By Jonann Brady with Karenlyn Barone
With public schools forced to place increasing emphasis on standardized test results to gauge student achievement, schools across Nassau County have generally seen an uptick in fourth- and eighth-grade scores on both the math and English Language Arts exams, reflecting more rigorous test preparation in most districts.
More than 99 percent of Lynbrook's fourth-graders met or exceeded standards on the state math exam, placing the school second in the county behind the Syosset Central School District.
"I think it's terrible that they publish the scores in the paper, but I'm obviously very happy with our scores," said Lynbrook Superintendent of Schools William Metkiff. "There is always room for improvement."
All East Rockaway and Malverne elementary schools saw double-digit increases in their passing fourth-grade scores, though Malverne's fourth-graders were still at the bottom of the Nassau County list, above only Roosevelt in the number of students passing the test.
"Malverne test scores continue to improve," said Superintendent Anthony Pecorale. "No school in the district is listed as a 'school under review' for any subject or area. We will continue to identify areas that need revision and upgrading. The support and encouragement from the parents, guardians and community help in supplementing the curriculum."
In eighth-grade results, Lynbrook South Middle School was the only school in the three villages to see any significant decrease in scores from 2002 to 2003, with an 8 percent decrease in the number of students who met or exceeded standards on the exam.
East Rockaway eighth-graders' scores jumped markedly, with 70 percent of students meeting or exceeding standards this year, compared with just 42 percent in 2002. And Malverne's scores continued to climb, with the number of students passing the test rising 7 percent since last year.
"We had one of the biggest increases on Long Island in scores," said Superintendent Dr. Arnold Dodge. "We did very well."
Generally, middle-school test scores in both math and ELA plummet after fourth grade, and educators say the drop can be attributed to a number of factors, including a heavier workload and the pressures of adolescence. They add that student performance begins to rebound again in high school.
While school districts and parents are generally pleased by the climbing test scores, many still worry that too much emphasis is placed on passing exams, leaving teachers to forgo creativity and "teach to the test." "The tests are driving what we do in school every day," acknowledged Metkiff.
One outspoken and concerned parent from East Rockaway, Barbara Humes, plans to boycott next week's state-mandated test for fifth-grade social studies. She said she will keep her child home that day. "The school contends that test scores will not adversely affect a child's grade average," said Humes. "But what they didn't tell us is that it would be used as a tool to evaluate the needs of your child."
According to Humes, schools are now using the test scores as the sole indicator of a child's educational needs. A child may, in fact, struggle with the curriculum all year long, but if he or she happens to score well on the state tests, the school will ignore that child in terms of support services.
"They have thrown teacher recommendations out the window, and by doing so have totally discarded the voice of the person who truly knows your child's educational strengths and weaknesses," said Humes.
Educators also caution that it is difficult to compare test results from year to year. "The tests are really not a good indication of how anyone is doing," said Metkiff. "It is one test given to a different group of students each year. We should test a child when they enter the system, continue to test that same child and help them with deficiencies. Then test them when they leave and see how far they've come."
Dodge agrees that it would be beneficial to have multiple measures of how students and schools are doing.
"Think of the multitude of things being done in the classroom," said Dodge. "There is so much more to the 4th and 8th-grade experience than just that one test."
8th grade math test scores
(percentage of students meeting or exceeding standards; numbers rounded up)
2002 2003 %change
Malverne -- Howard T. Herber MS 68 75 7%
Lynbrook North MS 78 77 -1%
Lynbrook South MS 90 82 -8%
East Rockaway Junior HS 42 70 28%
4th grade math test scores
(percentage of students meeting or exceeding standards; numbers rounded up)
2002 2003 % change
Malverne
Davison Avenue Elementary 71 81 10%
Maurice Downing Elementary 70 82 12%
Lynbrook
Marion Street School 100 99 -1%
Waverly Park School 95 100 5%
West End School 99 100 1%
East Rockaway
Rhame Ave. School 85 96 11%
Centre Ave. School 81 96 15%
