Levittown scores on par with county

Scores on 2014 Regents exams mostly equaled or exceeded Nassau County averages in Levittown, according to school district officials who presented the results at the Oct. 8 Board of Education meeting.

In June, students took one or more of 11 Regents exams given in the district at MacArthur and Division Avenue high schools, and Jonas Salk and Wisdom Lane middle schools. The passing rates equaled or exceeded the county average on nine tests.

On the English Regents, which was administered to juniors, 92 percent of students scored 65 or better, compared with 91 percent across the county. “We’re pretty proud of this,” said Debbie Rifkin, the assistant superintendent for instruction.

However, Levittown officials say they want more students to achieve the mastery level, which means a score of 85 or better. In Levittown, 40 percent of students hit that mark, compared to 52 percent across Nassau.

Rifkin said that the goal will be to provide students with more rigorous questions on tests throughout the year, to better prepare them for the Regents. Teachers will also be analyzing areas where students did and did not perform well in order to adapt their curriculum.

In 2016, the district will give its first Common Core English Regents. That means the current sophomore class will be the first one exposed to a test based on the higher state standards.

Common Core testing has already begun in math. In June, ninth-graders and accelerated eighth-grade students took both the integrated algebra and Common Core algebra Regents, and were allowed to use the higher of the two scores for their transcripts.

In Levittown, 91 percent of students passed the integrated algebra exam, compared to 86 percent at the county level. The passing rate for the Common Core exam was 79 percent, on par with the region.

Locally, 34 percent of students scored an 85 or higher on the integrated algebra Regents, equal to the county mastery level.

The geometry passing rate dipped a few points from 2013 to 88 percent, but still remained above the county average. Trigonometry scores were consistent with last year, with 83 percent of students in Levittown passing. That exceeded the county’s mark of 76 percent.

Like in English, the plan will be to expose students to more rigorous questions throughout the year. With the implementation of Common Core, the district plans to have math teachers focus on either algebra or geometry, instead of teaching both, so they can become an expert in their area.

Levittown outperformed the county in social studies. On the global history Regents, which is given to 10th graders, 91 percent passed, compared to 83 percent in the county. For U.S. history, which juniors take, the passing rates were 96 and 92 percent, respectively.

Science is one area where some marks fell short of county averages, specifically in earth science and chemistry. Rifkin said that while there has been greater success on the chemistry Regents in recent years, with 80 percent of students passing, there is still more work to do.

Chemistry is not required for graduation, however Rifkin noted that 77 percent of Levittown high school students still take it.

One change the district is considering is to switch the order of living environment, formerly known as biology, and earth science. Currently, students take earth science in ninth grade and living environment the year after. Accelerated students will take each course a year earlier.

Rifkin said because living environment is easier, the plan is to make that the ninth-grade course. The hope is, she said, that more students could instead take it in middle school, and have more opportunities to take higher-level science courses in high school.

Levittown, in 2014, had passing rates of 96 percent on the living environment Regents, compared to 86 percent on earth science.

Rifkin also reviewed results on Advanced Placement results. A district-record 1,240 A.P. exams were taken in May by Levittown students, with 63 percent achieving success. The tests are graded on a five-point scale, with marks of 3 or greater considered passing. That often earns high school students college credits.

Back in 1990, only 62 A.P. exams were given in Levittown.

The graduation rate ticked up in 2014, with 96 percent of seniors earning a Regents diploma. The Advanced Regents Diploma rate, which is based upon students who pass a series of nine exams, was down slightly, to 62 percent.

Rifkin said that overall high school students in Levittown are succeeding. “We have students attending Ivy League schools and some really prestigious colleges,” she said. Among the acceptances on a list she presented were the University of Pennsylvania, Boston University, Cornell, Vassar and Yale.