By JEFF LIPTON
The district fared better on the state math tests, particularly in the fifth through seventh grades.
The state released the annual Report Cards last month for ELA tests that were administered in January 2007 and math tests given in March 2007. The report provides detailed information about how each of the schools in the district performed on the exams, with the percentage of students passing on levels 3 and 4 and failing on levels 1 and 2. The report also compares how students from grades 3 to 8 fared on the tests in 2006-07 with students on the same grade level who took the exams in 2005-06.
For the first time, this year’s Report Cards also track students on their four-year path through high school, comparing ninth-graders from the time they enter in 2002 and 2003.
In Long Beach, the percentage of third-graders passing the ELA exam in 2006-07 was 83 percent as compared with 88 percent the previous year.
The percentage of fourth-graders who met or exceeded state standards on the test dropped from 93 to 87 percent. The percentage passing on the fifth grade ELA dipped from 91 to 88, the sixth grade went from 74 to 68, the seventh grade from 71 to 70 and eighth grade from 71 to 69.
On the state math exams, however, the percentage of fifth-graders who met or surpassed state standards rose from 90 to 92, sixth-graders went from 78 to 83 and the seventh-graders from 66 to 81. But then eighth grade scores saw a decline from 77 to 73 percent passing.
“As I said earlier, unless 100 percent of the kids are passing and graduating, I’m not satisfied,” said Dr. Robert Greenberg, Long Beach schools superintendent.
Greenberg pointed to changes made in this year’s budget that should help boost scores, including creating curriculum directors from the kindergarten through the 12th grade for each subject, giving students more continuity. The addition of reading teachers and learning labs should also help students, he said.
“With the changes that we’ve made, we should be seeing [the improvement] start to take hold,” said Greenberg.
“We’re not happy unless every one of our youngsters is exceeding expectations, and that’s our goal,” said Greenberg.
He said it is confusing to publish scores for tests that are 16 and 18 months old. “But it’s that way for every district, not just Long Beach,” said Greenberg. “We just try to explain it as best as we can.”
“I think it’s of no value to publish scores that are two years old,” said Carole Butler, former PTA president whose son is a senior at Long Beach High School. “It’s confusing to people because they don’t see the data clearly, they don’t realize it’s two years ago. If they are going to publish scores, it must be timely or it’s not helpful.”
Butler declined to comment on the results of the English and math tests for 2006-07.
Jonathan Burman, a spokesman for the State Education Department, said the information has been delayed in reaching the public because this marks the first year that the state is tracking every high school student, as well as middle and elementary school students.
“It’s become a much bigger task,” said Burman. “And we’re trying to work out all the kinks in the system.”
He said that next year the state hopes to get the data to the public much quicker.
“We have heard the complaints and we are sensitive to them, but it’s more important to get the data right, which is our first concern,” said Burman.
The Report Cards were created more than a decade ago by the Board of Regents to make schools more accountable to the public in terms of student performance. “It allows the public, the media and everyone else to know how the districts are doing,” said Burman.
Comments about this story? Jlipton@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 213.
