District reports gains on state assessments and strong AP participation; opt‑out and cohort effects discussed
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Summary
Administrators told the board that ELA and math proficiency rates rose modestly year‑over‑year, AP participation and scores remain high (average AP score ~4.03), and graduation rates held at 94%. Presenters cautioned that cohort movement, opt‑out rates and students taking Regents in middle grades complicate year‑to‑year comparisons.
A district academic presenter summarized results from the 2024–25 assessment cycle, telling the board that New York State ELA proficiency rose about five percentage points and math rose about three percentage points compared with the prior year. The presenter cautioned that cohort effects and testing constructs make year‑to‑year comparisons imperfect: "sometimes the construct of the test... can be 1 or 2 questions that swing the percentage of students" from one performance level to another.
The board heard that opt‑out rates are low through Grade 6 but increase in Grades 7–8, and that a portion of middle‑grade students are taking Regents exams (algebra in Grade 7 or Algebra/Geometry in Grade 8), which can affect reported proficiency rates for the standard state grade‑level assessments.
On college‑level measures, the district reported that 540 students sat for approximately 1,200 AP exams in the prior year and that the district average AP score was about 4.03 on the five‑point scale. The presenter noted particular strength in new course offerings such as Precalculus (in its first year with nearly 150 students and an average score cited as 4.55). Graduation rate for the cohort was reported at about 94 percent, with a substantial share earning Regents diplomas with advanced designation.
Administrators also briefed the board on Career & Technical Education (BOCES) partnerships and programming choices, noting the district had recently toured Tech Valley and reviewed the availability of external CTE resources. The presenter said the district prefers to invest in developing in‑district curriculum and professional development rather than send students elsewhere when possible.
Board members asked clarifying questions about comparables to other districts, the relationship between I‑Ready and state tests (the presenter said they are "very highly correlated"), and whether SAT/PSAT and other college‑readiness metrics could be included in future updates. The presenter said the College Board data are available and that the district could present SAT/PSAT trends in a separate report.