A Report to the Governor and the Legislature on the Educational Status of the State's Schools: Submitted April 1999

1. New York City Public Schools
2. Large City Districts - Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, Yonkers
3. Other City Districts - other districts that are located within city boundaries
4. Suburban Districts - districts located within Standard Metropolitan Statistical Areas but not within cities
5. Rural Districts - districts not located within Standard Metropolitan Statistical Areas or cities

• Total Enrollment: The number of students enrolled in prekindergarten through grade 12 plus those in ungraded classes for students with disabilities, 1997-98. Source: Basic Educational Data System. Additional information may be obtained in Part II, Section 1; Part III, Section 2 and Part IV, Section 1 of the Statewide Profile of the Educational System.
• Percent White: The number of enrolled White (not Hispanic) students divided by the total district enrollment, 1997-98. Source: Basic Educational Data System. Additional information may be obtained in Part II, Section 1; Part III, Section 2 and Part IV, Section 1 of the Statewide Profile of the Educational System.
• Percent Black: The number of enrolled Black (not Hispanic) students divided by the total district enrollment, 1997-98. Source: Basic Educational Data System. Additional information may be obtained in Part II, Section 1; Part III, Section 2 and Part IV, Section 1 of the Statewide Profile of the Educational System.
• Percent Hispanic: The number of enrolled Hispanic students divided by the total district enrollment, 1997-98. Source: Basic Educational Data System. Additional information may be obtained in Part II, Section 1; Part III, Section 2 and Part IV, Section 1 of the Statewide Profile of the Educational System.
• Percent Other: The number of enrolled other minority students divided by the total district enrollment, 1997-98. Other minority groups include American Indian, Alaskan Native, Asian and Pacific Islander. Source: Basic Educational Data System. Additional information may be obtained in Part II, Section 1; Part III, Section 2 and Part IV, Section 1 of the Statewide Profile of the Educational System.
• Annual Attendance Rate: The average daily attendance divided by possible average daily attendance, 1996-97. Attendance rates are not shown for school districts with fewer than eight teachers. Source: General Aids and Services Team. Additional information may be obtained in Part II, Section 5; Part III, Section 6 and Part IV, Section 5 of the Statewide Profile of the Educational System.
• Census Poverty Index: The number of children 5-17 years of age in families below the poverty level, as determined by the 1990 Federal census, divided by the total number of children within the district boundaries who are 5-17 years of age. Additional information may be obtained in Part III, Section 2 of the Statewide Profile of the Educational System.
• Percent Free/Reduced Price Lunch: The number of students in kindergarten through grade 6 participating in the free-and-reduced-price lunch program divided by the enrollment in full-day kindergarten through grade 6, October 1997. Not all school districts participate in the program, and the percentage of eligible students who apply varies across participating districts. Therefore, statistics contained in the table may underestimate the number of eligible students. A blank indicates that Percent-Free/Reduced-Price-Lunch data were not available. A pound sign (#) appears when the percentage of participants is greater than 100. This may occur when half-day kindergarten students participate in the lunch program. Source: Basic Educational Data System. Additional information may be obtained in Part III, Section 2 of the Statewide Profile of the Educational System.
• LEP Rate: The number of students of limited English proficiency (as defined by Section 154.2(a) of the Regulations of the Commissioner of Education) divided by the total district enrollment in grades PreK-12, expressed as a percentage, 1997-98. Source: Basic Educational Data System. Additional information may be obtained in Part II, Section 1 and Part III, Section 2 of the Statewide Profile of the Educational System.
• Suspension Rate: The number of students in grades K-12 who were suspended from school for at least one full day during the 1996-97 school year divided by the total district K-12 enrollment, expressed as a percentage. Data pertain to out-of-school suspensions only. Source: Basic Educational Data System. Additional information may be obtained in Part II, Section 5; Part III, Section 6 and Part IV, Section 5 of the Statewide Profile of the Educational System.
