 (648) 1308 1282 (1286)
38 35 (36) Lansingburgh (518.235.4404) 650 650 (642) 654 649 (649) 1304 1299 (1291)
39 37 (20) Green Island (518.273.1422) 654 644 (648) 649 649 (670) 1303 1293 (1318)
40 38 (39) Schenectady (518.370.8100) 645 644 (634) 651 643 (645) 1296 1287 (1279)
41 42 (--) Rensselaer (518.465.7509) 640 641 (632) 644 637 (---) 1284 1278 (---)
42 41 (41) Albany (518.462.7200) 639 640 (633) 640 639 (642) 1279 1279 (1275)
CAPITAL DISTRICT SCHOOLS RANKED BY THE AVERAGE OF THE PERCENTAGE OF STUDENTS SCORING IN THE TOP LEVEL IN 4th GRADE ENGLISH AND 4th GRADE MATH

2001 2000 (1999) Rank

District Name
4th Grade English (% Excellent) 2001 2000 (1999) 4th Grade Math (%Excellent) 2001 2000 (1999) Average Eng & Math (% Excellent) 2001 2000 (1999)
State Math High (over 100 students tested) Jericho Union Free School (Nassau) 54 91 73
State ELA High (over 100 students tested) East Hills School (Nassau) 64 73 69
1 14 (3) Maplewood-Colonie (518.273.1512) 29 24 (10) 62 25 (60) 51 25 (35)
2 2 (2) Bethlehem (518.439.7098) 34 39 (23) 59 45 (55) 47 42 (39)
3 24 (29) Edinburg (518.863.8412) 25 25 (0) 62 13 (25) 44 19 (13)
4 6 (7) Burnt Hills Ballston Lake (518.399.6407) 33 30 (11) 49 42 (45) 41 36 (28)
5 3 (8) Schodack (518.732.2297) 24 30 (9) 56 48 (44) 40 39 (27)
6 8 (4) Voorheesville (518.765.3313) 34 32 (18) 46 36 (50) 40 34 (34)
7 11 (10) North Colonie (518.785.8591) 32 31 (10) 48 27 (44) 40 29 (27)
8 5 (5) Niskayuna (518.377.4666) 29 35 (17) 48 38 (44) 39 37 (31)
9 18 (17) Averill Park (518.674.7055) 29 18 (9) 44 31 (31) 37 25 (20)
10 4 (1) Menands (518.465.4561) 20 39 (36) 48 36 (70) 34 38 (53)
11 10 (13) SCOTIA-GLENVILLE (518.382.1215) 31 35 (11) 36 27 (36) 34 31 (24)
12 20 (20) So. Colonie (518.869.3576) 25 21 (7) 40 21 (28) 33 21 (18)
13 12 (11) E. Greenbush (518.477.2755) 23 25 (7) 41 29 (44) 32 27 (26) 
14 17 (15) Saratoga Springs (518.583.4708) 28 23 (10) 35 26 (36) 32 25 (23)
15 7 (28) Stillwater (518.664.8656) 24 28 (5) 37 42 (21) 31 35 (13)
