Some very good news yesterday for NYC and NYS on the English test given to all 3rd thru 8th graders in the state.  Below is the front-page article in today's NYT about the results (with the ubiquitous snarky (and wrong-headed) quote from Diane Ravitch) and here is the state's slide presentation (http://www.emsc.nysed.gov/irts/ela-math/ela-07/Grade3-8ELAresults2007Final.ppt).  Here are the highlights for NYC:

• Overall, non-ELL (English Language Learners) students testing at or above grade level (levels 3 & 4) rose from 53.2% to 56.0%, while the % at the lowest level (level 1) dropped from 10.0% to 5.9%.
• The gains are much more dramatic for NYC ELL and disabled students: ELL students at or above grade level rose from 10.7% to 16.0%, while the % at the lowest level plunged from 41.8% to 30.9% (pages 20-21), and there were similar results for disabled students (pages 35-36).

To see the entire 1215-page report with data for every school in the state, you can go to:

http://www.emsc.nysed.gov/irts/ela-math/ela-07/2007Grades3-8ELAPublicDistrict-School-ISR-ELA.pdf.

 

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May 23, 2007

New York Eighth Graders Show Gains in Reading

By DAVID M. HERSZENHORN

www.nytimes.com/2007/05/23/education/23schools.html

 

The number of eighth graders reading at grade level or above in New York State climbed impressively this year for the first time since 1999, when the state adopted tougher educational standards and its modern testing system, according to scores released yesterday from the annual statewide English exam.