The New York State District Report Card for public schools is out. "We do extremely well," reported Andrea Rosen, Great Neck Public Schools director of research, evaluation and special services. Dr. Rosen stated that the school district has a higher percentage of Level 4 (top level for state assessments) students than most school districts. Students at Levels 3 and 4 have met, or exceeded, the state standards, and students at Levels 1 and 2 need help to meet the standards.

Introducing the assessment results. Superintendent of Schools Ronald Friedman explained that the "report card" is actually a complication of data, test scores, and other information such as graduation rates. The results, however, relate to achievements from over a year ago. Dr. Friedman went on to discuss the problem of the "desegregation of the data," where results are broken down into subgroups (ethnic, racial, gender, socioeconomic status, disabilities), and then broken down again into grades. Still, according to Dr. Friedman, most Great Neck results range from very good to excellent to outstanding.

Dr. Rosen presented some school district results (for 2004 to 2005), first addressing the elementary level ELA (English language arts). For fourth grade (all students, including general education and students with disabilities), 56 percent tested at Level 4, the highest level; 38 percent tested at Level 3; 5 percent tested at Level 2; and 1 percent tested at Level 1. Statewide, 21 percent were Level 4, 49 percent at Level 3, 24 percent at Level 2 and 5 percent at Level 1.

For elementary mathematics, grade four, 84 percent tested at Level 4, 14 percent at Level 3, 1 percent at Level 2, and none at Level 1. For New York State public schools, 39 percent tested at Level 4, 46 percent at Level 3, 12 percent at Level 2 and 3 percent at Level 1.

Elementary level fourth-grade students taking the science exam did well too. Eighty-six percent tested at Level 1, 14 percent at Level 2, and none at Levels 1 and 2. In the state, 42 percent achieved Level 4, 38 percent at Level 3, 15 percent at Level 2, and 5 percent at Level 1.

At the middle school level, for the eighth-grade ELA, 31 percent achieved Level 4, 50 percent were Level 3, 19 percent Level 2, and none at Level 1. Statewide, 9 percent tested at Level 4, 39 percent at Level 3, 45 percent at Level 2, and 7 percent at Level 1.

For the middle school mathematics assessment exams, 47 percent made Level 4, 45 percent at Level 3, 6 percent at Level 2, and 2 percent at Level 1. Statewide, 9 percent tested at Level 4, 46 percent at Level 3, 32 percent at Level 2 and 13 percent at Level 1.

The middle school science assessments (science and Regents) shows 52 percent of the students at Level 4, 39 percent at Level 3, 8 percent at Level 2, and 1 percent at Level 1. For this assessment, in the state, 29 percent tested at Level 4, 42 percent at Level 3, 21 percent at Level 2, and 8 percent at Level 1.

The results of the high school English achievement depicts results of assessment after four years of instruction. Here, 74 percent tested in the 85 to 100 percent range; 21 percent tested in the 65 to 84 percent range; 1 percent tested in the 55 to 64 percent range; and 1 percent tested in the 0 to 54 percent range. Here, for the state, 38 percent tested 85 to 100 percent; 40 percent at 65 to 84 percent; 6 percent at 55 to 64 percent; and 5 percent at 0 to 54 percent.

For high school mathematics achievement after four years of instruction, the results were as follows: 62 percent in the 85 to 100 percent range; 33 percent in the 65 to 84 percent range; 2 percent in the 55 to 64 percent range; and 1 percent in the 0 to 54 percent range. Statewide, 25 percent tested at 85 to 100 percent; 52 percent at 65 to 84 percent; 8 percent at 55 to 64 percent; and 5 percent at 0 to 54 percent.

As for graduation rates, 95 percent graduated, while only 77 percent graduated statewide in state public schools.

Following Dr. Rosen's report, the meeting focused on the recent Newsday story that listed Great Neck as a school district that had not made adequate progress. Dr. Friedman and Dr. Rosen explained the issue, showing that the district is hardly having a problem. According to state law, severely disabled students (students who are the responsibility of the school district and not placed by their parents in private schools) must take the state assessments or take an alternative exam. These students, according to Dr. Rosen, do not take assessments "for good reason." Dr. Friedman added that they "cannot take pencil to paper."

Dr. Friedman went on to say that most of the students with disabilities do exceptionally well on the assessments. The issue referred to in Newsday concerns two year's worth of students with disabilities, 145 in all, with 120 attending either North or South High or the Village School. Twenty-five of these disabled students (25 over two years) do not attend the Great Neck Public Schools, attend special schools (some of which are out-of-state), and are never tested. "We are thrilled that many make such great progress; excel at living skills, and we didn't force them to take tests," Dr. Friedman said. "Why would we do that to these kids?" he added.

Now, however, due to "No Child Left Behind," the district will probably have to force these severely disabled youngsters to take tests. "It's almost an ethical and moral dilemma," Dr. Friedman stated, adding, "We will have to force them to take pencil to paper or we will end up in a box in Newsday."

North High Principal Bernard Kaplan termed this situation "an empty exercise," while South High Principal Randy Ross noted that he had received many phone calls regarding the Newsday article, with people saying that there must be something wrong with the system if Great Neck appeared to have a problem.

Dennis Ryan, assistant superintendent for special education and pupil services, stated that the state needs to work up acceptable standards for these disabled students. Then, referring to the prior weekend's Special Olympics held in Great Neck, Dr. Ryan said that "we should not accept any less of them (the special education students) than they can do."

Board of Education Trustee Fran Langsner noted that, if the school district does not find a way to test the disabled students at issue, the district could be forced into a state-mandated improvement plan that would greatly impact on the district. Elaborating, Ms. Langsner made it very clear that such a plan would have a negative impact on the schools.