16 9 (9) Guilderland (518.456.6200) 28 30 (11) 34 34 (42) 31 32 (27)
17 1 (6) Wynantskill (518.283.4679) 23 37 (6) 39 49 (50) 31 43 (28)
18 35 (21) Schuylerville (518.695.3255) 20 11 (10) 42 11 (26) 31 11 (18)
19 15 (14) Shenendehowa (518.877.6251) 24 26 (11) 35 24 (37) 30 25 (24)
20 19 (18) So. Glens Falls (518.793.9617) 22 19 (6) 34 23 (32) 28 21 (19)
21 21 (26) Galway (518.882.1033) 24 21 (5) 32 21 (24) 28 21 (15) 
22 23 (22) Ballston Spa (518.884.7195) 23 20 (5) 32 18 (26) 28 19 (16)
23 13 (25) Rotterdam-Mohonasen (518.356.8200) 19 24 (6) 35 28 (24) 27 26 (15)
24 25 (16) Duanesburg (518.895.2279) 19 16 (17) 34 21 (28) 27 19 (23)
25 26 (19) Berne-Knox-Westerlo (518.872.1293) 20 17 (7) 30 16 (30) 25 17 (19)
26 36 (27) Schalmont (518.355.9200) 18 9 (1) 32 13 (27) 25 11 (14)
27 27 (30) Mechanicville (518.664.5727) 26 18 (4) 22 15 (21) 24 17 (13)
28 16 (12) Brunswick (518.279.4600) 23 29 (13) 22 20 (38) 23 25 (26)
29 22 (35) Green Island (518.273.1422) 17 16 (0) 25 24 (20) 21 20 (10)
30 30 (31) Hoosic Valley (518.753.4450) 18 15 (3) 24 16 (21) 21 16 (12)
31 28 (36) Cohoes (518.237.0100) 16 14 (3) 24 19 (17) 20 17 (10)
32 32 (24) Berlin (518.658.2690) 16 12 (7) 23 12 (24) 20 12 (16)
33 40 (40) Troy (518.271.5210) 14 10 (4) 25 7 (12) 20 9 (8)
34 29 (32) Ravena Coeymans Selkirk (518.756.5201) 17 20 (4) 20 12 (17) 19 16 (11)
35 39 (39) Hoosick Falls (518.686.7012) 10 7 (3) 28 12 (16) 19 10 (10)
36 31 (23) Waterford-Halfmoon (518.237.0800) 18 16 (4) 16 12 (28) 17 14 (16)
37 34 (33) Lansingburgh (518.235.4404) 10 9 (4) 21 14 (18) 16 12 (11)
38 38 (34) Schenectady (518.370.8100) 11 9 (4) 20 11 (17) 16 10 (11)
39 41 (41) Watervliet (518.273.4661) 12 3 (0) 20 6 (12) 16 5 (6)
40 33 (37) Corinth (518.654.2601) 9 11 (2) 20 13 (17) 15 12 (10)
41 37 (38) Albany (518.462.7200) 9 10 (4) 13 11 (16) 12 11 (10)
42 42 (--) Rensselaer (518.465.7509) 7 3 (0) 11 3 (--) 9 3 (---)
CAPITAL DISTRICT SCHOOLS RANKED BY THE SUM OF THE MEAN SCORES IN 8th GRADE ENGLISH AND 8th GRADE MATH

