Queens Public School Reading & Math Scores Remain Same School Districts 25 and 26 Get Highest Averages

by VICTOR ROSS The Board of Education’s "report card," evaluating the 1998 reading, math and regents skills of Queens public school youngsters, shows little or no improvement over the previous year’s sources.
Highlights of the report, which, which evaluates local elementary, middle and high school youngsters, are:
• School Districts 25 and 26 elementary and middle schools placed in nine of the top ten spots in both reading and mathematics.
• Students attending 28 of the borough’s 32 high schools exceeded New York City’s regent examination passing scores.
• District 24 and 27 elementary and middle schools ranked in the borough’s lowest ten in both reading and math.
The State mandated reading and mathematics tests were given to third and sixth graders in 160 Queens elementary schools, and 40 middle or junior high schools. In addition, students in the borough’s 32 high schools were also tested.
The City boasted a decrease in the high school dropout rate, and an increase in the number of students taking regents exams. These scores became important, because the State is phasing in new graduation standards that will require high school graduates to pass regent tests in five subjects. Graduates are currently required to pass only an English Regents exam.
Board of Education data for high schools showed that the 32 borough schools did moderately better than the City average. On the upside, only four Queens high schools had a higher than average dropout rate, and another four had a lower than average regents passing rate. On the negative side, the graduation rate of one quarter of Queens high schools was lower than the City average.
Since the beginning of this year, Queens Borough President Claire Shulman has added a new dimension to improving the borough’s educational standards — Queens’ schools are currently operating at 107 percent capacity and an additional 56,000 classroom seats will be needed by the year 2007.
Aside from the scheduled 1999 reading and math tests scheduled for this Spring by the State, it is the new — and tougher — reading and comprehensive exam — scheduled for high school students this June. The six-hour test will last twice as long as last year’s exam.
According to a report issued by Public Advocate Mark Green last September, among the city’s worst overcrowding for K-3 students were S.D.’s 24, 27, and 29 — which coincidentally, also have schools with the borough’s lowest reading and math scores. The report also indicated that at least 30 of these youngsters were jammed into classrooms in these schools.
"It is unacceptable," said Green, "that young people throughout the City are bearing the brunt of overcrowded classrooms."
was $36 million."Repairs were made to remedy some station conditions and schedules provided for other repairs to be made," according to a statement from the LIRR.LIRR claimed that the audit adjustment of $196,121 was deducted from the original $36 million bill.