WHITE PLAINS CITIZENETREPORTER SETS RECORD VISITS FOR YEAR 7,017,658 VISITS! 2,098,003 VISITORS MADE 6 VISITS A DAY EVERY DAY. 63,330 UNIQUE VISITORS MADE 133,730 VISITS IN DECEMBER. WPCNR AVERAGED 17,284 VISITORS A WEEK, VISITING 31,270 TIMES.

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In an effort to reduce loud, unnecessary and unwanted noise in our neighborhoods, the Mayor and Common Council recently amended the City’s local ordinance on leaf blowers.

The new ordinance states:

 The use of gasoline‐powered leaf blowers will now be allowed during the Spring (March 15 TO May 15.

In the Fall, gasoline-powered leaf blowers will now be allowed between 

October 1 – December 15 ONLY

Gasoline‐powered leaf blowers may be used during the clean‐up periods at the following times only:

Monday – Friday: 8:00 am – 6:00 pm

Saturday, Sunday, Legal Holidays: 10:00 am – 6:00 pm

Gasoline‐powered leaf blowers that produce a sound level greater than 70 decibels are prohibited.

Gasoline‐powered landscape maintenance equipment other than leaf blowers (lawn mowers, chain saws, trimmers, etc.) that produce a sound level greater than 85 decibels are prohibited.

Simultaneously operating more than one gasoline‐powered leaf blower on property measuring less than 5,000 square feet is prohibited.Penalty may be a fine up to $250.00

Violations of this ordinance will be vigorously enforced.

For further information, please see City of White Plains Municipal Code of Ordinance – Noise Pollution

Chapter 3‐4. Available on the City of White Plains website: www.cityofwhiteplains.com

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WPCNR COUNTY CLARION-LEDGER. From Westchester County Department of Communications. (EDITED)

County Executive Robert P. Astorino today vetoed a plan to lease space at Playland to the Westchester Children’s Museum, saying the lease was based on questionable finances and was at best premature, since a process is underway to determine Playland’s future.

           

The action came despite a unanimous vote by the Board of Legislators to approve the lease and with that the probability that Astorino’s veto will be overridden.

 

The Children’s Museum, which has yet to open, Astorino said (in a news release Friday), has no financial or operational track record. Its most recent IRS filing indicates that it has net assets of $2,365,116 – only 37 percent of the $6,441,300 cited in the lease agreement as being available to undertake the required capital improvement. Upon opening, the museum would face strong competition from the six other children’s museums that are within 42 miles of Playland.

 

 

 

 

          

  “I was elected to do what I believe is right, not only what is popular,” Astorino said. “My issue is not with the idea of a children’s museum. My issues are the timing of the lease and protecting the financial interests of the county’s taxpayers. In today’s economic climate, when our county government is being forced to make extremely difficult budget decisions to maintain essential services, programs must be more than well intentioned to earn taxpayer support.”

            The county executive, in his veto message, stressed his appreciation for the concept of a children’s museum and his respect for the efforts of the all the people trying to launch the not-for-profit Westchester Children’s Museum. But he felt compelled to veto the legislation for the following reasons:

 

·        The need to protect the taxpayers of Westchester.

 

The notion that the annual rent of $1 is adequate compensation to county taxpayers because the Children’s Museum will be making $6.4 million in capital improvements to the building has not been tested against the market value of the property.

 

In addition, it appears almost certain that the final cost of the renovations to the building will be more than projected by the legislators and the prior administration. For example, the $2 million cost of moving an existing sewer line, which traverses under the property, was not factored into earlier estimates and would have to be paid for by taxpayers.    

 

“Valuable beachfront property, which has been refurbished at great taxpayer expense and whose final cost is not yet known, should not be given away without a competitive process to ensure that taxpayers are receiving a fair price for a county asset,” Astorino said.

 

• Passage of the legislation was premature.

The RFP (“request for proposals”) process, initiated by Astorino to determine the long-term future of Playland, is still underway. The county is in the second stage of a multi-stage process and is awaiting a feasibility report by a 19-member citizens committee on 12 proposals, which is due next month.

 “It is reckless and not in the best interest of the county or the museum to contemplate a long-term lease with any tenant until the RFP process is complete and a plan for the long-term viability of the park has been established,” Astorino said.

 

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WPCNR POLICE GAZETTE. From White Plains Public Safety Website, www.wppublicsafety.com . August 19, 2011 UPDATED 3:31 P.M. E.D.T.:

The new White Plains Public Safety website reported Thursday that Key Bank, 188 East Post Road was robbed approximately 4 P.M.Tuesday by a suspect wearing a red bandanna, a New York Yankees Cap, long-sleeved blue shirt. The suspect had been seen on video lingering in the bank lobby 3 to 5 minutes prior to the incident, the site says. No one was hurt during the robbery. No weapon was displayed.

