Pelham Students In Grades 3-8 Best State Average

PELHAM, N.Y. – The percentage of Pelham students considered proficient in math and English Language Arts for grades 3-8 was higher than the average results from throughout New York, but were significantly lower than last year's scores.

The majority of Pelham students scored higher than the state average on math and English Language Arts.

by The Daily Voice

08/09/2013 5:00 a.m.

In Pelham, 62 percent of students passed the ELA tests and 60 percent passed in math -- compared with 84 percent in ELA and 86 percent in math in 2012. Statewide results for New York students showed 31.1 percent of students in grades 3-8 met or exceeded the ELA proficiency standard, and 31 percent met or exceeded the math proficiency standard.

According to the state’s assessment, given to third- through eighth-grade students in April, 41 percent of Westchester students were at grade level in ELA and 40 percent of county students were at grade level in math.

The state results for Pelham and Westchester schools showed the following percentages:

Grade Three – 51.1 percent of students met or exceeded proficiency for their grade in ELA, and 64.5 percent met or exceeded proficiency for their grade in math. The Westchester County average was 40.6 percent for ELA and 41.2 percent for math.
Grade Four – 63.5 percent of students met or exceeded proficiency for their grade in ELA, and 65.2 percent met or exceeded proficiency for their grade in math. The Westchester County average was 41.6 percent for ELA and 46.1 percent for math.
Grade Five – 56.2 percent of students met or exceeded proficiency for their grade in ELA, and 55.4 percent met or exceeded proficiency for their grade in math. The Westchester County average was 41 percent for ELA and 39.4 percent for math.
Grade Six – 69.8 percent of students met or exceeded proficiency for their grade in ELA, and 62.7 percent in math. The Westchester County average was 46.6 percent for ELA and 40.6 percent for math.
Grade Seven – 63 percent of students met or exceeded proficiency for their grade in ELA, and 62 percent met or exceeded proficiency for their grade in math. The Westchester County average was 41.1 percent for ELA and 37.3 percent for math.
Grade Eight – 66.2 percent of students met or exceeded proficiency for their grade in ELA, and 52 percent met or exceeded proficiency for their grade in math. The Westchester County average was 44.2 percent for ELA and 37 percent for math.

The state's lower results do not reflect a decrease in performance for schools or students, but rather a raising of standards to reflect college and career readiness, according to state Education Commissioner John B. King Jr.

"I understand these scores are sobering for parents, teachers and principals. It's frustrating to see our children struggle,” King said in the release. “But we can't allow ourselves to be paralyzed by frustration; we must be energized by this opportunity. The results we've announced today are not a critique of past efforts; they're a new starting point on a road map to future success.”

The state said it does not intend to identify any new “Focus Districts” or “Priority Schools” based on the 2012-13 assessment results.

“These are the real indicators of college and career readiness,” Superintendent of Pelham Schools Peter Giarrizzo said in a statement. “So is the high quality of instruction that I know first hand takes place in our classrooms. Our teachers, principals and supervisors worked long hours in the tedious work of aligning our curriculum to the new standards. New York is one of the few states across the country to implement the new tests last year. Most states chose to take more time for the transition. I do not want one test to be the measure for what I consider to be an extraordinarily successful year.”

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