SCHENECTADY CITY SCHOOLS
108 Education Drive • Schenectady, New York 12303
Phone (518) 370-8100 • Fax (518) 370-8173 • www.schenectady.k12.ny.us
Celebrating 150 Years of Excellence in Public Education
ADMINISTRATION
BOARD OF EDUCATION
John Falco, Ed.D.
Superintendent
Jeff P. Janiszewski, President
Warren R. Snyder, Vice President
Sharon A. Therriault
Assistant Superintendent
for Curriculum and Instruction
Linda Bellick
James R. Casino
John Mitchell
Lisa Russo
Chauncey Williams
Michael J. San Angelo, Ed.D.
Assistant Superintendent for Business
Eric D. Ely
Assistant Superintendent for Operations
Arnold A. Spadafora
Associate Superintendent
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Michael Lisi
SCSD Communications
370-8100 x 149 858-4976 (cell)
lisim@schenectady.k12.ny.us
More Schenectady fourth graders score higher on state
English-Language Arts test
Eight grade students also show improvement
Schenectady fourth grade students showed significant improvement on the state’s
English-Language Arts test, with many scoring at or above state standards.
Overall scores for fourth graders were up by 9 percent at levels 3 and 4 from last year,
with Woodlawn Elementary School soaring to 71 percent – a 29 percent jump. Other elementary
schools with double-digit increases include Lincoln (18 percent) and Elmer (12 percent).
Students who reach Level 3 are considered proficient by the State Department of
Education; students who score at Level 4 are considered above average.
Two of the district’s three middle schools improved on the 8th grade ELA exam; Central
Park had a 3 percent increase in students moving to levels 3 and 4, followed by Oneida, with a 2
percent jump.
“Our goal is to have 100 percent of students meeting or exceeding state testing
standards,” said Superintendent John Falco. “These test scores show that we are headed in the
right direction.”
“Overall, we are proud of the progress our students made,” said Lori McKenna, the
District’s assessment, research and design supervisor. “On average, the percentage of students at
Level 1 has decreased and students scoring at levels 2, 3, and 4 are increasing.”
Elementary excellence
All but one of the district’s 11 elementary schools saw more students move to higher
achievement levels on the test.
Woodlawn, the Howe International Magnet School and Paige Elementary School had the
highest percentage of students at levels 3 and 4, at 71, 70 and 65 percent respectively.
…..A national award winning district
Other elementary schools fared well: Elmer saw 58 percent of its students reach levels 3
and 4, followed by Zoller, (55 percent), the Dr. Martin Luther King Math, Science & Technology
Magnet School (54 percent) Lincoln (53 percent) and Van Corlear (52 percent).
Schenectady elementary schools also continued to make strides in moving students from
Level 1 – the test’s lowest achievement band – to higher ranks. The percentage of students at
Level 1 fell below 10 percent at all but two schools; just 3 percent of students at Lincoln, Paige,
Woodlawn and the Van Corlear Elementary School scored at Level 1.
Overall, the percentage of eight graders scoring at levels 3 and 4 dropped by one percent,
to 25 percent. However, 90 percent of students attained levels 2 through 4 on the ELA test.
Central Park and Oneida also saw small decreases in the percentage of students scoring at Level
1; the majority of those students advanced to Level 2.
“This shows that we’re moving in the right direction,” McKenna said. “We’re
consistently moving students from Level 1 to higher levels each year.”
Consistency is key
The district has had a consistent reading program in place, which studies have shown
helps boost student achievement levels. The dedication of Schenectady teachers, coupled with a
district emphasis on staff development, has also resulted in higher test scores for students.
“Through on-going professional development, seamless implementation across grade
levels, and differentiated reading instruction, our students are performing better on state ELA
assessments,” said McKenna.
Building Leadership Teams will continue to use the ELA assessment data to identify
trends, looking closely at the test performance of student subgroups – such as whites, blacks,
Hispanics and students with disabilities. With the information, they will attempt to identify and
bridge the achievement gaps across all groups, she said.
“There are a different group of students taking the tests every year,” said McKenna. “We
will analyze student subgroup data, which will allow us to target individual instruction and
specific groups.”
Helpful contacts: Lori McKenna – 370-8101 ext. 131
-30-
…..A national award winning district