2001 2000 (1999) Rank

District Name
8th Grade English Mean Score 2001 2000 (1999) 8th Grade Math Mean Score 2001 2000 (1999) Combined Math & English Scores 2001 2000 (1999)
State Math High (over 100 students tested) H. C. Crittenden Middle School (Westchester) 739 759 1498
State ELA High (over 100 students tested) IS 239 Mark Twain School - GIF (Brooklyn) 743 750 1493
1 8 (6) Menands (518.465.4561) 729 715 (721) 733 729 (727) 1462 1444 (1448)
2 3 (3) North Colonie (518.785.8591) 720 724 (725) 740 735 (739) 1460 1459 (1464)
3 1 (2) Niskayuna (518.377.4666) 719 724 (721) 739 745 (743) 1458 1470 (1464)
4 2 (5) Bethlehem (518.439.7098) 722 725 (719) 734 739 (730) 1456 1464 (1449)
5 4 (4) Voorheesville (518.765.3313) 723 727 (726) 730 731 (733) 1453 1458 (1459)
6 6 (8) Shenendehowa (518.877.6251) 717 718 (714) 729 731 (729) 1446 1449 (1443)
7 10 (11) Burnt Hills Ballston Lake (518.399.6407) 712 713 (714) 730 728 (726) 1442 1441 (1440)
8 7 (13) Averill Park (518.674.7055) 715 714 (710) 725 731 (725) 1440 1445 (1435)
9 9 (10) Guilderland (518.456.6200) 714 717 (719) 725 727 (725) 1439 1444 (1441)
10 20 (16) Berne-Knox-Westerlo (518.872.1293) 713 706 (708) 724 718 (720) 1437 1424 (1428)
11 5 (9) Schodack (518.732.2297) 715 721 (715) 720 736 (727) 1435 1457 (1442)
12 18 (20) E. Greenbush (518.477.2755) 710 706 (707) 725 721 (715) 1435 1427 (1422) 
13 21 (21) Wynantskill (518.283.4679) 707 695 (698) 728 726 (719) 1435 1421 (1417)
14 14 (14) SCOTIA-GLENVILLE (518.382.1215) 704 706 (713) 724 725 (721) 1428 1431 (1434)
15 30 (34) Schuylerville (518.695.3255) 706 700 (698) 721 706 (695) 1427 1406  (1393)
16 17 (18) Saratoga Springs (518.583.4708) 707 706 (709) 719 722 (717) 1426 1428 (1426)
17 28 (23) Ballston Spa (518.884.7195) 705 697 (702) 721 712 (714) 1426 1409 (1416)
18 16 (29) Rotterdam-Mohonasen (518.356.8200) 706 712 (702) 719 717 (702) 1425 1429 (1404)
19 11 (15) Stillwater (518.664.8656) 703 706 (703) 721 731 (728) 1424 1437 (1431)
20 22 (24) Brunswick (518.279.4600) 712 704 (705) 711 716 (710) 1423 1420 (1415)
21 26 (22) Mechanicville (518.664.5727) 702 699 (708) 721 715 (713) 1423 1414 (1421)
22 13 (12) So. Colonie (518.869.3576) 701 711 (709) 721 721 (727) 1422 1432 (1436)
23 27 (25) So. Glens Falls (518.793.9617) 700 697 (700) 718 716 (710) 1418 1413 (1410)
24 33 (--) Hoosic Valley (518.753.4450) 706 697 (707) 712 704 (---) 1418 1401 (----)
25 15 (17) Green Island (518.273.1422) 702 702 (707) 713 727 (720) 1415 1429 (1427)
26 23 (26) Galway (518.882.1033) 704 706 (705) 709 714 (702) 1413 1420 (1407) 
27 12 (1) Maplewood-Colonie (518.273.1512) 701 708 (725) 710 726 (755) 1411 1434 (1480)
28 19 (19) Schalmont (518.355.9200) 701 712 (708) 707 714 (715) 1408 1426 (1423)
29 -- (7) Duanesburg (518.895.2279) 695 713 (716) 713 --- (732) 1408 ---- (1448)
30 25 (33) Corinth (518.654.2601) 698 706 (698) 709 713 (698) 1407 1419 (1396)
31 32 (32) Ravena Coeymans Selkirk (518.756.5201) 698 697 (696) 707 707 (701) 1405 1404 (1397)
32 38 (--) Watervliet (518.273.4661) 690 688 (685) 713 694 (---) 1403 1382 (----)
33 31 (27) Cohoes (518.237.0100) 690 694 (702) 714 710 (705) 1401 1404 (1407)
34 29 (30) Waterford-Halfmoon (518.237.0800) 694 701 (701) 701 708 (702) 1395 1409 (1403)
35 35 (35) Troy (518.271.5210) 696 690 (689) 699 697 (694) 1395 1387 (1383)
36 24 (28) Hoosick Falls (518.686.7012) 689 704 (702) 702 715 (704) 1391 1419 (1406)
37 36 (--) Lansingburgh (518.235.4404) 691 689 (694) 700 697 (---) 1391 1386 (----)
38 34 (31) Berlin (518.658.2690) 692 689 (697) 698 704 (705) 1390 1393 (1401)
39 39 (37) Rensselaer (518.465.7509) 688 685 (681) 696 695 (686) 1384 1380 (1367)
40 37 (36) Schenectady (518.370.8100) 685 689 (692) 685 695 (690) 1370 1384 (1382)
41 40 (38) Albany (518.462.7200) 678 682 (685) 678 688 (681) 1356 1370 (1366)
CAPITAL DISTRICT SCHOOLS RANKED BY THE AVERAGE OF THE PERCENTAGE OF STUDENTS SCORING IN THE TOP LEVEL IN 8th GRADE ENGLISH AND 8th GRADE MATH

