Students in the districts of key state senators deciding whether to renew mayoral control of the schools have shown double-digit gains on state math and reading exams — and improved graduation rates, a Post review of data show.
The Post has looked at Department of Education student-performance statistics in the districts of New York City members serving on the Senate Education Committee, which will rule on whether the 2002 law putting the mayor in charge of the schools is extended, revised or gutted.
Consider:
* In Sen. Joseph Addabbo’s Queens district, the number of fourth graders passing the state reading exam jumped 19 points — to 72 percent last year from 54 percent in 2002.
Fourth-grade math scores jumped a whopping 28 points and eighth-grade math scores shot up 24 points.
* In Pedro Espada’s Bronx district, the number of kids graduating high school surged 26 points — to 67 percent getting sheepskins from 41 percent when Mayor Bloomberg took office.
The number of kids passing math in his district surged by more than 30 points and there was a double-digit increase in students making the grade in English.
* In Shirley Huntley’s Queens District, the number of kids graduating jumped 25 points — to 49 percent earning diplomas in 2007, up from 24 percent in 2002.
* The number of students in Brooklyn Sen. Velmanette Montgomery’s district passing the reading exam jumped 16 points and 13 points, respectively, in the fourth and eighth grade. Math scores were up about 30 points.
But she might have a quibble that the graduation rate barely budged, going up only about two points.
* 91 percent of fourth graders in Queens Sen. Frank Padavan’s district passed the reading exam — up 16 points.
* The graduation rate in Brooklyn Sen. Dan Squadron’s district increased 20 points — to 69 percent getting diplomas, up from 49 percent.
* In Sen. Toby Ann Stavisky’s district, the number of eighth graders passing reading increased 21 points — to 45 percent from 24 meeting standards.
Stavisky, who initially voted against mayoral control in 2002, said yesterday she backs keeping it — albeit in a more limited form. While she supports continuing to have the mayor appoint the chancellor, she would strip Hizzoner’s majority of appointments to the policy board.
“The board will set the policy and the mayor will enforce it,” Stavisky said.
She brushed off the positive tests results, saying, “Two groups give us numbers, and we don’t believe them: the MTA and the Department of Education.”
For his part, Addabbo said he’s more interested in what parents, teachers and principals say about school governance than student data that can be spun.
“I think we have a structure in place that can be improved,” Addabbo said.
But when asked if he supported keeping the mayor in charge of educational policy, he said, “That’s up for discussion. At this point, everything is on the table.”
Addabbo said he wanted to strengthen the role of superintendents and community school districts to aid parents and would consider requiring only hiring a chancellor with an education background.