AMIT ranked No. 1 educational network in Israel

AMIT, a New York-based nonprofit that advocates for education in Israel and has a strong Sephardic Temple chapter in Cedarhurst, was ranked Israel’s No. 1 educational network for the third consecutive year based on data collected by the Jewish state’s Education Ministry data.

The Education Ministry rates educational networks in Israel based on various criteria, including overall achievement of the networks’ schools, matriculation rate, number of students taking the highest level matriculation exams in English and math, dropout rate, violence prevention, and graduates’ rate of enlistment in the army or national service, mainstreaming special-needs students, and testing integrity (cheating rates).

AMIT led the way in three categories: the percentage of students who are eligible for matriculation, the percentage of students taking 5-point matriculation exams in math, and fewest violent incidents. The data from the ministry revealed only part of the picture, because they are influenced by the excellent schools in each network or by especially weak schools. To obtain complete data, the ministry developed another index that examines the percentage of schools in each network that meet the minimum standards set by the ministry for each index.

“The rating is a badge of honor for the AMIT educational system and the network’s teachers, especially in the periphery [outlying areas of Israel], where most of our schools are located,” Dr. Amnon Eldar, director general of the AMIT network said in a news release. “We equally proud of our excellence in preventing violence as we are in achieving excellence in 5-point mathematics. We are investing in pedagogical innovation and imparting skills for the 21st century, and we have approached the ministry about including these factors in its indices in the future.”

The organization led the way in terms of students’ eligibility, which is 98 percent for matriculation exams according to the Education Ministry’s criteria. “This is the result of a long and steady strategic effort to innovate our learning methods and create spaces where collaboration and intellectual risk taking is encouraged,” Audrey Axelrod Trachtman, president of AMIT said in the release. “Our mantra across every one of our schools in Israel is that no matter the socioeconomic background, our students have the ability and skills to succeed even beyond their dreams.”

AMIT is a 95-year-old New York-based nonprofit that seeks to help Israel’s youth recognize their potential and strengthen Israeli society by educating and nurturing children from diverse backgrounds.