2001 2000 (1999) Rank

District Name
8th Grade English (% Excellent) 2001 2000 (1999) 8th Grade Math (% Excellent) 2001 2000 (1999) Average Eng & Math (% Excellent) 2001 2000 (1999)
State ELA High (over 100 students tested) IS 239 Mark Twain School - GIF (Brooklyn) 58 40 49
State Math High (over 100 students tested) Byram Hills School District (Westchester) 45 47 46
1 15 (9) Menands (518.465.4561) 56 12 (19) 13 12 (16) 35 12 (18)
2 1 (5) Bethlehem (518.439.7098) 30 29 (23) 27 30 (21) 29 30 (22)
3 2 (2) Niskayuna (518.377.4666) 26 27 (24) 29 30 (33) 28 29 (29)
4 3 (1) North Colonie (518.785.8591) 21 30 (32) 24 21 (27) 23 26 (30)
5 5 (4) Voorheesville (518.765.3313) 29 32 (33) 14 11(17) 22 22 (25)
6 6 (6) Shenendehowa (518.877.6251) 22 22 (17) 17 18 (21) 20 20 (19)
7 11 (12) Burnt Hills Ballston Lake (518.399.6407) 20 14 (15) 17 13 (13) 19 14 (14)
8 25 (18) Berne-Knox-Westerlo (518.872.1293) 24 10 (9) 12 4 (13) 18 7 (11)
9 4 (10) Schodack (518.732.2297) 20 27 (15) 12 23 (13) 16 25 (14)
10 8 (13) Averill Park (518.674.7055) 20 19 (11) 12 16 (12) 16 18 (12)
11 18 (19) E. Greenbush (518.477.2755) 18 12 (11) 14 10 (9) 16 11 (10) 
12 19 (25) Brunswick (518.279.4600) 20 15 (6) 12 7 (6) 16 11 (6)
13 7 (8) Guilderland (518.456.6200) 17 21 (20) 11 15 (15) 14 18 (18)
14 13 (15) Saratoga Springs (518.583.4708) 15 15 (13) 12 11 (9) 14 13 (11)
15 37 (--) Hoosic Valley (518.753.4450) 17 1 (11) 11 4 (-) 14 3 (----)
16 10 (11) SCOTIA-GLENVILLE (518.382.1215) 12 12 (16) 14 16 (12) 13 14 (14)
17 23 (23) Mechanicville (518.664.5727) 13 12 (7) 12 6 (6) 13 9 (7)
18 17 (17) Stillwater (518.664.8656) 14 10 (9) 9 14 (13) 12 12 (11)
19 27 (20) Ballston Spa (518.884.7195) 13 6 (6) 11 5 (11) 12 6 (9)
20 34 (31) Schuylerville (518.695.3255) 14 6 (6) 10 1 (3) 12 4 (5)
21 21 (34) Corinth (518.654.2601) 16 17 (3) 6 3 (2) 11 10 (3)
22 30 (26) Wynantskill (518.283.4679) 11 2 (2) 11 7 (10) 11 5 (6)
23 26 (32) Galway (518.882.1033) 15 10 (5) 4 2 (2) 10 6 (4) 
24 12 (14) So. Colonie (518.869.3576) 7 17 (11) 10 9 (12) 9 13 (12)
25 14 (24) Rotterdam-Mohonasen (518.356.8200) 12 18 (8) 6 7 (4) 9 13 (6)
26 16 (16) Schalmont (518.355.9200) 10 18 (11) 7 6 (11) 9 12 (11)
27 22 (22) Cohoes (518.237.0100) 6 10 (9) 12 9 (6) 9 10 (8)
28 20 (29) Ravena Coeymans Selkirk (518.756.5201) 10 10 (5) 6 10 (5) 8 10 (5)
29 31 (27) So. Glens Falls (518.793.9617) 6 5 (7) 10 4 (5) 8 5 (6)
30 9 (21) Green Island (518.273.1422) 4 17 (10) 7 13 (5) 6 15 (8)
31 32 (35) Troy (518.271.5210) 8 6 (1) 4 3 (3) 6 5 (2)
32 -- (7) Duanesburg (518.895.2279) 5 14 (22) 6 -- (18) 6 -- (20)
33 36 (--) Lansingburgh (518.235.4404) 7 5 (4) 5 1 (-) 6 3 (-)
34 29 (3) Maplewood-Colonie (518.273.1512) 10 10 (21) 0 0 (36) 5 5 (29)
35 38 (--) Watervliet (518.273.4661) 4 2 (1) 5 1 (-) 5 2 (-)
36 39 (37) Berlin (518.658.2690) 5 1 (1) 4 1 (1) 5 1 (1)
37 40 (38) Rensselaer (518.465.7509) 7 1 (2) 1 0 (0) 4 .5 (1)
38 28 (30) Waterford-Halfmoon (518.237.0800) 3 10 (6) 2 1 (3) 3 6 (5)
39 33 (33) Albany (518.462.7200) 3 5 (3) 2 3 (4) 3 4 (4)
40 24 (28) Hoosick Falls (518.686.7012) 2 13 (6) 1 5 (5) 2 9 (6)
41 35 (36) Schenectady (518.370.8100) 2 5 (3) 1 2 (1) 2 4 (2)

Eighth-grade scores drop on state exams

By SHIRIN PARSAVAND
Gazette Reporter

ALBANY (Oct. 24, 2001) - Scores were low again this year on the state's eighth-grade English and math tests, showing a need to pay more attention to middle schools, state Education Commissioner Richard P. Mills said Tuesday.

On the eighth-grade math test, 39 percent of students met the standards by scoring in the top two levels, down from 40 percent the year before.

The success rate on the eighth-grade English test was the same as last year: 45 percent met the standards.

The Education Department will hold a series of regional conferences on middle schools starting in February. The conferences will focus on what high-performing middle schools are doing right.