• Dropout Rate: The number of dropouts, between July 1, 1996 and June 30, 1997, divided by the grades 9-12 enrollment including the portion of ungraded secondary enrollment that can be attributed to grades 9-12, expressed as a percentage. A dropout is defined as any pupil who left school before graduation for any reason except death and did not enter another school or high school equivalency preparation program. If a district did not have enrollment in grades 9-12 in 1996-97, the dropout rate is blank. In New York City, only the high school districts and the City as a whole have the dropout rate printed. Source: Basic Educational Data System. Additional information may be obtained in Part II, Section 5; Part III, Section 6 and Part IV, Section 5 of the Statewide Profile of the Educational System.
• Percent to College: The number of 1996-97 high school graduates entering four-year, two-year, or other post-secondary institutions, as reported by school principals in Fall 1997 divided by total high school graduates, expressed as a percentage. Data are shown for the New York City high school districts and the City as a whole. Source: Basic Educational Data System. Additional information may be obtained in Part II, Section 4; Part III, Section 5 and Part IV, Section 4 of the Statewide Profile of the Educational System.
• Student-Support Staff Ratio: The number of support staff in full-time equivalents (FTE’s) divided by the number of students in grades K-12, 1997-98. Support staff include guidance counselors, psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers, attendance teachers, nurses, dental hygienists and librarians. Source: Basic Educational Data System. Additional information may be obtained in Part II, Section 2 of the Statewide Profile of the Educational System.
• Pupil-Teacher Ratio: The total district enrollment divided by the number of full- and part-time public school classroom teachers, 1997-98. Source: Basic Educational Data System. Additional information may be obtained in Part II, Section 2 and Part III, Section 3 of the Statewide Profile of the Educational System.

• Expenditures Per Pupil Unit: Total expenditures including those charged to the General, Debt Service and Special Aid Funds. The pupil measure is based on average daily membership/enrollment and includes students enrolled in district programs; disabled pupils educated in district, BOCES, and approved private school programs, including the State schools at Rome and Batavia; and students educated in other districts for which the district pays tuition, and a full-time equivalent (FTE) count of incarcerated youth in a county jail for whom the district in which the county jail is located must provide an educational program, 1996-97. Prekindergarten and half-day kindergarten pupils are weighted at 0.5. The components needed to calculate expenditures per pupil unit are not collected for districts with fewer than eight teachers. Source: Tenth Annual School District Fiscal Profile database. Additional information may be obtained in Part III, Section 3 of the Statewide Profile of the Educational System.
• New York State Revenue Share: District revenues from State sources divided by total revenues, 1996-97. Source: Tenth Annual School District Fiscal Profile database. Additional information may be obtained in Part II, Section 2 and Part III, Section 3 of the Statewide Profile of the Educational System.
• Combined Wealth Ratio: The Combined Wealth Ratio (CWR) compares district wealth to the State average wealth, which is defined as 1.0. A district with a CWR of less than 1.0 has wealth below the State average. Conversely, a district with a CWR of more than 1.0 has wealth above the State average. The CWR is calculated as follows: (0.5 multiplied by the Pupil Wealth Ratio) + (0.5 multiplied by the Alternate Pupil Wealth Ratio). The Pupil Wealth Ratio is equal to Selected Full Value of property divided by a weighted pupil count. The Selected Full Value of property is the lesser of (1) 1994 full value of property or (2) 117 percent of the average of the 1993 and 1994 full values. The Alternate Pupil Wealth Ratio is equal to the 1994 Adjusted Gross Income of a district divided by a weighted pupil count. The weighted pupil count is based on the adjusted average daily attendance of K-12 pupils resident in the district plus weightings for pupils with special educational needs, pupils with disabilities, and secondary school pupils; half-day kindergarten pupils are weighted at 0.5. The CWR is not used in determining State aid for districts with fewer than eight teachers and is not calculated for these districts. Source: Tenth Annual School District Fiscal Profile database. Additional information may be obtained in Part III, Section 3 of the Statewide Profile of the Educational System.
