Let's not kid ourselves, the education system only achieves to fail students for a small % of successful one's - It's a way to weed out students !

Quote:

You must be Sean Connors. Only he could say something as dumb as that while continuing to defend InEpps.

More sports fields will bring more integrity to our school system,

but I thought Duh Maher said Jersey City's school's were wonderful?!?

Jersey City, West New York schools warned test scores need to improve

Published: Friday, November 05, 2010, 8:30 AM
Melissa Hayes/The Jersey Journal

Students attending the Hudson County Vocational and Weehawken school districts are making the grade.

The districts were the only ones in the county to have all their schools meet state standardized test bench marks during the 2009-2010 school year, according to the Department of Education's "adequate yearly progress" data released Wednesday.

But several Hudson County schools didn't earn top marks and two districts were deemed "in need of improvement" for having students fail at all grade levels for two or more consecutive years.

It's the first year West New York, which traditionally earns high marks, was designated in need of improvement and it caught the district's new superintendent, John Fauta, by surprise.

He said the federal No Child Left Behind Act requires schools to improve each year and West New York students scored very high during 2008-2009, but fell shy of that last year.

"We dropped in language arts even though we're like 60 percent higher than the average in the state," he said, adding that district students scored 78 percent higher than the state average in math.

The district is appealing the designation with the state, but still placing an emphasis on reading in every subject area. Teachers are also getting professional development in that area.

"This is the number one priority in our district," he said.
Jersey City was named "in need of improvement" for a second year. Both districts must notify parents and develop action plans.

In order to make "adequate yearly progress" requirements, schools must pass 41 indicators based on participation and proficiency in both language arts literacy and mathematics for 10 separate subgroups.

"Like a 'check engine' light in a car, the AYP data indicates that something in a school district may not be working properly," said Acting Commissioner Rochelle Hendricks.
"It could mean that only one small group of students in a school did not meet standards. Or it could be the first evidence of a systemic problem requiring sweeping change."
That standard applies to six Hudson County schools that failed by only one indicator point.

In Jersey City, 28 schools failed to meet AYP, but five schools passed that had failed last year.

Among those failing schools are Snyder High School and Middle School 41, now Martin Center of the Arts, which have failed for eight and 10 years respectively. Both of those schools were restructured this year after the district received a federal grant to improve student learning.