"Some schools clearly have found a way to do this, and everybody else needs to learn from them," Mills said.

In contrast to the eighth-grade scores, scores on the state's fourth-grade tests have shown improvement. On the fourth-grade math test, 69 percent of students met the standards, up from 65 percent last year. Earlier this year, state education officials announced 60 percent of fourth-graders met standards on the English test, up from 59 percent the year before.

Mills said schools doing well on the tests have a strong curriculum, teaching practices and leadership.

In addition, successful middle schools do not teach subjects in isolation, Deputy Commissioner James Kadamus said. They might have students write research papers about the arts, or use music to reinforce math, he said.

Mills said improving test results in the eighth grade will require changes in the grades leading up to it.

Weakest areas
Scores on the eighth-grade tests were lowest in the state's five largest cities, but they also lagged in other school districts with high poverty rates.

In "high need" small cities and suburbs, 29 percent of eighth-graders met the standards on the math test and 35 percent met the standards on the English test.

In high-poverty rural areas, 39 percent met the standards on the math test and 41 percent met the standards on the English test.

Scores varied in area districts, but city school districts generally had a smaller percentage of students meeting the standards.

In Schenectady, 20 percent of eighth-graders met the standards on the math test, and 27 percent of eighth-graders met the standards on the English test. That compares to 28 percent on the eighth-grade math test last year and 30 percent on the eighth-grade English test last year.

The English results did not include the scores for Oneida Middle School, one of three middle schools in Schenectady.

On the fourth-grade math test, 66 percent of students in Schenectady met the standards, close to the state average for high-need small cities. Last year, 58 percent of the students met the fourth-grade math standards.

Strong performances
Education Department officials listed several area districts where eighth-grade performance was high, including wealthy districts such as Niskayuna and North Colonie. But some less-wealthy districts had relatively strong performance, including Averill Park, East Greenbush and Scotia-Glenville, Kadamus said.

In Scotia-Glenville, 56 percent of students met the standards on the eighth-grade English test and 62 percent met the standards on the eighth-grade math test. Last year, 53 percent of the Scotia-Glenville eighth-grade students met the English standards, and 64 percent met the eighth-grade math standards.

Joe Ann Barton, the district's director of curriculum and instruction, said teachers in Scotia-Glenville do not "teach to the test."

"We're trying to work really hard on making sure the instruction students are receiving is relevant to them," Barton said.

She said teachers emphasize writing and reading throughout the curriculum. Teacher training focuses on team teaching and interdisciplinary lessons, as well as how to teach critical thinking and problem solving, she said.

Early warning
Mills said the eighth-grade tests are designed to show whether students are being prepared to take the high school Regents exams, which are a graduation requirement.

Some teachers have said eighth-graders are overwhelmed by tests, but Mills said he doesn't see that as a problem. All eighth-graders must take state tests in English, math, science and social studies. Some also take state tests in foreign language and technology.

Mills said low expectations for middle school students could be one reason why most eighth-graders aren't meeting the standards.

Another problem is a lack of qualified teachers. Roughly one-fourth of the math teachers in New York state did not major in math in college, Mills said.

New York State United Teachers, the state's largest teachers union, said more affluent school districts were for the most part meeting the standards.

"Closing the performance gap and giving every child a fair chance to meet the Regents' standards requires making education funding a priority - even at a time when the state is facing new budgetary challenges," said Antonia Cortese, first vice president of NYSUT.

Economic problems resulting from the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks have put in question how much state aid school districts can expect, both this year and in the future.

Meeting the problem
But Mills noted that over the past four years, state aid to schools has increased by $3.5 billion. He said schools cannot wait for better economic times to improve student performance.

"You don't need massive amounts of money to make certain that there is a strong curriculum. You need to think about what it is we're asking children to learn," Mills said. "Strong teaching practices are not something you send away for, that you buy. . . . We have to think our way out of these problems."

Students took the tests last spring, but schools just got the results this month. Educators have complained the results on the tests come too late to use them in deciding which students needed extra help the following year.

Mills said the results will come faster under a new contract with testing company CTB/McGraw-Hill. The results should be completed within a month after teachers finish their local scoring, which is done shortly after students take the tests.

Eighth-grade test scores have dropped over 3 years
By PETER SIMON
BUFFALO News Staff Reporter
10/24/01


Eighth-grade assessment test scores - considered a litmus test of educational reform in New York State - have dropped in the majority of public schools in Erie County since they were first given three years ago.