• Percent Distribution of Expenditures: The percentage of total expenditures allocated to each expenditure category, 1996-97. Source: Tenth Annual School District Fiscal Profile database. Additional information may be obtained in Part III, Section 3 of the Statewide Profile of the Educational System.
• Percent for Instruction Excluding Fringe Benefits: Expenditures for instruction (excluding fringe benefits for instructional personnel) divided by total expenditures, 1996-97. Instructional expenditures include salaries paid to K-12 teachers; instructional salaries for pupil personnel services, supervision, curriculum and development; BOCES instructional expenditures; tuition; and other instructional expenditures (including expenditures for prekindergarten programs, library, media, paraprofessionals, supplies and equipment). Additional information may be obtained in Part III, Section 3 of the Statewide Profile of the Educational System.
• Percent for Fringe Benefit Expenditures for Instructional Personnel: Estimated expenditures for fringe benefits for instructional personnel divided by total expenditures, 1996-97. Additional information may be obtained in Part III, Section 3 of the Statewide Profile of the Educational System.
• Total Percent for Instruction: The sum of Percent for Instruction Excluding Fringe Benefits and Percent for Fringe Benefit Expenditures for Instructional Personnel, 1996-97. Additional information may be obtained in Part III, Section 3 of the Statewide Profile of the Educational System.
• Percent for Central Administration: Expenditures for central administration divided by total expenditures. Central administration expenditures include, for example, chief school officer, business office, purchasing, personnel, public information, and fees for fiscal agents, 1996-97. Additional information may be obtained in Part III, Section 3 of the Statewide Profile of the Educational System.
• Percent for Transportation: Expenditures for transportation divided by total expenditures, 1996-97. Additional information may be obtained in Part III, Section 3 of the Statewide Profile of the Educational System.
• Percent for Debt Services: Principal and interest on approved building projects, transportation issues, and other debt instruments, both short- and long-term, divided by total expenditures, 1996-97. Additional information may be obtained in Part III, Section 3 of the Statewide Profile of the Educational System.
• Percent for Miscellaneous: All other expenditures divided by total expenditures. Included are expenditures for operation and maintenance, board of education (including legal expenses), community services, certain undistributed expenses (including noninstructional employee benefits), and certain interfund transfers, 1996-97. Additional information may be obtained in Part III, Section 3 of the Statewide Profile of the Educational System.
• Instructional Expenditures for General Education: The K-12 expenditures for classroom instruction (excluding Special Education) plus a proration of building-level administrative and instructional support expenditures. District expenditures such as transportation, debt service and district-wide administration are not included. Instructional expenditures for general education include amounts for instruction of students with disabilities in a general education setting, 1996-97. Source: School District Annual Financial Report (ST-3).
• Full-Time Equivalent Enrollment for General Education: The average (FTE) K-12 daily membership plus K-12 students for whom the district pays tuition to another school district, including both students classified as having a disability and those not so classified. For districts in which a county jail is located, this number includes incarcerated youth to whom the district must provide an educational program, 1996-97. Source: State Aid Worksheet (SA-100/19).
• Instructional Expenditures for Students with Disabilities: The K-12 expenditures for students with disabilities (including summer special education expenditures) plus a proration of building-level administrative and instructional support expenditures, 1996-97. Source: School District Annual Financial Report (ST-3).
• Students with Disabilities: The count of K-12 students with disabilities, 1996-97. Source: State Aid Worksheet (SA-100/19).
• Instructional Expense Per Student With Disability: Instructional expenditures for students with disabilities divided by the count of students with disabilities, 1996-97. The total cost of instruction for students with disabilities may include some general education expenses. Likewise, special education services provided in the general education classroom may benefit students not classified as having disabilities.

• Average Class Size: The total registration in specified classes divided by the number of classes with registration, 1997-98. Kindergarten includes both half- and full-day. Common Branch refers to self-contained grades 1-6. Data for grade 8 and grade 10 classes exclude remedial classes. Source: Basic Educational Data System. Additional information may be obtained in Part II, Section 2 of the Statewide Profile of the Educational System.
