Understanding Assessments in the Hilton Central School District and New York State

NYSED School Report Card 2009-10

NYS Learning Standards from NYS Education Department 

NYSED School Report Card 2008-09

NYSED School Report Card 2007-08 

NYS Educaton Department Archive School Report Cards

Special Education Focused Review  The NYS Education Department's Office of Special Education has initiated a Special Education Quality Assurance [SEQA] Special Education Programs and Services Focused Review in the Hilton Central School District during the 2011-12 school year.  The purpose of of this review is to assess the district's compliance with selected federal and State laws and regulations governing the education of students with disabilities.  The review will be conducted by the SEQA Western Regional Office and will include representatives from the school district. The review process will involve a review of school records of selected students with disabilities, classroom visitation and interviews.  In addition, meetings of the committee on special education will be observed.  Further information may be obtained by contacting SEQA Western Regional Office at 585-344-2002 and/or by contacting the Hilton Central School District at 585-392-1000 ext. 6056.  January 25, 2012

Common Core Learning Standards   Dr. Barbara Surash, Hilton CSD Executive Director for Education, presented a Common Core Standards presentation at the October 11, 2011 Board of Education meeting which served as a study session.  The Common Core State Standards Initiative is a state-led effort coordinated by the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices and the Council of Chief State School Officers. The standards were developed in collaboration with teachers, school administrators, and experts, to provide a clear and consistent framework to prepare students for college and the workforce. The standards are designed to be aligned with college and work expectations; are clear, understandable and consistent; include rigorous content and application of knowledge through high-order skills; build upon strengths and lessons of current state standards; are informed by other top performing countries, so that all students are prepared to succeed in our global economy and society; and are evidence-based.  For further information: Common Core Learning Standards, an Overview for Hilton CSD teachers and administrators. November 2011

What does a “District in Need of Improvement” mean?  The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB) requires all states to create their own high academic standards for what a child should know and be able to do in language arts literacy and mathematics.  Each school must achieve the state’s proficiency standards each year until all students meet these standards in 2014. The measure of the annual targets is called Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP). If a school does not meet its AYP targets for two consecutive years in the same content area, it is designated as a “school in need of improvement” (SINI).  In addition to measuring each school, NCLB also requires the New York State Education Department (NYSED) to annually review the performance of each school district. Under NCLB, AYP is determined based on each school’s progress toward meeting the state proficiency level for all students in English language arts, mathematics, science and/or high school graduation rate. Schools are held accountable for the achievement of students of different races and ethnic groups, students with disabilities, students with limited English proficiency and low-income students.  All Schools in Need of Improvement (SINI) and Districts in Need of Improvement (DINI) receive federal Title I funds and must take a variety of actions under federal law.  Recently the New York State Department of Education identified Hilton CSD's Village Elementary School and Merton Williams Middle as a "Year 1 Schools in Need of Improvement (SINI)."  In accordance with the Federal government’s No Child Left Behind (NCLB) schools are required to meet adequate yearly progress (AYP) in English Language Arts and mathematics, which is measured annually by the New York State grades 3-8 assessments. Schools must meet the state’s academic proficiency benchmarks for all students as well as certain subgroups of students. Village Elementary School and Merton Williams Middle School did not make AYP in the area of English Language Arts for students with disabilities. "Hilton Central School District is committed to providing your students with a quality education," said Hilton CSD Executive Director for Education Dr. Barbara Surash,  "In light of being identified as a Year I SINI, the administration and teachers have embarked on a multi-year improvement process. Curriculum, instruction, data, and support services are being analyzed in order to ensure that we are providing the best educational practices to all students. In the future the School Report Card will be presented during a Board of Education meeting. As always, the date of the meeting will be publicized. All interested are welcomed to attend this meeting to learn more about Hilton Central School District’s New York State Assessment scores."  October 28, 2011

October 2010 New York State is in the Race to the Top   The federal government recently announced that New York State was one of the states selected to receive federal dollars for educational reform better known as “Race to the Top” (RTTT).  New York will receive $750 million from the feds, paid out in four annual installments.  On the surface, this amount represents a significant investment in public education in New York. Upon closer inspection, half of the funds will be directed to the New York State Education Department to fund a new reform agenda, a portion of the funds will be used to pay for managing the grant and the remaining funds will be distributed to each school district statewide.  Of the $750 million provided to the state, the Hilton Central School District will receive only $27,000 dollars annually each of the next four years. This amount represents less than 1% of our overall district budget. These funds are linked to new state requirements that are expected to increase student college and career readiness by adopting common core state standards, raising the bar on state assessments, strengthening evaluation of teachers and principals and building a stronger statewide curriculum. The New York State Education Department will be rolling out their educational reform agenda to schools and the public in the coming months. While the amount of the entire grant provided to New York is significant, only a small amount will find its way to our school district.   These dollars will not resolve the current and anticipated loss of state aid to education both now and in the future.  Given the recent loss of state aid to education coupled with the federal government’s decision to cut Medicaid funding to schools for student medical needs, we anticipate another challenging budget cycle in the 2011-12 school year.  In spite of the challenges, we remain committed to providing a high quality education for every child in our community.  We continue to use the dollars provided to us in a cost effective manner and continuously examine cost saving opportunities.  No matter what the future holds, the district is committed to providing a high quality learning experience for every student at one of the lowest costs per pupil in Monroe County.  -- Superintendent David Dimbleby, October 21, 2010