Data released Tuesday shows the problem is most severe in Buffalo, where pupil test scores that were already low got even worse.

But the problem is not limited to Buffalo. Most schools in the county experienced a decline over the past three years in the percentage of eighth-grade students who reached a level of proficiency in both English and math. Statewide results were similar.

Those results are considered deeply troubling, because educators have long urged the public to focus not on the raw test scores, but on the ability of school districts to improve them from year to year.

"I'm convinced that this problem can be be solved, but this is the third year in a row I have reported overall flat results at a low level in the middle schools," State Education Commissioner Richard P. Mills said at an Albany news conference. "This has to change."

In Erie County, 43 schools had a higher percentage of scores below the proficiency level in eighth-grade English last school year than they did in 1999. Only 24 schools posted improvements, and two remained the same.

In eighth-grade math, 25 schools had a greater percentage of their pupils reach the proficiency level in 2001, while 36 reported declines from 1999. Scores at seven schools held steady.

Those results are considered highly significant, because students who fall below the proficiency level are deemed to be in danger of failing to meet the requirement that they eventually pass Regents exams in five subjects in order to graduate from high school.

At another level, the numbers released Tuesday call into question the basic premise of the state's reform effort: that as pupils are better prepared in the lower grades, they will perform better in middle school and high school.

 

Problem worse in Buffalo

Locally, the problem is most pronounced in Buffalo, where only 16 percent of last year's eighth-graders exhibited proficiency in math, and 23 percent reached that level in English.

In addition, the proportion of Buffalo pupils proficient in math fell from 22 percent in 1999 to 20 percent in 2000, and then to 16 percent this year. Over that same period, the proficiency level in English fell from 32 to 23 percent, then remained at 23 percent.

"We're very concerned and upset that we didn't do better," said Yvonne Hargrave, Buffalo's chief academic officer. "We were hoping for more of an improvement."

In addition to previous efforts, the district recently hired 24 teacher mentors to work with English and math teachers, and plans to provide more remedial help for middle school students, Hargrave said.

But she warned that deep budget cuts expected to be made tonight by the Board of Education would make that job even more difficult.

"If we have to make those severe cuts, it's going to be heartbreaking," Hargrave said. "It's going to hinder us."

And while the state has raised school aid dramatically in the past three years, relatively little new state money is expected to flow to New York's classrooms for the next few years because of fiscal woes in Albany that were deepened by the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

Mills said the Regents requirements and the expectations for elementary and middle school students will remain, even if the money slows down.

"It's about teaching, it's about leadership, it's about curriculum," he said. "It would be a mistake to say, "Time out, we can only make advances when times are good.' The standards were right in good times, and they're even more right now."

 

Suburban scores also fell

Overall results are generally better in local suburban schools, but many of them also have seen test results drop over three years.

"It's certainly no coincidence that students in more affluent districts - which have the resources to attract and keep certified teachers, develop curriculum materials and pay for needed academic support programs - are, for the most part, meeting or exceeding expectations," said Antonia Cortese, vice president of New York State United Teachers, the state's largest teachers union.

But Buffalo is hardly the only district that has failed to record overall improvement.

Hamburg, for example, showed a sharp drop in eighth-grade test scores over the three-year testing period. Superintendent Peter Roswell could not be reached to comment Tuesday.

Statewide, the percentage of eighth-grade students proficient in math fell to 39 percent from 40 percent last year, and the English proficiency level remained at 44.9 percent. Eventually, the state wants 90 percent of students at all schools to meet the state standards.

Results in elementary schools are better, Mills said. In fourth grade, 69.1 percent of the state's public school pupils reached the proficiency level in math last school year, compared to 65 percent in 2000, according to results released Tuesday. Even so, just 49 schools in Erie County improved over the past three years, compared to 50 schools that fell back and five that stayed the same.

Figures made public in May showed that 60 percent of New York's fourth-graders were proficient in English.

 

"These are good tests'

Mills said that regional conferences will be held across the state this spring on improving instruction in middle schools, and that other industrialized nations get better academic results in those grades.

"We seem to be too quick to make excuses and to expect performance to be low or even flat," he said. "In other countries, they don't seem to have those expectations."

Mills also rejected suggestions that the assessment tests are too demanding.

"These are good tests," he said. "They just happen to deliver a message that is painful."

 

Stagnant scores put focus on middle schools

Albany -- Eighth-graders' performance on English, math tests sparks call to improve achievement

By RICK KARLIN, Times Union Staff writer
First published: Wednesday, October 24, 2001

With flat or declining test scores, New York's middle schools are about to take center stage, and some heat, in the push for higher academic achievement.