• Percent Minority Teachers: The number of minority public school classroom teachers divided by the total number of public school classroom teachers, 1997-98. Minority teachers include teachers in any of the following racial/ethnic categories: Black (Not Hispanic), Hispanic, American Indian, Alaskan Native, Asian and Pacific Islander. Source: Basic Educational Data System. Additional information may be obtained in Part IV, Section 2 of the Statewide Profile of the Educational System.
• Annual Teacher Turnover Rate: The number of public school teachers who were employed by the district in 1996-97, but not in 1997-98 (including teachers on leave of absence), divided by the total number of public school teachers employed in 1996-97, expressed as a percentage. Source: Basic Educational Data System. Additional information may be obtained in Part III, Section 3 and Part IV, Section 2 of the Statewide Profile of the Educational System.
• Teacher Median Salary: The median salary of full-time public school classroom teachers, 1997-98. A blank indicates a district did not have a salary agreement when the data were collected. Source: Basic Educational Data System. Additional information may be obtained in Part III, Section 3 and Part IV, Section 2 of the Statewide Profile of the Educational System.
• Percent of Teachers With Permanent Certification: The number of public school classroom teachers with permanent certification divided by the total number of public school classroom teachers, 1997-98. Source: Basic Educational Data System. Additional information may be obtained in Part III, Section 3 and Part IV, Section 2 of the Statewide Profile of the Educational System.
• Percent of Teachers with Provisional Certification: The number of public school classroom teachers with provisional certification divided by the total number of public school classroom teachers, 1997-98. Source: Basic Educational Data System. Additional information may be obtained in Part III, Section 3 and Part IV, Section 2 of the Statewide Profile of the Educational System.
• Percent of Teachers With Other: The number of public school classroom teachers who either teach more than 20 percent of their time in a subject or subjects for which they hold no certification or who hold a temporary license divided by the total number of public school classroom teachers, 1997-98. Source: Basic Educational Data System. Additional information may be obtained in Part III, Section 3 and Part IV, Section 2 of the Statewide Profile of the Educational System.
• Median Years' Experience of Teachers: The median years of experience of public school classroom teachers, 1997-98. Source: Basic Educational Data System. Additional information may be obtained in Part III, Section 3 and Part IV, Section 2 of the Statewide Profile of the Educational System.
• Percent of Teachers With Master's Degree Plus 30 hours or Doctorate : The number of public school classroom teachers with a master's degree plus 30 hours or a doctorate divided by the total number of public school classroom teachers, 1997-98. Source: Basic Educational Data System. Additional information may be obtained in Part III, Section 3 and Part IV, Section 2 of the Statewide Profile of the Educational System.

• School-Age Residents Classified as Having Disabilities: The ratio (expressed as a percentage) of school-age (ages 6-21) residents in the district who are classified as having disabilities, divided by a computed measure of the total district-resident school-age population (including public school pupils, nonpublic school pupils and pupils receiving only home instruction), December 1, 1997. Source: School District Report of the Number of Students with Disabilities (PD-1) and the Basic Educational Data System (BEDS). Additional information may be obtained in Part II, Section 1 and Part III, Section 7 of the Statewide Profile of the Educational System.
• Portion of the Day in Settings Apart from General Education: A display of the percentage of students with disabilities who spend various portions of their school day in settings outside of general education classrooms, December 1, 1997. Source: Required Report of the Number of Students with Disabilities Provided Special Education in Regular School-based Programs and in Separate Settings (PD-4). Additional information may be obtained in Part II, Section 1 and Part III, Section 7 of the Statewide Profile of the Educational System.
• Total Count of Students with Disabilities: The total count of school-age (ages 6-21) residents of the district who are classified as having a disability, including those attending public and nonpublic schools and those receiving only home instruction, December 1, 1997. Source: School District Report of the Number of Students with Disabilities (PD-1). Additional information may be obtained in Part II, Section 1 and Part III, Section 7 of the Statewide Profile of the Educational System.
