At the meeting of the Glen Cove Board of Education on Monday, April 22, Dr. Ingrid Spatt, assistant to the superintendent for curriculum presented the New York State School Report Card. This report card is an important part of the Board of Regents' effort to raise learning standards for all students. It is designed to provide information to the public on student performance and other measures of school and district performance. Knowledge gained from the school report card on a school's strengths and weaknesses can be used to improve instruction and services to students.

Glen Cove district demographics show that the number of pupils with limited English proficiency has grown over the past year to 11.1 percent of the school population. The percentage is larger in the earlier grades, as a child continues to learn as he or she goes through the system. The statewide percentage of students with limited proficiency in English is 8.2 percent and Nassau County shows a 5.6 percent.

The socioeconomic indicator showing the number of children who are entitled to free or reduced lunch stands at 30 percent. Glen Cove is the sixth highest district in Nassau in the percentage of students on free and reduced lunch.

The Glen Cove dropout rate is well below average. The total New York State rate averages 3.8 percent, while Glen Cove had just a .5 percent rate this past year.

State mandated assessments are given in fourth and eight grades. These are given for the purpose of diagnosing learning competencies, prescribing instructional remedies and ensuring academic health.

Dr. Spatt presented data compiled over the last three years comparing district results with the index established by the state. Under this system of accountability, the fourth grade English language arts results at 165 indicate that Glen Cove's students are performing above the state standard (140). The same is true of eighth grade English language arts (Glen Cove 160, standard 140). Dr. Spatt remarked that while schools always strive to raise performance, it is a credit to our schools to be at the level they are.

Math shows a little different picture. The fourth grade performance over the past three years shows our students to be "consistently above standard." This year the Glen Cove number is 172 and the standard 140.

According to data, eighth grade results show that while Glen Cove is below state standard, large strides in improvement have been made over the last three years. When a district is below standard, the state places a "target number" it requires the school to reach. While the state gave Glen Cove a target number of 102, the eighth grade is currently at a higher level of 121, still below the state standard of 140, but certainly on the rise.

High school graduation requirements have been changed by the state to slowly increase the number of Regents exams needed by a student to graduate. Last year, in the class of 2001, most of the graduates were above state standards, and the few who needed to fulfill a requirement did so in summer school. Of this year's seniors, a high percentage of students have already met graduation requirements by taking Regents exams in January, and those who need to, will take the tests in June.

The school district is implementing many new strategies of success in schools. Children who need it are being offered additional remediation at lunchtime, after school and on Saturdays. Additional inclusion and ESL support services are available, as well as after school enrichment sessions expanded to address the new assessments. A wonderful offering is the STAR tutorial program, which enlists the help of teachers and members of a student's family.

Staff development and training is looking at instructional approaches to linking teaching with state standards, holding workshops on differentiated instruction, and looking further into grants programs. The students are getting both general instruction and test format practice and new textbooks are aligned with state standards. The district is also dedicated to strengthening the home/school/community relationship by teaching skills which can be reinforced at home, keeping consistent contact at home with any concerns, and maintaining a new website posting: K-12 Planet, where parents can get information on their child's school progress.

Before getting into the regular part of the meeting, Dr. Mary Ellen Freeley took a moment to congratulate board member Dr. Rodger Silletti and acknowledge the commitment he shows to education by participating in the School Boards Association. To recognize this commitment, the association awards points to participants at association-sponsored development and training sessions. Dr. Silletti has attained the Merit level of recognition earning 140 through participation in the association's development programs and was congratulated with a certificate of merit.

The rest of the meeting consisted of the approval of election inspectors, approval of health services by other districts, approval of a certiorari payment in the amount of $113,547, bringing the year to date total to $3.5 million, approval of the guidance plan and acceptance of gifts from Glen Cove CARES, and a gift of 20 golf clubs from the Pine Hollow Country Club.