Highview Presents Achievement Data to School Board

The Nanuet School District held a board meeting Tuesday night at Nanuet High School, with the main focus being a presentation of Highview School Achievement Data and Helpful Information. Also on the agenda was the acceptance of gifts to the district from two local stores totaling $3,300. 

The board accepted a gift of $2,500 from , which recently opened in Nanuet.  An $800 gift from Michaels Stores, Inc. was also accepted.   

The school is also trying to incorporate workshops for parents.  On Dec. 12 at 7 p.m., there will be a workshop that will aid parents in deciphering the meaning of their child’s DRA, or Developmental Reading Assessment.  

The school’s website has been fit with links for parents to help their children succeed, including updates to the common core. 

Highview Elementary School Principal Barbara Auriemma was her school’s first presenter, and she had encouraging data based on 2011 state test scores.     

“When you talk about mastery going up 20 percent in ELA 3; in Math 3- level 3 and 4 mastery up 8 percent,” she said.  “ELA 4 up 6 percent.  Our special ed. ELA 3- children who are reading two years behind—their ELA 3 scores went up 11 percent mastery.   Math 3 special ed. 21 percent increase in mastery level.  And Math 4 special ed. up 2 percent."

“I think as you go away from this presentation tonight, you’ll realize that the improvement our school has shown in the state testing last year is due to two things: a fabulous staff and a Nanuet community of parents who really support their children in their academic initiatives.”    

According to Auriemma, every group made AYP (Adequate Yearly Progress).  Auriemma provided numbers that showed there were more level-4 questions- questions of greater difficulty- on the 2011 tests as opposed to the 2010 tests.  She also looked at the Student Performance Index.      

“This number tells you if there were 100 questions on the test on critical analysis in grade 3 ELA, what should a student have gotten correct to reach mastery on the test?” she said.  "In 2010, children were expected to attain 87 of those questions.  You see in 2011- 75.  That’s another indicator that the questions are getting harder.” 

According to Auriemma, the standard for each state test (ELA 3, ELA 4, Math 3, and Math 4) in that Student Performance Index range was lower in 2011 as opposed to 2010.  

While the scores were encouraging, Auriemma noted that in order to maintain a trend of improving state test scores, the staff would need to increase the focus on attaining higher scores for upper-level 3 questions and level 4 questions, as opposed to lower-level 3 questions. 

Ann Mitlof, Nancy Bonner, Anne Chen, Melissa Lipson, Kodi Tidd, and Meg DeMont were the other six staff members of Highview that presented.

New to Highview is a 30-minute block for a writer’s workshop.  Keyboard practices are also a focus for the staff.