Levittown scores above the norm

The Levittown Board of Education met last week to discuss above average Regents scores in the school district. Groups and individuals were also recognized at the start of the meeting for various achievements.

Debbie Rifkin, the assistant superintendent for instruction, presented data on exam scores in Levittown in comparison to Nassau County and the surrounding districts.

“On almost every single Regents, we’ve exceeded the county and other districts,” Rifkin said. “Even in some of the areas that we’ve had trouble in the last couple of years, our teachers have risen to the occasion and we’ve made great gains.”

Although Levittown has performed above average in all areas, Rifkin said that mastery rates still need improvement. Mastery scores mean that students are able to score an 85 or better on a Regents exam.

“Mastery is a bit of a mixed bag,” Rifkin said. “In some areas, we are above the county and surrounding districts and in other areas, we are below. One of the things that we are proud of as a district is that we are very inclusive. We allow our students to opt into honors or accelerated classes, so sometimes students may not get as high of a grade.

“Not many districts allow their students to do that,” Rifkin added. “We will continue to strive in this area.”

Algebra II and Algebra II Trigonometry also sparked a discussion among the board. As per the New York State Education Department, districts have been teaching the Algebra II Common Core curriculum, where up until recently, students were not given the opportunity to take both the Common Core and integrated algebra Regents.

“In late December, we received the memo from state education that tells us we can give both exams and pick the higher of the two,” Rifkin said.

After meeting with the math director and department teachers, the district has decided to go with this option, where students have to take both exams, due to the state regulation. Although they are giving students this alternative, only one third of the curriculum is the same, leaving them unprepared for the Common Core Regents.