From the desk of Dr. Charles Murphy
Friday, 11 January 2013 00:00
As many of you know, New York State plans to test students, in grades 3-8, on the new Common Core Learning Standards. Last year, Kentucky was the first state to test their students with these new lofty standards. Unfortunately, the results in Kentucky plummeted from the prior year. Reading proficiency fell from 76 percent to 48 percent in Kentucky’s elementary schools and 70 percent to 46.8 percent in their middle schools.
Equally concerning, math scores dropped from 73 percent to 40.4 percent in their elementary schools and 65 percent to 40.6 percent in the state’s middle schools.
Many of their state officials predicted there would be a drop; however, very few thought the decline would be so dramatic. As a result of Kentucky’s experience with the new common core assessments, many educators feel this is a predictor of what may end up happening in New York State.
In fact, both New York and Kentucky employ Pearson—one of the largest educational publishing companies—to create the new, more rigorous Core Curriculum assessments. This is something parents in New York State should be aware of, as their children get ready for these new state tests in April. If you have any questions about the common core assessments or the new requirements, please contact your child’s teacher.
News
Thursday, 16 May 2013 00:00
Island Trees Union Free School District faces a few hurdles in its upcoming 2013-14 budget. The loss of the BOCES Geneva N. Gallow building lease and the increasing mandated retirement system (TRS/ERS) adds up to $2 million in lost revenue. The TRS/ERS contributions increased by almost $1.4 million, and the Gallow lease loss totals approximately $500,000, including the utility costs.
Wednesday, 15 May 2013 00:00
What motivates a collector to dedicate a portion of his or her life to searching for the most rare and beautiful forms of a certain item? Is it their love of stamps from all over the world or is it their desire to find the most complex and unique model of a car? From jewelry and dolls to sports memorabilia and computers, a collector’s interests can range from the most bizarre items to the most common. Michael Katz, longtime collector of vintage radios from the 1920s to ’50s, said that the two kinds of things collectors go for are “stuff that’s really unusual and really decorative or the rare and expensive sets.”
Sports
Friday, 17 May 2013 00:00
Don’t miss out on the chance to partake in an 8-week spring flying trapeze workshop! There is one space left in the Tuesday class for adults from 6:15 p.m. to 7:45 p.m., and four spaces left in the Thursday class from 6:15 p.m. to 7:45 p.m., which is open to all ages.
The workshops will take place at the Aquatic Center at Eisenhower Park in East Meadow, New York.
Sign up online at iflytrapeze.com or call 516.640.6995 for more information.
Friday, 17 May 2013 00:00
The Lady Generals lacrosse team at MacArthur High School earned the #1 spot and the title of 2013 conference champions, an accomplishment that last occurred in 2006. The team finished with a conference record of 9-1, succumbing in their only game to Oyster Bay by a one-goal deficit.
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