Beacon wants to build on good marks

By Maeleeke J. Lavan
Poughkeepsie Journal

Darryl Bautista/Poughkeepsie Journal South Avenue Elementary School fourth-grader Kasandra Antonmarchi raises her hand during health class.

BEACON — Eighth-grade English scores in the Beacon school district showed strong increases over the previous year, but still have room for improvement, school officials said about the state Education Department’s annual Report Card.

The state Education Department released its annual performance report for school districts statewide this week. They reflect scores of standardized tests taken by fourth-graders and eighth-graders during the 2001-02 school year, as well as the results of Regents exams taken during the same period.

More than 60 percent of students at Rombout Middle School scored in the lowest two levels in standardized math tests conducted in the 2000-01 school year. That number dropped to 48 percent in last year’s testing.

In English, 58 percent of the 295 eighth-graders who were tested last year scored in the lowest two levels. While that number is higher than school officials would like, it was significantly lower than the previous year, when 71 percent of students scored in the lowest two levels.

Edward Mancari, Rombout Middle School principal, said as students, teachers and parents get accustomed to the fact that testing is inevitable, the level of comfort begins to increase and results begin to show significant improvement.

Preparation is key

‘‘There’s definitely a general better preparedness,’’ Mancari said. ‘‘Parents understand the nature of the tests, so definitely kids are coming in better prepared. I think they’re able to handle it.’’

Rombout parent Laura Kyler said her son does well on tests and in school, but the added pressure to do well isn’t good for anyone.

‘‘There’s a lot of pressure on kids these days,’’ she said. ‘‘Teachers are under pressure from the administration, who are under pressure from Albany — and it filters down to the children.’’

Kyler said her sixth-grader did well on his fourth-grade tests. Now, as her son gets ready for another round of testing in two years, Kyler and her husband try to keep the pressure off.

‘‘After he has a day of testing we usually try to do something special to help him relieve some of that (stress),’’ she said.

English and math scores for the district’s elementary students showed an increase in students performing at the top two levels than during the 2000-01 school year.

‘‘You put good teachers in with kids and results happen,’’ said Ophelia Richards, principal at South Avenue Elementary School.

Scores at Sargent Elementary School showed a slight increase in the number of students who scored in the lowest two levels.

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