"This has to be changed,'' state Education Commissioner Richard Mills said Tuesday in announcing stagnant eighth-grade test scores in math and English for the third year in a row. That's in contrast with the modest but steady gains made by fourth-graders and high school students.

"We've put a lot of stress, emphasis I think is a better word, on the elementary grades,'' Mills said. "The middle grades have had less attention.''

The tests were administered in spring 2001. Statewide, 45 percent of eighth-graders passed the English test in 2001 and 2000, down from 48 percent in 1999. Mean scores on the tests are almost unchanged.

In math, 39 percent passed, down from 40 percent in 2000 but better than the 38 percent in 1999. Mean scores were almost unchanged.

Meanwhile, fourth-graders in the latest round of tests continued their slow climb. Sixty-nine percent passed the math test, up from 65 percent the year before, and 60 percent passed English compared to 58.7 the previous year.

To help speed improvements, Mills is planning a series of regional symposiums to allow middle school teachers and administrators to brainstorm ways of improving student performance.

It's part of an overall attempt to put a sharper public focus on middle schools, similar to that which followed the highly publicized elementary grade reading tests and the phasing in of mandatory high school Regents exams during the past half decade.

"There was breakfast table conversation, dinner table conversation about the fourth-grade tests,'' Mills said. For the middle grades, he said, "I don't think we've been able to get that same level of attention.''

As any teacher or parent of an adolescent knows, middle school years are difficult. It's a period when a youngster's hormones are kicking in and they are starting to break away from the kind of parental control they've had in the earlier years.

Additionally, students go from having one elementary teacher all day to a number of subject teachers and they are often moving to larger schools.

Still, Mills noted, middle school students in other countries often out perform their peers in the U.S. "We seem to be quick to make excuses and expect performance to be flat or low in middle grades,'' he said.

As is the case with other tests, scores among individual middle schools varied widely, often associated with the affluence or poverty of the community.

Still, there were some pleasant surprises. State education officials cited the Mohonasen, Schuylerville and Stillwater school systems for good scores despite substantial numbers of needy kids.

Schuylerville's eighth-graders, for instance, turned in mean scores of 721 for math and 706 in English, higher than expected for a school where approximately 11 percent of the kids qualify for free or reduced price lunches.

"It's a combination of things,'' Tom Martin, principal of Schuylerville Middle-High School said of what they do to prepare students. For one thing, seventh-graders take English and math tests that preview what they will face the next year. Results are then run through a software program that allows teachers to pinpoint areas in which individual students have trouble.

To get them up to speed, students with low scores can then take after-school tutoring from 3 to 5 p.m., and there are late buses to get them home. "School is basically in session now until 5 o'clock,'' Martin said.

Such efforts cost money, however, and Mills offered little hope in the way of funding increases this year. A sagging economy and the fiscal shock of Sept. 11 has meant that school systems statewide will probably not be receiving the generous annual funding increases they've had for the last several years.

"You don't need massive amounts of money to have a strong curriculum,'' Mills said. "We have to think our way out of these problems.''

The latest round of test scores also comes amid complaints from superintendents around the state about delays in releasing last year's eighth-grade English results, which were supposed to be out earlier in the fall. They were held back, however, after it was found that the company that designs the tests, CTB/McGraw Hill, had an error in the scoring.

Mills said the next round of tests will include some changes to prevent similar mix-ups.

Scores Show a Drop-Off

4th-grade English, math results rise; 8th grade stagnant

By John Hildebrand
NEWSDAY.COM STAFF WRITER

October 24, 2001

Their ceilings may leak and their boilers wheeze, but Roosevelt's aging elementary schools evidently do something right.

According to statewide test results released yesterday, more than 80 percent of Roosevelt's fourth-graders meet or exceed Albany's exacting standards in math - results well above state averages.

By the time they reach eighth grade, however, scarcely more than 9 percent of Roosevelt's students manage to maintain skills at similar levels. It's an extreme example of what Albany education officials say is a widespread and persistent problem: a drop-off in academic performance as New York State's students move through the middle grades.

"We seem to be quick to accept excuses and to expect performance to be flat in the middle grades," Education Commissioner Richard Mills said at a news conference.

For the second year in a row, Mills said, performance has failed to improve in any substantial way on the state's eighth-grade tests in English and math. That's in marked contrast to rising scores on fourth-grade tests, and also on the state's Regents exams administered in high schools.

