The number of Long Island students in grades three through eight who scored proficient in English during the latest round of state testing has fallen to less than half, though the region's performance continues to outpace statewide averages, data from Albany shows.

In the Nassau-Suffolk region, 48.1% of students tested in the spring of 2024 scored proficient or better on tests of English Language Arts, down from 52.5% in 2023. Statewide, the latest average was 46.3%, down from 47.9%.

On math tests, 57.7% of the Island's students who participated earned ratings of proficiency or better, down from 58.4% last year. The latest statewide average was 52.3%, up from 50.3%.

Long Island's overall passing rates on the state math and English tests fell slightly compared to last year's, but they continue to outpace statewide rates.

Results varied widely in the 124 public school districts across the Island, ranging from more than 70% proficiency in English in the highest-achieving districts to less than 30% for the lowest achievers. Similar mixed results were recorded for five public charter schools, which are run independently.

Scores also differed by county — for example, with an average proficiency of 56.9% in Nassau and 38.7% in Suffolk on English tests.

State education authorities posted scores on their website Nov. 14 without commenting on results. Locally, school leaders speculated that score declines might be related in part to the state's expansion of computerized testing, which has reportedly bewildered some younger students unused to toggling and other technical tasks.

Lorna Lewis, superintendent of Malverne schools and a former president of the New York State Council of School Superintendents, said she expected computerization problems to fade as students become more familiar with the technology.

"I'm not making excuses," Lewis said. "When I see a number below 50%, that means a majority of our students are below proficiency, and we have to redouble our efforts so that students are successful. There's a lot of work to be done on both sides, both with us and the state Education Department, and we're ready to do our part."

Malverne schools Superintendent Lorna Lewis, pictured last year, said she expected computerization problems to fade.

Will phonics help?

State leaders, including Gov. Kathy Hochul, have declared that promoting basic literacy is a priority and that all districts, by January, will be introduced to phonics-based instruction as a means of achieving that goal. Phonics emphasizes letter sounds in teaching young students to read.

New York City adopted that system on a large scale last fall. However, the city's school system experienced a decline in English scores similar to statewide results in the spring, amid speculation that teachers might be having difficulty getting used to new instructional techniques.

STORYWIDGET: LITESTS241124 _ELA scores

Annual state testing, administered this year in April and May, is required by the federal Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015.

Andrea Vecchio, of East Islip, a leading taxpayer advocate on the Island, said she was upset to see proficiency rates below 50%, especially considering the fact that school spending in the region now exceeds $37,000 per student.

"This looks to me like a total failure, especially when you consider the money," Vecchio said. She is a founder of Long Islanders for Educational Reform, a regional group that favors tax-relief measures.

Taxpayer advocate Andrea Vecchio

Student participation rates in the latest round of testing suggest that boycotts, which began in 2013, may have lost some steam. In English testing, as an example, the percentage of students who declined to be assessed or missed exams for other reasons peaked at more than 50% in 2017. The number has since dipped to about 41% in 2023 and 36.5% this year.

The opt-out movement has been driven by parents and teachers who contend that standardized testing puts too much pressure on students and faculty alike.

Jeanette Deutermann, of Bellmore, a boycott leader in this region, emailed a statement to Newsday on Friday noting that opt-out rates remained high and contending that this reflected parents' continued preference for learning experiences enjoyed by children "rather than flawed test scores."

Parallel seen between scores, income

"Long Island Education: Costs and Outcomes," an annual publication sponsored by educational and business groups on the Island, makes the point that test scores tend to mirror socioeconomic conditions. That is to say, students generally score better in districts with high income and property wealth than in districts with lower wealth.

STORYWIDGET: LITESTS241124 _math scores

Test results for 2024 continue that trend. In Cold Spring Harbor, Great Neck and Roslyn — all districts in the top 10% of the state in terms of wealth — the percentage of students proficient in English exceeds 70%. In Brentwood, Wyandanch and Hempstead — all in the bottom 10% in terms of wealth — the proficiency rate is below 30%.

Bob Vecchio, executive director of the Nassau-Suffolk School Boards Association, said the latest test results underlined the need to update the state's school-aid formula and provide more money for growing costs such as school security and mental-health services.

"There's still going to be a gap in terms of socioeconomic status, and that's why continuing support in state financial aid is critical," Vecchio said.

New York is expanding the use of computerized testing that began voluntarily on a small scale in 2014. Last spring, all students tested in grades five and eight took computer-based versions. The requirement will be extended to grades four and six this coming spring, and to all affected grades the following year.

Digitized testing, officials said, will help students develop as “21st century learners,” while also allowing for speedier delivery of scores to schools and students’ homes. This also would help New York catch up with other states such as Colorado, Florida and Texas that release test results much earlier.

Still, the changeover includes some stresses.

Baldwin schools Superintendent Shari Camhi, past president of AASA, the national school superintendents association, noted in an interview that younger students can become confused during their initial use of computers as testing instruments. Baldwin last spring adopted universal computerization.

“On the science assessment, kids had to toggle back and forth on multiple tabs at the top of the screen,” Camhi said. “On a paper test, you just flip a page. I’m not saying that one type of test is better than the other. But it’s completely different from what’s been done in the past. So yes, there is very likely an effect on scores."

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