The Hall Monitor

Playing catch-up as we take a break from working on a big project for September release:

1. The state Education Department just announced that statewide results on April’s 3-8 math and ELA tests were somewhat improved over last year.

Here are the highlights from an SED release:

• 55.1% of grade 3-8 students across the State met or exceeded the ELA proficiency standard (an increase from 52.8% last year); 64.8% met or exceeded the standard in math (up from 63.3% last year).


• 37.2% of African-American students in grades 3-8 met or exceeded the ELA proficiency standard (compared with 55.1% for all students and 66.4% for white students); 46.1% met or exceeded the standard in math (compared with 64.8% for all students and 74% for white students).


• 40% of Hispanic students in grades 3-8 met or exceeded the ELA proficiency standard (compared with 55.1% for all students and 66.4% for white students); 53.1% met or exceeded the standard in math (compared with 64.8% for all students and 74% for white students).


• 11.7% of English Language Learners (ELLs) in grades 3-8 met or exceeded the ELA proficiency standard (down from 12.6% last year); 34.4% of ELLs met or exceeded the standard in math (up from 32.3% last year).


• 15.5% of Students with Disabilities (SWDs) met or exceeded the ELA proficiency standard (up from 14.5% last year) across grades 3-8; 28.5% of SWDs met or exceeded the standard in math (up from 26.9% last year).

You can see the results of your districts by CLICKING HERE and scanning the databases.

2. If you missed it, my colleague Randi Weiner wrote the other day about what NYS’s waiver from No Child Left Behind will mean for local school districts.

Last year, 58 schools in 25 local districts were identified as “needing improvement” because they failed to meet federal targets for test scores under NCLB. Now those districts—and all districts—will be getting a clean slate.

Of course, many districts had to hire consultants, organize committees, set up improvement plans and more because of getting the “needing improvement” label. I’m sure that some would say it was a big waste of time.

3. And if you missed it, our tax columnist David McKay Wilson had a column the other day about how Southern Westchester BOCES gets around a statewide salary cap for BOCES superintendents. Here’s a hint: It doesn’t have a superintendent, but does have a deputy superintendent who runs the show and makes considerably more than the cap.

Of course, the official in question—Sandra Simpson—didn’t make the rules. Rather, the Southern Westchester BOCES Board of Education is running things the way it wants, with a wink and a nod from the state. Because everyone involved probably agrees that the cap is too low to get a quality schools chief in high-cost Westchester.