To view a video and see a picture of the suspect, go to www.wppublicsafety.com . Anyone with information on the suspect, may contact the police on condition of anonymity by  calling 914-422-6217 or 914-422-6223.

Viewers can also access crime statistics in the city through last week and keep track of upcoming public safety events.

Commissioner of Public Safety David Chong told WPCNR the newly redesigned website will be used to inform citizens in timely fashion on police activity:

“We want to update the website at least weekly and sometimes daily if we need information to get out. This was one of my goals when I came here: a transparent and easily user-friendly accessible department.”

Commissioner Chong elaborated:

“We intend that both Police and Fire will update the site regularly. This us a working project so we will adjust as we go along. We plan to put crime and fire safety prevention tips, wanted/lost persons, open crimes that we want the public’s help, current events, emergency notifications, known street closures, interesting arrests on the site.

“People should check in regularly for interesting public safety news.

“In an emergency, we will attempt to use the site for immediate notifications.

“We are very excited about the way the users can request certain police reports without coming into the public safety building. That convenience and ease is part of Mayor Tom Roach’s commitment to simplicity and ease of government.”

 

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WPCNR SCHOOL DAYS. By John F. Bailey. August 15, 2011:

 

In Grades 4 to 9 starting school in 2 weeks in September, data from the New York State Education Department, analyzed by WPCNR show the district must address approximately 1,339 children of 2,549 taking the English Language Arts  Assessment Tests, who did not  achieve English proficiency on their May ELA Achievement test.

 

Approximately 208 Freshmen of some 500 starting high school in 9^th grade at the high school in September will have failed to pass the ELA 8th Grade Assessment in May

 

The 2011 school district  beat the increased passing scores  by a wide margin in Grades 3,4 and 6  (3 of the six grades tested) on the English Language Arts assessments

 

 

 

Though scores improved in the elementary grades, middle school assessment scores showed 7^th and 8th graders failed at a rate 10% behind the new passing standards, and Grade 3 performed 3% less than the state target.

 

This happened to 3rd graders on the Math Assessment Test as well).  This trend on third grade results could mean more children are not as prepared entering Kindergarten,first and second grades.

 

Math performance on the 2011 assessments was encouraging, 4 of the 6 grades met or surpassed the new passing standards.

 

Grades  4,6, 7 and 8 met the higher passing Math standards of 2011. Grade 4 tripled the new passing rate target set by the state and Grade 6 passed at four times what the state expected.

 

The stepped-up preparation and intervention measures instituted by first year Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction, Jessica O’Donovan, equaled, doubled and tripled the new state passing standards in four of the six grades (3 through 8) on the 2011 statement assessments.

 

O’Donovan, in a statement last week to WPCNR  said she felt the efforts were productive but it would take three years to move performance ahead substantially. Analysis of the 2009-10 and 2010-11 test scores by WPCNR show the improvement O’Donovan’s approach was able to achieve.

The Challenge of higher passing scores weathered, met.

 

To understand where the May 2011 Assessments show we are as a school district, it is important to show what the state expected when it raised the new passing standards one year ago.

 

Last fall, the district showed how new passing scores ordained by the State Department of Education in response to New York achievement test scores falling behind other states, would be going up and would affect the number of students passing the assessments last year.  Assistant Superintendent O’Donovan, in her first two months on the job,  designed a remedial effort consisting of pull-out instruction blocks for students identified as at risk for failing the assessments and put more emphasis on reading and understanding.

 

In the New York State English Language 2011 assessments administered in May,  the Passing Scores for Level 3 (Proficient) were raised by the state as follows for each grade. The district teachers had a big challenge.

 

2011 New ELA Passing Score LIFT     Pct. Increase to Meet

                                                             

Grade 8        650 to 658–8  points       1.2 %

Grade 7        650 to 664 -14 points       2.2%

Grade 6        650 to 662 –12 points      1.8%

Grade 5        650 to 666 – 16 points      2.5%

Grade 4        650 to 668 – 18 points      2.8%

Grade 3        650 to 662 – 12 points      1.8%

 

 

To maintain the White Plains passing standards of the past, remedial efforts had to raise scores 1.2% at the 8^th grade level in the ELA test, with the maximum increase needed to be 2.8% at the fourth grade level, where the district has been concentrating its efforts.

 

The fourth Grade 2011 ELA performance was gangbusters, increasing passing performance by 8%.

