By KAREN RICE
Ogden Elementary and Hewlett Elementary Schools, both in the Hewlett-Woodmere School District, showed significant improvement. At Ogden, 59 percent of the students met or surpassed state standards in 1999 compared to 84 percent in 2002. One hundred students were tested in both 1999 and 2002.
At Hewlett Elementary, 70.4 percent tested at or above state standards in 1999 while 91.34 percent tested this high in 2002. Officials said 142 students were tested in 1999 and 127 were tested in 2002.
Lawrence Public Schools also improved on the elementary level at the Number Six School where 60.3 percent of students who were tested met or surpassed state standards in 1999 compared with 80.77 percent in 2002. Sixty three students were tested in 1999 and 52 were tested in 2002.
Dr. Myrna Uhlich, deputy superintendent at Hewlett-Woodmere, credited the improvement to the students, their teachers and their parents but added that she did not feel it was appropriate to compare the scores from 2002 with those from 1999 because different students were tested.
Our current [fourth-grade] students performed well, but if I want to see if they improved, I want to know how the students do in eighth-grade, she said. When I see that the same students do well in fourth and eighth grade, that's when I feel they have mastered state standards. I am very proud of our students but I feel we should only compare them to themselves.
Uhlich added that one cannot judge a student's performance on just one test because it is just a brief photograph of a student's overall performance.
Michelle Lineal, Lawrence's assistant superintendent for curriculum, felt that the hard work of Eileen McCarthy, Number Six School principal, and the school's staff were the reasons behind the rise in ELA scores. However, she added that it is only fair to compare students to themselves because some students are high-flyers on tests while other students find testing more difficult while excelling in other areas.
McCarthy agreed it is not accurate to judge the scores of one student to another because every student tests differently.
I think it is important but every testing year is different because one group of children is not the same as another group of children. As a school we work very hard. We work as a team to prepare children through a very strong reading and writing program. Over the years I think we just got better and better at it.
She also credited the district's extra help programs and the Number Six School teachers for the improvement in the ELA scores. I feel the extra help programs have been helpful to students. We are delighted with the scores. Each and every year the staff members try hard to help the students improve.
Uhlich also felt that Gov. George Pataki's proposed cuts in state aid to public schools could possibly threaten the district's budget for next year and the success of its students.
Of course, we have to be very careful about our budget, she said. We have to watch our money and spend it judiciously.
