Oceanside reports strong graduation, AP gains but chemistry and algebra gaps persist

Diane Pravito, assistant superintendent of curriculum, instruction and technology, told the Oceanside Union Free School District Board of Education on Jan. 15 that the district’s graduation rate for the Class of 2024 is 94% and that 65% of graduates earned an advanced Regents diploma.

The review, delivered during the district’s annual performance update, also highlighted that Oceanside High School earned a place on the College Board’s AP School Honor Roll for 2024 and an AP Access Award. Pravito said 524 eligible students took at least one Advanced Placement exam in spring 2024, totaling 1,129 exams, and that 70% of those exams received scores of 3 or higher.

The data matter because they indicate districtwide academic outcomes and equity of access to advanced coursework, officials said. “The AP School Honor Roll recognizes schools that have done outstanding work delivering results in welcoming more students into AP courses and supporting them on the path to college success,” Pravito said.

Board members and administrators emphasized areas needing continued attention. The district reported subject-level Regents results including a 95% passing rate in English Language Arts and a 98% passing rate in U.S. history, while science and math scores varied: 82% passed living environments, 66% passed chemistry, and algebra 1 saw 47% passing at the high school level. At Oceanside High School, Castleton, algebra 1 passing was 22%.

Superintendent Dr. Harrington said the chemistry results partly reflect a deliberate decision to open the exam to a larger share of students: “We do have a much wider net of students taking the examination. And when you widen the net, that in and of itself presents a little bit of a higher challenge,” he said, noting that increasing participation can temporarily lower averages even as access improves.

Pravito and board members also flagged the district’s test opt‑out rate: 33% of eligible students declined the New York State English language arts assessment this year (1,646 participated of 2,420 eligible), a decline from prior years but still substantial. Pravito said the district has seen an 11% decrease in opt‑outs for mathematics among grades 3–7 and attributed some improvement to outreach including Parent University podcasts that discussed testing benefits.

Board members pressed administrators on supports for students who do not pass Regents exams. Pravito detailed offerings including summer school, expanded extra help and resource center supports, ELL and special education interventions and individualized plans; she also described the superintendent’s appeal process for students who narrowly miss score thresholds.

Officials said curriculum revisions and programmatic changes have been implemented — for example, summer curriculum work aimed at aligning instruction to updated state science standards and a one‑year geometry course model adopted in 2022 that has increased students’ ability to take algebra 2 in sophomore year. Pravito said the district will continue targeted interventions to raise passing rates in chemistry and algebra 1.

The presentation also cited college placement: 93% of 2024 graduates attended college (81% to four‑year institutions, 12% to two‑year), with acceptances to SUNY schools and private universities including Duke, Cornell and NYU.

Board members and administrators said they will continue monitoring course participation and outcomes, expand supports where necessary, and use multiple measures beyond single exams to evaluate student growth.

Looking ahead, administrators said data‑driven supports and curriculum alignments remain priorities to reduce gaps and increase passing rates in math and science.