School officials: numbers skewed by new scoring policy
Results of the ELAs, which were taken by students in grades 3-8 in January, were released last week.
English Language Learners (formerly known as English as a Second Language students) who have lived in the country for a minimum of one year took the same exam as other students. According to the New York State Department of Education's Web site, new federal rules under No Child Left Behind require all ELL students who have been in the country for at least one year to take the tests.
"Imagine moving to Croatia on May 25 and having to take the same test as each student in the school on May 26 of next year," said Franklin Square Superintendent Dr. Tom Dolan.
In addition, for the first time, the scores of students who are taught out-of-district are factored in. For example, if special education students who live in the Elmont School District go to a different school, their results affect Elmont - even though they were instructed elsewhere.
Franklin Square's third- and fourth- graders performed exceptionally well. More than 92 percent of third-graders met or exceeded standards in the ELA exam, third best out of the 53 county elementary school districts. More than 95 percent of fourth-graders - including 100 percent at John Street School - met or exceeded standards, fourth best in the county. More than 89 percent of fifth-graders passed - down from 94 percent last years- and 88.6 percent of sixth-graders passed - down from 90 percent last year.
"We feel we can do better," Dolan said.
Districtwide, Elmont schools had improvement in grades 3, 4 and 6 and a three percent drop in fifth-grade. Elmont third-graders (75 percent passing), fourth-graders (79.5 percent passing), fifth-graders (75.3 percent passing) and sixth-graders (79 percent passing) all scored below the county average for each grade.
"We'll analyze all the data and isolate the units of the curriculum that have not been successfully taught and work toward improving that," Superintendent Al Harper said.
Harper also called the new scoring system "unfair" because some school districts have more out-of-district and ELL students than others.
"The playing field is equal in that each school district is subject to it, but some have more [ELL students] than others," he said. "Some of our neighboring districts don't have as many ELL students as we do. It's not fair to the kids to have to take the test. There's been an uproar and a large push to take another look at it."
With the passing of the Sewanhaka Central High School District budget earlier this month, a new English program for seventh- and eighth-grade students who scored below state standards will be implemented at Elmont, H. Frank Carey and Sewanhaka high schools next fall. Read 180, as the pilot program is called, will give selected students back-to-back English classes. If it proves successful, Read 180 will be expanded to the other two district schools.
The numbers of Sewanhaka students who passed rose districtwide (up 4 percent for seventh-grade, up 18 percent for eighth-grade) and at Elmont, Carey and Sewanhaka (see sidebar for results).
"Obviously we're happy they went up in Elmont, Carey and Sewanhaka, but feel that with Read 180, the numbers will go much higher," Superintendent Warren Meierdiercks said.
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