September 5, 2010 · www.gothamgazette.com

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Adding Up the Math Scores
June 1st, 2009

The state released scores on its standardized math test today, and the largely positive results quickly became fodder in the debate over mayoral control of schools.

According to the scores, 82 percent of city public schools students in grades three through eight meet state standards, compared with 74 percent a year ago. The results show a narrowing gap between the city scores and those statewide and also a narrowing of the so-called “achievement gap” between races.

“The idea of New York City students performing nearly on par with the rest of New York State would have been unthinkable just a few years ago,” said Mayor Bloomberg in a statement. “Our schools have made a remarkable turnaround since 2002, and New York City is now proof that you shouldn’t have to choose between living in a big city and sending your children to excellent public schools. It’s happening because we are putting children first and holding our schools accountable for results.”

The city’s release also includes a plethora of comments from people praising the results, including one by State Sen. Pedro Espada Jr. (profiled in Gotham Gazette this week), who said the rising scores “clearly demonstrate why Mayor Bloomberg must continue to have oversight of our public education system.”

Maybe. But then again maybe not. While New York City saw it’s scores rise, so did other big cities in the state, which don’t have mayoral control, including Buffalo where scores rose a whopping 13.3 percent.

Following the position she took when reading scores came out earlier this spring, state Board of Regents Chancellor Merryl Tisch expressed more caution. Pointing to the large number of urban students who require remedial education when they enter college, she said, “Just because scores have gone up dramatically does not mean that our youngsters are ready to go to college.”

While the results for the city showed “positive, strong movement in a right direction,” Tisch added: “No one should interpret this as an enormous victory.” Instead she said, “New York needs to raise its standards”

By Gail Robinson on June 1, 2009, 3:04 pm
In category: Albany, Education, Measuring UP | 2 Comments »

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2 Responses to “Adding Up the Math Scores”

  1. Jennifer Says:
    June 2nd, 2009 at 10:12 am

    How is the “so called achievement gap” being narrowed? If more students are being test prepped into crossing the threshold from level 2 into level 3, what does that do to the score distribution on the upper end (level 4)? How many of the allegedly level 3 students are actually on the low end, and how do their scores compare to their scores on national exams? To many, it looks like the actual scores haven’t changed all that much, just how they’re being categorized.

  2. Dee Alpert Says:
    June 2nd, 2009 at 1:33 pm

    There have been so many audits and reports re the highly questionable scoring of State-mandated exams that it’s hard to understand why anyone would bother publicizing them so heavily. Since the tests which the schools do not themselves grade in NYS – SATs; ACTs; NAEP – show minor improvement in NYS and NYC kids’ scores, at best … .

    When and if State Ed. ever (over its dead body, of course) releases all the reports it receives from outside regrading “audits” – then and only then should we worry about whether gaps are decreasing and if NYC scores mean that kids are learning more.

    Till then … it’s only appropriate to assume that once again, the first casualty is …

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