The number of city schools not making the grade under federal guidelines could more than double this fall — to more than 660 schools, state Education Department officials warned this week.
Such a massive increase in the number of schools failing to meet federal benchmarks for moving along their students would likely reduce each school’s allotment of funding for tutoring, student transfers and other essential supports, according to state documents.
The explosion — which could see more than 1,000 schools statewide labeled “in need of improvement” — is expected following changes last summer that raised the passing bar on state reading and math exams.
“SED staff are currently developing plans for how to address the anticipated large increase in the number of schools that will be identified for improvement next year,” reads a report by Deputy Commissioner John King.
“This plan will need to address the possibility that the size of [federal] improvement grants given to schools . . . will be reduced.”
Last year, 532 state public schools — including 321 in the city — were placed under one of three phases of accountability: “improvement,” “corrective action” and “restructuring.”