The North Bellmore Union Free School District (UFSD) is very pleased with the results of the 2012 English and Matt tests, according to Superintendent Arnold Goldstein.
“I was pleased that every grade showed improvement," Goldstein said. "When kids moved from one grade to the next, we found that they improved as well.”
The biggest increase in performance came from the fifth graders, who climbed 7.5 percent in ELA in 2012. The fifth graders also excelled in math, as they scored 5.1 percent higher than last year's mark.
Here's a sampling of how North Bellmore students fared with regard to meeting or exceeding proficiency standards in English and math exams, according to a state report.
Grade 2010/11 2011/12 3- ELA 73.2% 77.4% 3- Math 74.6% 79.8% 4- ELA 75.7% 76.8% 4- Math 84.3% 88.4% 5- ELA 70.9% 78.4% 5- Math 80% 85.1% 6-ELA 75.5% 74.5% 6-Math 88.8% 84.1%“We’re always looking for even more progress, because, even though we do far better than the state average and higher than the county average, we want to make sure that we reach every student,” Goldstein added.
The only drops in the district were slight. The sixth graders fell 1 percent in ELA, while their math scores dipped 4.7 percent. Besides that, all other grade levels improved upon last year's scores.
“I don’t think that any district that does well is ever satisfied," Goldstein said. "But we’ve been making steady progress and I am pleased about that.”
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See the full state report for a school-by-school breakdown, and to see how other neighboring districts performed. The analysis from 2011 is also available.
Newsday reports Long Island schools outperformed the rest of the state.
Incremental gains were seen statewide, according to the state education department. The latest report shows that students scored slightly higher this year in both the English and math exams, compared with last year, and that there was a small increase in the percentage of grades 3-8 students across the state who met or exceeded the proficiency standard on both exams.
However, state education officials seem to be setting sights on bigger gains.
Board of Regents Chancellor Merryl H. Tisch said in a statement that "too many of our students, especially students of color, English Language Learners and special education students, are currently not on a course for college and career readiness. That’s why we are continuing to press forward with critical reforms to ensure all of our kids are ready for college and careers. In the fall we will begin to phase in a new, more challenging, content rich curriculum and continue to press for the implementation of a rigorous teacher evaluation system in every district across the state."
In looking at students in grades 3-8 across the state, the education department is reporting that 55.1 percent of students met or exceeded the English proficiency standard, up from 52.8 in 2011. In addition, 64.8 percent met or exceeded the standard in math, up from 63.3 percent last year.
What do you think of North Bellmore's test scores? Tell us in the comments.
If slight is a 4.7% drop, what would be considered major?... These are the things that parents should pay attention to. We pay for the teachers and admin that think 4.7% is slight!