FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, May 15, 2008

For More Information, Contact:
Jonathan Burman or Tom Dunn at (518)474-1201
Internet: http://nysed.gov

LARGE INCREASE IN “HIGH PERFORMING/GAP CLOSING”
 AND “RAPIDLY IMPROVING” SCHOOLS ANNOUNCED

A total of 1,759 public schools, 19 charter schools, and 288 public school districts have been named “High Performing/Gap Closing” under the No Child Left Behind Act, Regents Chancellor Robert M. Bennett and State Education Commissioner Richard Mills announced today. Also, 373 schools, 10 charter schools and 62 districts have been named as “Rapidly Improving.”

“High Performing/Gap Closing” schools and districts have been recognized because they met all applicable State standards for English Language Arts (ELA) and math during the 2006-07 school year and also made Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) in ELA and math for two consecutive years. 

“Rapidly Improving” schools and districts are those that were below the State standards in one or more subjects but showed improvement and made AYP in 2004-2005, 2005-2006 and 2006-2007.

“We must focus special attention on schools that need to improve the performance of children who are frequently underserved,” Chancellor Bennett said. “Today, we are pleased to recognize so many schools and districts in New York that have shown real progress in meeting this challenge.”

 “It is encouraging that half of New York’s eligible schools have shown the kind of progress needed for them to be recognized today. The Regents will continue to take aggressive action to ensure that every student in every school has a chance to succeed,” Commissioner Richard Mills said.

New York City has 328 “high performing/gap closing” schools. In addition, 18 schools were recognized in the other four big city school districts, 99 in high need small urban-suburban districts, 216 in high need rural districts, 930 in average need districts, and 456 in low need districts.

In the “rapidly improving” category, New York City has 161 schools, almost twice as many as last year.  The other four large city districts have 28, the high need urban-suburban districts have 55, the high need rural districts have 75, the average need districts have 100 and the low need districts have 16 schools. 

Some schools and districts that made notable achievement include:

• PS 116 Mary Lindley Murray in CSD 2 in New York City had 94% of all students, 83% of Black students, 91% of Hispanic students, 76% of students with disabilities and 87% of low-income students achieve proficiency in Grade 3-8 ELA in 2006-2007.  In 3-8 math 97% of all students, 81% of students with disabilities, 93% of Black and Hispanic students, and 94% low-income students were proficient. 

• French Road Elementary School in Brighton had the majority (64%) of its low-income students and students with disabilities achieve proficiency in 3-8 ELA as well as 90% of Asian students, 84% of Hispanic students and 78% of Black students. In 3-8 math 70% of students with disabilities, 97% of Asian students, 94% of Hispanic students, 80% of Black students and 82% of students with disabilities achieved AYP.

• The Stewart Manor school in Elmont UFSD had 95% of all student, 87% of students with disabilities, 94% of Asian and Black students, and 91% of low-income students achieve proficiency in Grade 3-8 ELA in 2006-2007. In 3-8 math 99% of all students, 100% of Asian students and 98% of Black students, and 96% low-income students were proficient. 

• Pearls Hawthorne school in Yonkers had 92% of its student achieve proficiency in ELA and math, 94% Black students, 93% of Asian students, 89% of Hispanic students and 86% low-income students achieved proficiency in ELA, and 98% of Asian students, 90% of Black students, 88% of Hispanic students and 84% of low-income students achieved proficiency in math.

Only schools and districts that had a minimum of 30 continuously enrolled students in at least three accountability groups (the “all student” group plus at least two from among the five racial/ethnic groups and the low-income, limited English proficient, or students with disabilities groups) were eligible for recognition as either “high performing/gap closing” or “rapidly improving.” Statewide, there were 3,551 public and charter schools and 678 districts that met the eligibility requirement.

For 2006-2007 school year results, the number of “high performing/gap closing” schools increased by more than 100, the number of “rapidly improving” schools increased by more than 150, and the number of “rapidly improving” districts more than doubled, compared to the previous school year. These gains are particularly significant because the State standard increased by 5 points, from 150 to 155, for 3-8 ELA and math and from 160 to 165 for high school ELA and math for the 2006-07 school year.

A list of recognized schools and districts is available at http://www.nysed.gov

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