Scores Drop For Rye Students On New State Exams

RYE, N.Y. -- Students in Rye and across New York saw their standardized test scores drop significantly this year following a change to the state's math and English Language Arts exams.

Standardized testing scores dropped for Rye students this year after a change to the state's math and English Language Arts exams.
Photo Credit: *The Daily Voice File Photo*

Casey Donahue

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

According to the state's assessment, 66.3 percent of Rye students in grades three through eight met or exceeded proficiency in English Language Arts, and 71.5 percent met or exceeded proficiency in math. Last year, 90.1 percent met or exceeded proficiency in ELA and 94.7 percent met or exceeded proficiency in math.

State results show the following grade-by-grade percentages for Rye students:

Grade Three - 55.4 percent of students met or exceeded proficiency for their grade in ELA, and 63.1 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 - 67.5 percent of students met or exceeded proficiency for their grade in ELA, and 73.8 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 - 71 percent of students met or exceeded proficiency for their grade in ELA, and 76.4 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 - 71.4 percent of students met or exceeded proficiency for their grade in ELA, and 77.1 percent met or exceeded proficiency for their grade in math. The Westchester County average was 46.6 percent for ELA and 40.6 percent for math.
Grade Seven - 69.4 percent of students met or exceeded proficiency for their grade in ELA, and 77.1 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 - 63 percent of students met or exceeded proficiency for their grade in ELA, and 59.1 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 lower scores are not due to poorer performance on the part of the students, but rather to a change in test following the statewide shift to the Common Core curriculum, education officials said.

"The world has changed, the economy has changed, and what our students need to know has changed," said Merryl Tisch, chancellor of the New York state Board of Regents. "These scores reflect a new baseline and a new beginning. We have just finished the first year of a dramatic shift in teaching and learning. Teachers, principals, superintendents and school boards have worked extraordinarily hard to implement the Common Core."

Results from across the state show that 31.1 percent of New York students met or exceeded proficiency in ELA, and 31 percent met or exceeded proficiency in math. State officials say they do not intend to identify any new "Focus Districts" or "Priority schools" based on this year's results.

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