By Robert Remler
Schools chief demands action
A "disturbing" trend in eighth grade test score results has caught the attention of the high school district's new superintendent.
For two years, nearly half of Valley Stream's Central High School District eighth-grade students have performed below state standards on the English Language Arts [ELA] and math assessments.
This year, about 50 percent of eighth graders scored in the bottom two performance levels on both tests, and district scores fell below the county average.
Superintendent Ronald Valenti said these results were "unacceptable." The superintendent added that "immediate and dramatic action is required to reverse this disturbing trend."
"We must avoid finger-pointing and playing the blame game," said Superintendent Valenti. "We are all responsible for student achievement...educators, parents and students."
Dr. Valenti repeatedly has said that he supports higher standards and increased accountability. "While the state has provided improved assessments, they have failed in terms of scoring the tests quickly and returning important data to us immediately."
Dr. Valenti wondered why districts wait until October for the results of the May ELA and math tests. "That's a four month lag. If we had the results during the summer, we could have scheduled failing students into remediation at the start of school."
Dr. Valenti suggests that the State Educational Department "must reduce the turnaround time to four to six weeks.
The state should also consider the number of tests that are given at each grade level, he said. "Are we testing too much when eighth-graders must take five state tests between May and June?"
The superintendent recently proposed adding a ninth period to prepare students for the May 2001 exams. "Parents must strongly support the mandated ninth period if students are to succeed."
Memorial Jr. High student Lauren Martini said she didn't think the ELA exam corresponded to what was taught in the classrooms. Nor did she think that everything covered in math classes corresponded to the math assessment test. Ms. Martini said she was not scared before taking the examinations. Some students who took the exams just did not care how they did, she said. "They say, well, it's not affecting my average."
Memorial student Casey Meaney said that less than one half of what she learned in class appeared on the ELA examination. Ms. Meaney also did not think it was fair to compare scores between schools.
Student Anthony Gonzalez said he did not find the examinations that challenging, and it was not that necessary to study for the English assessment. He also said schools needed to help students "who are really looking for help and are trying their best."
Mr. Gonzalez said that before the examination, his English teacher told the class, "don't get nervous, don't get scared." The student said comparisons between schools are good, "so that the schools doing better can be a model for schools doing worse."
Jaclyn Costa said she also didn't think many students were scared or nervous before the examinations. She was in favor of comparing scores between schools because it would illustrate deficiencies between them.
Stephanie Pontillo said her teachers did spend time preparing students for the examinations. "Study, study, study," is what Ms. Pontillo said her teachers told students.
