Growth, change, progress, success-how are our Manhasset Public School students doing?

On Monday, Oct. 7, members of the Manhasset community, including parents, residents and key leaders, will find out this information and much more at the first annual District Report on Student Achievement. This first ever report is meant to provide everyone with an overview of student accomplishments, achievements and programs in which our students have participated. The meeting will be held in the Black Box Theatre at Manhasset High School, at 7:30 p.m. Everyone is invited to attend.

Some of the statistics that will be shared during the evening will include: SAT results, AP results, Regents results; and district-wide achievements in English language arts, math, science, social studies, foreign language and the arts.

According to Dr. Lawrence E. Bozzomo, "The evening presentation will essentially be Manhasset Public Schools State of the District address. It is no secret that Manhasset students continue to perform extraordinarily in academics, arts and athletics on all levels: local, regional, state and national. Our standardized achievement test scores consistently exceed state benchmarks. The annual report presentation will offer firsthand information on historical compilation of past years' results, test scores, achievements and awards, as well as assessments."

Dr. Robert Feirsen, assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction, added that "Our first annual District Report on Student Achievement provides a multifaceted look at the District's academic performance. It's less a snapshot than a photo album that tells the story of things we want to celebrate and goals that we want to set so we can continuously improve. The audience will hear information about test scores, but these results will be supplemented by a good deal of other material about things that can't be neatly summarized with a number, but are vital parts of the rich curriculum that we offer. These Points of Pride include student accomplishments in the arts, research and activities that have received regional, statewide and national recognition."

Dr. Feirsen emphasized that the data, including student achievement and areas that may require more emphasis and study, will provide a basis for both district-wide strategies and mini-strategies within each academic discipline. It will also furnish data that will be used by the Curriculum Cycle Review Committees to determine where we are and where we want to be regarding our students' performance.

Dr. Bozzomo, whose educational experience includes serving as district superintendent for 25 years, three of which have been within the Manhasset Public Schools, commented that the district is strong, both academically and financially. He emphasized that "we take every opportunity to listen to our clients and commit ourselves to continued improvement. The Oct. 7 presentation will showcase our points of pride in all areas."

"Since my arrival in Manhasset, the district has embarked on a Strategic Planning Process," Dr. Bozzomo continued. " It is gratifying to see this develop into an inclusive planning process - one that provides opportunities for input from all school community groups. As is the custom of successful school districts, we have reflected upon our past accomplishments in order to better plan our goals and objectives for the upcoming year. The information and data that will be shared with the public on Oct. 7 will demonstrate how the district has met our curriculum and instruction goals of the past three years."