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WPCNR SCHOOL DAYS. By John F. Bailey. August 1, 2016:

An examination of tests results by WPCNR of the White Plains 5th and 8th Grade students performances on the new “improved” 2016 NY State English Language Assessments released Friday by the New York State Department of Education show white students outperformed the Black and Latino students by a wide margin–over 50% in the pivotal 5th Grade and 8th Grade ELA test.

ON THE 2016 Math Assessments, the 5th Grade performance over all was more encouraging, but the 8th Grade Math Assessments results showed very little reason for optimism that 8th graders going into high school in September in White Plains are ready — if the new 2016 Assessment tests are really more in line with the work 8th graders are expected to do.

The ELA results on the “improved” 2016 ELA assessment reveal concern, or should, even after the White Plains School district has tried to address black and latino  needs with limited dual language classes the last five years, and extensive remedial efforts in the middle school the last three years.

WPCNR examined the 5th grade results for ELA first.

According to the New York State Education District data available on the NYSED website, of 449 5th graders taking the 2016 ELA Assessment, 161 of 449 passed the test, (33%).

Of 99 white students taking the 5th Grade ELA test, 60 or 60% passed.

Of the 55 black students who took the test, 14 of 55 passed — 25%

A total of 266 Hispanic students took the test and 52 passed — 20%.

This suggests that no matter how much assessment tests are adjusted that the White Plains School District has its work cut out for them in addressing this new population of middle school students entering the 2016-17 year where 67% of students are not ELA proficient according to the state’s improved test.

The eighth grade ELA assessment results detailed below show that after three years of middle school which has also worked to address the reading and writing problem across whites, Blacks and Hispanics that the district has a major problem that still needs to be addressed this fall.

In the 8th Grade ELA assessment results, 322 students in 8th grade took the assessment tests, and  113 passed — 35%.

The population of 73 taking the test, saw 45 of 73 pass– 62%

A total of 179 Latino students  took the test and 47 passed — 26%

A total of 50 Black/African-American students took it and 10 passed — 20%

How about Math?

Over on the 2016 Math Assessment, Fifth Graders are cause for optimism that math skills are being instilled in the elementary schools.

A total of 440 White Plains Fifth graders took the Math Assessment and 115 passed — 44%

Of 103 white fifth graders, 70 passed — 68%.

The 51 black or African-American students taking,  saw 13 pass: 25%

There were 267 Latino students taking the math, and 96 passed — 36%

In the 8th Grade, the results of 8 years in the pre high school grades K-8, produced results that can only be disappointing to the City School District.

A total of 164 8th Graders took the 8th Grade Math assessment and 8 passed

There were 21 white students taking, and 4 (19%) passed

One of 24 Black African American students passed, and 3 of 119 Latino students taking passed.