The University of the State of New York

The State Education Department

OVERVIEW OF STATEWIDE PERFORMANCE IN ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS, MATHEMATICS, AND SCIENCE

AND

ANALYSIS OF STUDENT SUBGROUP PERFORMANCE

for

Public Schools

March 2003

THE UNIVERSITY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK

Regents of The University

Robert M. Bennett, Chancellor, B.A., M.S. ....................................................................... Tonawanda

Adelaide L. Sanford, Vice Chancellor, B.A., M.A., P.D. ............................................... Hollis

Diane O’Neill McGivern, B.S.N., M.A., Ph.D. .............................................................. Staten Island

Saul B. Cohen, B.A., M.A., Ph.D............................................................................................ New Rochelle

James C. Dawson, A.A., B.A., M.S., Ph.D. .......................................................................... Peru

Robert M. Johnson, B.S., J.D. ............................................................................................... Huntington

Anthony S. Bottar, B.A., J.D. ............................................................................................. North Syracuse

Merryl H. Tisch, B.A., M.A. ................................................................................................... New York

Geraldine D. Chapey, B.A., M.A., Ed.D........................................................................... Belle Harbor

Arnold B. Gardner, B.A., LL.B........................................................................................... Buffalo

Harry Phillips, 3rd, B.A., M.S.F.S. ...................................................................................... Hartsdale

Joseph E. Bowman, Jr., B.A., M.L.S., M.A., M.Ed., Ed.D................................................ Albany

Lorraine A. CortÉs-VÁzquez, B.A., M.P.A.................................................................. Bronx

Judith O. Rubin, A.B. ................................................................................................................ New York

James R. Tallon, jr., B.A., M.A. .......................................................................................... Binghamton

Milton L. Cofield, B.S., M.B.A., Ph.D. ............................................................................... Rochester

President of The University and Commissioner of Education

Richard P. Mills

Chief Operating Officer

Richard H. Cate

Deputy Commissioner for Elementary, Middle, Secondary and Continuing Education

James A. Kadamus

Coordinator, School Operations and Management Services

Charles Szuberla

Coordinator, Information and Reporting Services

Martha P. Musser

The State Education Department does not discriminate on the basis of age, color, religion, creed, disability, marital status, veteran status, national origin, race, gender, genetic predisposition or carrier status, or sexual orientation in its educational programs, services and activities. Portions of this publication can be made available in a variety of formats, including braille, large print or audio tape, upon request. Inquiries concerning this policy of nondiscrimination should be directed to the Department’s Office for Diversity, Ethics, and Access, Room 530, Education Building, Albany, NY 12234. Requests for additional copies of this publication may be made by contacting the Publications Sales Desk, Room 309, Education Building, Albany, NY 12234.

Please address all correspondence about this report that is not related to data corrections to:

School Report Card Coordinator

Information and Reporting Services Team

New York State Education Department

Room 863 EBA

89 Washington Avenue

Albany, NY 12234

E-mail: RPTCARD@mail.nysed.gov

The New York State Report Card is an important part of the Board of Regents effort to raise learning standards for all students. It provides information to the public on student performance and other measures of performance. Knowledge gained from the report card on the State’s strengths and weaknesses can be used to improve instruction and services to students.

The New York State Report Card consists of three parts: the Overview of Performance in English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science and Analysis of Student Subgroup Performance, the Comprehensive Information Report, and the Accountability Report. The Overview and Analysis presents performance data on measures required by the federal No Child Left Behind Act: English, mathematics, science, and graduation rate. Performance data on other State assessments can be found in the Comprehensive Information Report. The Accountability Report provides information as to whether a district/school is making adequate progress toward enabling all students to achieve proficiency in English and mathematics.

State assessments are designed to help ensure that all students reach high learning standards. They show whether students are getting the foundation knowledge they need to succeed at the elementary, middle, and commencement levels and beyond. The State requires that students who are not making appropriate progress toward the standards receive academic intervention services.

In the Overview, performance on the elementary- and middle-level assessments in English language arts and mathematics and on the middle-level science test is reported in terms of mean scores and the percentage of students scoring at each of the four levels. These levels indicate performance on the standards from seriously deficient to advanced proficiency. Performance on the elementary-level science test is reported in terms of mean scores and the percentage of students making appropriate progress. Regents examination scores are reported in four score ranges. Scores of 65 to 100 are passing; scores of 55 to 64 earn credit toward a local diploma (with the approval of the local board of education). Though each elementary- and middle-level assessment is administered to students in a specific grade, secondary-level assessments are taken by students when they complete the coursework for the core curriculum. Therefore, the performance of students at the secondary level is measured for a student cohort rather than a group of students at a particular grade level. Students are grouped in cohorts according to the year in which they first entered grade 9.

