| Long Island Schools show marked improvements on | | | | to student ratios that require more teachers and |
| statewide math tests for grades three through eight. | | | | classrooms, time-consuming but federally mandated |
| Albany educational authorities announced the dramatic | | | | paperwork, and the requirement for highly qualified |
| improvements this month. Long Island Schools tend | | | | teachers in math and science. While most Long Island |
| to mirror statewide improvements across the board. | | | | Schools’ educators support those actions, finding |
| According to Newsday, Education Commissioner | | | | the methods to make them happen has been |
| Richard Mills said, “The fact that children are | | | | challenging. Fortunately, with the over $11,000 per |
| achieving higher standards in the middle grades is | | | | pupil funding through New York State, Long Island |
| especially significant.” Long Island Schools, and | | | | Schools are more successful than most schools |
| many across the nation, have faced the challenge of | | | | around the nation. |
| test scores dropping in the middle school years. | | | | Of courses this isn’t always felt by board |
| In its second year of reporting steady improvements, | | | | members and educators of Long Island Schools. |
| Long Island Schools are up in every grade and show | | | | Some districts in Long Island Schools had heated |
| impressive results. 85.2% of third graders passed, as | | | | budget debates in January over trimming the budget |
| opposed to 80.5% last year. And seventh graders | | | | and allocating funds. One major area of concern in |
| increased scores from 55.6% to 66.4%. While not all | | | | Long Island Schools is early intervention and |
| residents in the Long Island Schools district support | | | | remediation programs. Due to the successes of the |
| mandatory testing, these results are still welcome. | | | | third grade after school homework program at |
| New York State has the second largest per pupil | | | | lessening the need for Special Education classes, Long |
| spending of the 50 states, and often shows the | | | | Island Schools’ educators are hoping for funding |
| results in impressive test scores. Even so, New York | | | | for similar projects. Early childhood programs are also |
| City districts, like the Long Island Schools, have felt | | | | in high demand, but didn’t receive the desired |
| pressure to attain the No Child Left Behind mandate | | | | funding earlier this year. Early childhood classes are |
| to get all children to a proficient ranking by 2014. | | | | credited with helping low income students better |
| Congressman Steve Israel is pushing for funding for | | | | prepare for transition to kindergarten and grade |
| the Keeping Our Promise to America’s Children | | | | school. Still, with the massive increase in math scores |
| Act to help fund the efforts. Supporting NCLB is | | | | for the past two years, Long Island Schools are |
| costly for Long Island Schools due to lower teacher | | | | showing results the rest of the country is still chasing. |