The Board of Education gave Schools Chancellor Harold Levy a mostly favorable rating on its annual report card – but complained that most students still can’t read or do basic math, and the school-construction program is a mess.
“Without minimizing the progress that has been made,” the seven-member board wrote, “it’s fair to say that critical deficiencies remain and that it is our shared challenge to address them.”
“Fewer than half of elementary and middle-school students tested met state standards” in reading.
“Fewer than a third of elementary and middle-school students tested met state standards in mathematics.”
The four-page Levy review completed on Sept. 21, a copy of which was obtained by The Post, also said too many students are failing the high-school Regents exams – now required to obtain a diploma. And the problem could worsen when the passing score increases from 55 to 65, as the Regents board plans to do within four years.
“You and we are in agreement that numbers such as those form the irreducible bottom-line: if student performance, as measured, falls short of set standards, the system must organize all of its resources to respond to that necessity.”
Reading scores improved slightly last year, but math scores are dreadful.
Levy, who has held the post since January 2000, is pushing reforms to bolster math this year through better teacher training.
The review – which didn’t issue a letter or numbered grade – “commended” Levy for his leadership in 11 different areas.
He got satisfactory reviews for better data analysis, teacher recruitment, the summer-school program, special- and bilingual-education reforms, improving failing schools, and boosting technology, parent involvement and school safety.
Terri Thomson, the board representative from Queens, defended the evaluation.
“Harold Levy is in charge with a very firm hand. He’s turned a somewhat centralized bureaucracy into a tightly run ship,” Thomson said.
Levy spokesman Karen Finney said the chancellor felt the review was “fair and balanced.”
THE LEVY REPORT CARD
Schools Chancellor Harold Levy’s Report Card from the Board of Education
Satisfactory:
Use of data to identify trends in student performance and strengths and weaknesses in the school system.
Overhauling and cutting the central bureaucracy.
New recruitment programs that dramatically increased the hiring of foreign teachers and career-changers.
Using after-school and literacy programs to improve performance in failing schools.
Reforms to help immigrants learn English faster and to move students from special-education into regular classes.
Increasing parent involvement through the Internet, surveys and forums.
Dramatic expansion of the summer-school program to help struggling students, with some modest improvements.
Improved relations with the NYPD to improve school safety.
Shortcomings or issues to be addressed:
More than two-thirds of students fail to meet math standards, and more than half can’t read at grade level; too many students failing high-school Regents exams.
Holding central administrators accountable through an annual review, as is done with superintendents and principals.
Monitoring of the school-construction capital plan, which is now $2 billion over budget.
Better evaluations of teacher-training programs to determine if they’re effective.
More attention paid to improve middle schools and high schools, including the high-school admission process.
Improved communication between central administration and Board of Education members.