The assessment data in the Overview and Analysis are for all tested students in the State, including general-education students and students with disabilities. In the Analysis, performance is disaggregated by race/ethnicity, disability status, gender, LEP status, income level, and migrant status.

Explanations of terms referred to or symbols used in this part of the report card may be found in the glossary on the last page. Further information on the report card may be found in the guide, Understanding Your School Report Card 2003, available at your district or on the Information and Reporting Services Web site at www.emsc.nysed.gov/irts.

Overview of Statewide Performance

in English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science

State Profile

Organization 2001–02		School Statewide Staff (both full- and part-time)
Grade Range	Student Enrollment	Count of Teachers	Count of Other Professionals
K-12	2,828,318	217,739	40,823

2000–01 NYS Public Schools Total Expenditure per Pupil

$11,871

Student Demographics	1999–2000		2000–2001		2001–2002
	Count*	Percent	Count*	Percent	Count*	Percent
Limited English Proficient	230,625	8.1%	201,319	7.0%	193,605	6.8%
Eligible for Free Lunch	1,064,388	38.2%	1,061,386	38.1%	1,054,668	37.7%

*Counts of limited English proficient students and students eligible for free lunch in 1999–2000 do not include charter schools. Counts in 2000–2001 and 2001–2002 include charter schools.

2001–02 Percentage of Core Classes Taught by Highly Qualified Teachers*

Number of Core Classes	Percent Taught by Highly Qualified Teachers
441,140	87%

*For the 2001–02 school year only, teachers of core classes are considered to be highly qualified if they are certified to teach that subject.

2001–02 Percentage of Teachers with No Valid Teaching Certificate*

Number of Teachers	Percent No Valid Teaching Certificate
212,441	8%

*This count includes teachers with temporary licenses who do not have a valid permanent or provisional teaching certificate.

Elementary Level

English Language Arts

Grade 4 English Language Arts Performance (All Students: General Education and Students with Disabilities) NY State Public
Performance Statewide	Counts of Students Tested					Mean Score
	Level 1 455–602	Level 2 603–644	Level 3 645–691	Level 4 692–800	Total
Jan–Feb 2000	20,895	68,230	93,796	33,865	216,786	653
Jan–Feb 2001	22,361	63,550	92,584	36,542	215,037	653
Jan–Feb 2002	17,347	64,714	87,030	43,729	212,820	659

Elementary-Level English Language Arts Levels — Listening, Reading, and Writing Standards
Level 4	These students exceed the standards and are moving toward high performance on the Regents examination.
Level 3	These students meet the standards and, with continued steady growth, should pass the Regents examination.
Level 2	These students need extra help to meet the standards and pass the Regents examination.
Level 1	These students have serious academic deficiencies.

Performance of Limited English Proficient (LEP) Students

Grade 4	English Proficiency Below Effective Participation Level	Making Appropriate Progress
2002	6,261	4,981

Performance of Elementary-Level Students with Severe Disabilities on the New York State Alternate Assessment (NYSAA) in English

	Number Tested	AA–Level 1	AA–Level 2	AA–Level 3	AA–Level 4
2001–02	2,076	154	769	1,131	22

Elementary Level

Mathematics

Grade 4 Mathematics Performance (All Students: General Education and Students with Disabilities) NY State Public
Performance Statewide	Counts of Students Tested					Mean Score
	Level 1 448–601	Level 2 602–636	Level 3 637–677	Level 4 678–810	Total
May 2000	19,869	57,034	102,263	41,503	220,669	648
May 2001	18,709	49,163	93,740	58,242	219,854	655
May 2002	15,737	54,686	96,999	49,099	216,521	651

Elementary-Level Mathematics Levels — Knowledge, Reasoning, and Problem-Solving Standards
Level 4	These students exceed the standards and are moving toward high performance on the Regents examination.
Level 3	These students meet the standards and, with continued steady growth, should pass the Regents examination.
Level 2	These students need extra help to meet the standards and pass the Regents examination.
Level 1	These students have serious academic deficiencies.

Performance of Elementary-Level Students with Severe Disabilities on the New York State Alternate Assessment (NYSAA) in Mathematics, Science, and Technology

	Number Tested	AA–Level 1	AA–Level 2	AA–Level 3	AA–Level 4
2001