WPCNR SCHOOL DAYS. From New York State Education Department Press Office. March 17, 2004 (EDITED): School Report Cards released Wednesday by the State Education Department show 85% of students entering high school in 1999 across the state passed their Regents Exams in 2003. Official conclusions on results across the state, showed:
- More students are taking and passing Regents Exams at 65 each year, even as 5 exams are required.
- The number of students graduating each year remains stable even with higher standards.
- Achievement is climbing as more students receive Regents Diplomas, requiring a 65 score on 8 exams including 2 math and 2 science exams.
- Despite gains, an achievement gap continues in high school.
- Elementary school students show continuing progress in English and math, and middle school students show progress in math.
“This school report card shows good news,” State Education Commissioner Richard Mills said, “but New York still faces many challenges. More students are achieving higher standards each year. The number of graduates is staying constant, even with higher standards. But we need to do better. Too many young people historically take longer to graduate, or they drop out. We need to press on and provide more help to students and close the achievement gap.”
Resources Key
“The Board of Regents has made closing the achievement gap a priority,” Regents Chancellor Robert M. Bennett said. “The improvements shown in this report card, combined with the continuing challenges, make the best possible argument for getting enough resources to the children who need them most. That’s why it’s urgent that New York State adopt the Regents’ proposal for reforming State Aid to schools.”
Trends Identified:
· More students overall are taking and passing Regents Exams each year at a score of 65.
· At least 85 percent of general education students in the group or cohort of students who began 9th grade in 1999 have passed the five required Regents Exams after four years. The exams are English, Math, Global History and Geography, U.S. History and Government, and Science.
· At least 94 percent of seniors in the 1999 cohort have passed each exam.
· The annual number of high school graduates statewide has stayed consistent despite higher standards. This is true also when comparing the number of graduates to the overall 9th-12th grade enrollment.
· More students are getting Regents Diplomas by passing eight Regents Exams, including two Math and two Science exams, at a grade of 65 or above.
ELEMENTARY - MIDDLE SCHOOLS ACHIEVEMENT UP.
· Elementary and middle school achievement is improving among all types of schools and all racial groups, compared to 1999 results. More students are achieving all the standards in elementary English and math and middle school math, as compared with 1999. Fewer students are achieving all the standards in middle school English, compared to 1999. These elementary and middle school results for 2003 were announced earlier this school year.
THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION RECOMMENDS:
· Hold fast to the standards and high expectations.
· Use the data effectively.
· Recruit certified teachers.
· Recruit and train effective leaders.
· Offer a rigorous curriculum for all. Provide an enriched program for students falling behind – not a slowed-down and repetitive program. Have children read at least 25 books per year with teacher guidance to insure appropriate quality, content, and challenge. Provide basic facts and formulas in math while moving ahead in a rich grade-level curriculum. Forget test prep.
· Improve instruction.
· Improve the middle grades curriculum. Move beyond elementary math to algebra and geometry. Move to more advanced literature and analytical writing.
· Adopt the Regents’ proposal for reforming State Aid to schools.
The State is moving towards a system in which each student has an identifier that is unique statewide. This move is partially completed, but, for example, students who transfer from one district to another cannot yet be fully accounted for. As a result of this move toward a reporting system with individual student records, more students are being reported and included in the cohort
Note: Due to a "problem with the server," the website where School Report Cards are posted, has not been able to post the Report Cards as of 11 A.M. E.S.T. Thursday Morning. The State Education Department reports they are working on the problem.
To review the slides accompanying the press conference, go to http://www.nysed.gov/