State authorities say stagnant eighth-grade scores are symptomatic of a deeper academic malaise that affects many middle schools, and that begins as early as fifth grade. Middle-school managers maintain, on the other hand, that the state's testing program is part of the problem, because it requires eighth-graders to take at least five separate tests, and often several others as well.

"We still think it's overload in eighth grade," said Jim Curran, principal of North Shore Middle School in Glen Head, where scores are up this year. Curran also is co-president of the Nassau County Middle Level Principals Association.

Some highlights announced yesterday from results of tests administered last May:

In fourth-grade math, 89 percent of public-school students in Nassau County meet or exceed state standards, as do 82 percent of students in Suffolk. The statewide figure is 69.1 percent. Regional and statewide scores are up from the previous year, both on math tests and on English tests that were administered in January. English results were announced last spring.

In eighth-grade math, 56 percent of Nassau students and 48 percent of Suffolk's meet or exceed state standards. The state figure is 39.4 percent. Results are down slightly from the previous year statewide and on the Island.

In eighth-grade English, 60 percent of Nassau students and 52 percent of Suffolk's meet or exceed state standards. The state figure is 44.9 percent. Results are down slightly from the previous year in Suffolk, up slightly in Nassau, and stable statewide.

Mills aides say academic weaknesses in middle schools are largely rooted in the assumption by many educators that they should focus on the social, rather than the scholastic, development of students, who face the pressures of early adolescence. Local school officials respond, on the other hand, that flaws in the state's testing system leave doubts as to whether it is an accurate barometer of achievement.

Earlier this month, the state Education Department announced it was delaying release of English test results, due to statistical scoring errors by the test publisher, CTB/McGraw-Hill, a firm based in California. Department officials say, however, that the errors were caught before any harm was done, and that they will continue pressing for better performance in middle schools through a series of regional conferences that will start in February.

Scores already are rising at East Hampton Middle School, which serves a diverse population of about 450 students in eastern Suffolk. For example, 85 percent of eighth-graders there satisfy state standards in English - up two points from last year.

East Hampton Superintendent Jan Furman credits improvements to intensive reading and writing instruction that begins in kindergarten and includes writing assignments scored against national norms in public and private schools. "We're always pushing even our top kids to improve," she said.

Mills reaffirms higher standards to board members
By JAY REY
BUFFALO News Staff Reporter
10/21/01


State Education Commissioner Richard P. Mills gave a pep talk to school board members from around the state Saturday in Buffalo, telling them that parents and students need their leadership during these uncertain times.

And despite fears generated by the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and the fiscal fallout they could create in schools throughout New York, schools need to continue on with the mission of raising academic standards, Mills said.

"Don't think for a minute that we will put aside the work that every child will get a solid education," Mills said. "We look to you to complete the work that has begun."

Mills' comments came at a luncheon at the Hyatt Regency downtown during this weekend's State School Boards Association annual convention, attended by about 3,000 school board members from across the state.

While Mills provided school board members with some encouragement in light of recent events, he also asked them for support in continuing the state's plan of phasing in Regents requirements for graduation.

Not coincidentally, the standards were a main topic among school board delegates during the association's business meeting at the Buffalo Convention Center.

Delegates passed resolutions Saturday calling on the commissioner to alter the state testing system used under the challenging new academic standards. Delegates, for example, argued that the state needs to reduce the number of tests and use a variety of methods to evaluate student performance.

"There's a lot of people who feel the testing system we have now is not adequate for the curriculum and state standards," said Timothy G. Kremer, executive director of the School Boards Association.

Mills acknowledged that efforts to institute tough academic standards may need adjustments along the way, but said schools must maintain the course they started a few years ago and not look back.

"It's not going to be easy to go forward," Mills said. "But it's easier to go forward than to go back. We've come that far."

Mills also referred briefly to the fiscal crisis facing some schools.

With the state's finances spinning into the red following the terrorist attacks, Gov. George E. Pataki warned cities and schools with their own financial troubles not to count on any increases in state aid this year.

Buffalo school officials Friday asked the state and federal governments for an additional $28 million. Without the additional funds, school officials plan to lay off more than 300 employees and eliminate sports, extracurricular activities and extra help for struggling students.

In fact, school board delegates - concerned about dwindling funding sources - passed another resolution Saturday seeking a moratorium on charter schools, which receive money from school districts that have children attending charter schools.

Mills told school board members to make sure politicians are keeping education at the top of their agenda, and said he will do his job as an an advocate for the proper funding in schools.

"We know the financial realities have changed," Mills said. "But that hasn't changed what children need."

 

 


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