July 2010  New York Times Schools Test Scores across New York State  The NY Times compared standardized test scores in all districts in New York State and posted online: Hilton Central School District Results.  Statistics on the NY Times site were culled from figures published by the New York State and New York City education departments.  For test scores, the New York Times has calculated a "Performance Index" that compares each school to others in the state.  The performance index for a school or district on a given test is passing rate divided by the median passing rate for all schools or districts, multiplied by 100. Schools with a performance index above 100 have scores above the state average.  Because poverty rates have a substantial correlation with test performance, the percentage of poor students — those eligible for federal free lunch programs — is provided along with the demographics. The passing rate used is the percentage of students scoring level 3 or higher on tests administered to elementary and middle school students, and the percentage of students achieving a score of 65 or higher on regents examinations, which is the state standard for graduation credit.  For tests administered to grades 3 through 8, the Times is providing combined scores for all grades, as well as scores for individual grades.  The number and type of tests administered have increased over time, which may cause fluctuations in index scores.  Tests included are math, English, science and social studies, though because the results are released at different times, not every subject will be available for the most recent year.  The number of grades tested expanded in 2006 to include 3rd through 8th grade; previously, only 4th and 8th graders were tested.  The rules changed in 2007 to require inclusion of more scores by English language learners, which affected results on English scores in immigrant communities.   July 2010

July 2010  NY State Education Department raises cutoff scores    In July 2010, New York State Education Commissioner David Steiner met with school officials to discuss student performance on Math and English Language Arts State assessments in Grades 3 through 8 and the relationship to achieving a passing grade [either 55% or 65%] on the Regents exams.  Based on NYS Education Department analysis of test results and other data, the SED recommended that raising the cutoff point that indicates when a child in Grade 3 through 8 has met the State standards in those subjects with a score of Level 3 or proficiency.  The change is going into effect immediately and will be reflected on tests taken this past April and May 2010.    Why does it matter that results on NYS tests compare with the performance of students on the federally sponsored National Assessment of Educational Progress [NAEP] tests?  According to NYSED research, attaining Level 3 or proficiency in Grades 3 through 8 or passing the Regents with a 55% or 65% do not necessarily indicate future success.  SED research has indicated that students at the current Level 3 math proficiency standard on their 8th grade math exam have less than a 1 in 3 chance of earning an 80% on their Math Regents.  In addition, students who score below an 80% in Math or 75% in English have a much greater likelihood of being placed in a remedial college course.  SUNY campuses use 85% as a mark of solid competence.  Similarly, in the comparison with the NAEP tests, New York’s proficiency-Level 3 threshold ranks 18th among all states for 8th grade math. The NYS cutoff score was 11 percentile points easier in ELA and 17 percentile points easier in Math in 2009 than in 2007 when benchmarked against National Assessment of Educational Progress performance.  The implications of these findings all point in one direction: the cutoff scores for attaining proficiency or passing the Regents exams are too low and need to be raised.  The data indicate that NYS assessments were not properly calibrated for the determination of an acceptable score for proficiency.  In addition to raising the cutoff score for attaining proficiency on Grades 3 through 8 assessments in Math and ELA, SED has made it clear that schools can also expect exams to be less predicable, test more areas in each subject as well as be longer in the future.  What does this mean for Hilton CSD students?  The Hilton Central School District's emphasis has been and will continue to be on developing a more rigorous curriculum, instructional programs and assessments to prepare all our students to reach Level 4 on the Grades 3 through 8 tests and mastery [85% or higher] on the Regents.  It is our goal that high school students increasingly enroll in International Baccalaureate and Advanced Placement courses as well as the IB Diploma Programme in order to be prepared for the challenges of college, a preparation that begins long before ninth grade. It is our intent to analyze the data further and report to the Board of Education and public on its implications.    Understanding NYSED 3-8 Math and ELA Assessments in HCSD  July 2010