• Exiting Students with Disabilities: The number of students with disabilities, ages 14 to 21, who exited special education or secondary education programs between July 1, 1997 and June 30, 1998. Data are shown for three classes of special education exiters: 1) Regents/Local Diplomas—students with disabilities who received local diplomas or local diplomas with Regents endorsements, 2) IEP/local certificate—students with disabilities who received either Individualized Education Program (IEP) diplomas or local certificates, and 3) Dropouts—students with disabilities who left school without having received a diploma or certificate, were ages 14-21, did not return to a general education program, did not die, and did not transfer to another school. Source: Office of Vocational and Educational Services for Individuals with Disabilities (VESID). Additional information may be obtained in Part III, Section 7 of the Statewide Profile of the Educational System.

• Pupil Evaluation Program: The number of general education students tested and the percentage of tested students scoring above a minimum level of competence (the State reference point) and therefore not identified as requiring remediation, 1997-98. Certain districts (noted with "*") were granted variances from Commissioner's Regulations to pursue excellence in education. Each of the variances noted included one or both of the following provisions: (1) the indicated State test was not administered to some or all students and/or (2) the conditions under which the test was administered were changed. Zeros indicate that no students were tested. Source: School and Student Accountability Data System. Additional information may be obtained in Part I; Part II, Section 3; Part III, Section 4; Part IV, Section 3 and Part V, Section 5 of the Statewide Profile of the Educational System.
• Program Evaluation Tests : The mean score for general education students for each of the three parts of the grade 4 program evaluation test in science and the total score on the grades 6 and 8 program evaluation tests in social studies, 1997-98. Certain districts (noted with "*") were granted variances from Commissioner's Regulations to pursue innovation and excellence in education. Each of the variances noted included one or both of the following provisions: (1) the indicated State test was not administered to some or all students, and/or (2) the conditions under which the test was administered were changed. Zeros indicate that no students were tested. Source: School and Student Accountability Data System. Additional information may be obtained in Part I and Part III, Section 4 of the Statewide Profile of the Educational System.
• Percent of Graduates Who Received Regents Diplomas: The number of general education and special education high school graduates who received local diplomas and the percentage of these graduates who earned Regents-endorsed local diplomas, 1988-89 and 1997-98. New York City data are provided only at the citywide level. Source: School and Student Accountability Data System. Additional information may be obtained in Part I; Part II, Section 4; Part III, Section 5; Part IV, Section 4 and Part V, Section 3 of the Statewide Profile of the Educational System.
• Average Grade Enrollment (AGE): The sum of general education students and students with disabilities enrolled in grades 9-12, divided by four, June 1998. Source: School and Student Accountability Data System.
• Regents Examinations: The number of general education students and students with disabilities tested, and the numbers of these students scoring 55-64, 65-100 and 85-100 divided by AGE, January and June 1998. Statistics for the following Regents examinations are shown: global studies, U.S. history and government, sequential mathematics course I, sequential mathematics course II, sequential mathematics course III, comprehensive English, Earth science (1970 syllabus), Earth science (program modification edition), biology, chemistry, physics, comprehensive Spanish, comprehensive French, and other comprehensive foreign languages (this includes the comprehensive examinations in German, Hebrew, Italian and Latin). The percentage of the AGE tested will be over 100 percent (noted with "#") when the number of students tested was greater than the AGE; this happens, for example, when a large number of eighth-graders were tested. A zero indicates that no students were tested. Certain districts (noted with "*") were granted variances from Commissioner's Regulations to pursue innovation and excellence in education. Each of the variances noted included one or both of the following provisions: (1) the indicated State test was not administered to some or all students, or (2) the conditions of test administration were changed. Source: School and Student Accountability Data System. Additional information may be obtained in Part I; Part II, Section 3; Part III, Section 4; Part IV, Section 4 and Part V, Section 3 of the Statewide Profile of the Educational System.