 

In Math, the passing scores demanded the district make more progress as follows:

 

2011         New MATH Pass Score LIFT     PCT. INCR. TO MEET

 

Grade 8        650 to  673– 23 points      3.5%

Grade 7        650 to 670—20 points         3.1%

Grade 6        650 to 674 – 24 points       3.7%

Grade 5        650 to 674—24 points         3.7%

Grade 4        650 to 676—26 points         4.6%

Grade 3        650 to 684—34 points         5.2%

 

In math the district was challenged to raise scores 3.5% at the eighth grade level, 3.1% at the seventh grade level

 

How did they do?

 

Lower Grades Held own in May English Language Arts Assessments.

Upper Grades Entering High School did not.

 

 

In the 2010 English Assessments, scored with the new passing grades in effect, 57% of 8^th graders passed the ELA Achievement.

 

In the May Assessment scores just released last week for 2011 the passing rate for both seventh and eight graders declined to 52.7%

 

This is a  percentage decline of 8% far below the 1.2%  increase demanded in the passing scores set by the state  for those two grades  

 

The inescapable fact that cries out is  47.3% of  488 eight graders,  approximately 230 children  did not pass their ELA Achievement in May and are “not proficient” in English going into White Plains High School in September.

 

 Seventh graders in 2011 failed to meet the higher passing standard  by 2.2%  increase in ELA passing scores.

 

In the 2010 assessment, scored with the new passing standards, 57.7% of seventh graders passed.

 

Despite the district efforts with seventh graders in 2010-11, the seventh grade class saw the number of passing decline to 52.3%– 9% less passing than in 2010. That translates into approximately 248 eighth graders beginning in September that the district has to upgrade to proficiency.

 

Looking at those scores another way,  about  half of seventh and eighth grade students failed to meet English Proficiency standards. Half. It is worth thinking about that word.

 

ENG LANGUAGE ASSESSMENT SCORES 2011 COMPARED TO 2010

 

                          2010                          2011

ELA         Pct. Pass     Fail         Pct Pass     Fail   YTY + –

 

Grade 8   57%            43%            52..7%     47.3%    -8%

Grade 7   57.2%         43%             52.3       47.7%    -9%    

Grade 6   54.1%         46%             59%        41%      +9% 

Grade 5   54.4%         45.6%           52.6%      47.4%    -3%

Grade 4   52.2%         45.8%           56.3%      43.7     +8%

Grade 3   53.6%         46.4%           57.2%      42.8%    +7%

 

This result occurred despite the efforts of the district through curriculum changes toclose achievement gaps with last year’s 7^th and 8^th grade groups and upgrade English Language Arts skill ever since they were fourth graders.

 

It is encouraging though to see that the 3^rd , 4^th, and 6^th grade scores improved well ahead of state passing targets, double and quadruple the percentage rise in the new passing scores.

 

Lower Grade Turnaround Efforts Effective.

 

 Improvement twice and four times  the percentages of passing score increases seen in the 3^rd and 4^th  grade and 6^th  grade scores indicate O’Donovan’s program made a big difference in those classes. Unfortunately,  the 7th and 8th grade classes did not achieve a similar level of success in their younger years.

 

Jessica  O’Donovan, Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum & Instruction  was charged with upgrading the scores “from behind” due to the higher passing scores, in her first year with the district.

 

She defended the reading intervention in the Middle and High Schools, saying the results  “did not fall short in my opinion,” and told WPCNR  “significant increases will take far more time—a minimum of three years. Scores decreased 20% (automatically) between 2009-10 when new (passing) standards were implemented.”

 

O’Donovan said  she was pleased at ELA scores in grades 3,4,6 and increases in Math in grades 4, 6, 7, 8.

 

Math Side

 

On the Math Side the scores break down this way during the two years the new passing scores have been in effect.

 

  MATH  ASSESSMENT SCORES 2011 COMPARED TO 2010

     

                                2010               2011

                   PASSED     FAILED          PASSED   FAILED  YTY+-

 

GRADE 8       71.5%        28.5%            71.5%       28.5%     0

GRADE  7      69.2%       30.8%             69.9%       30.1     +1%

GRADE  6      61.6%       38.4%             69.4%       30.5%    +13%

GRADE  5      63.9%       36.1%             60.1%       39.9%   – 5%

GRADE  4      59.9%       39.1%             66.6%       33.4%   +11%

GRADE 3       60.7%       39.3%             58%         42%    -4.4%

 

The chart shows the district doubled the target passing score increase in two of the six grades,  the 6^th and 4^th grades,,including the key developing  4^th grade, but falling short of surpassing the passing score increases  in 3^rdand 5^th grade, which might be some cause for concern.

 

The Grade 8, Grade 7 examinees  in math failed to surpass the increased Passing Score targets (which were raised 3%) yet the district did not improve or fall back in the overall percentage of passers in the 7^th and 8^th grades on Math.

 

The breakdown of those who did not pass the Math Assessments works out to an average of 32.6% or about 1/3.  failing to achievement proficiency in math.

 

 

 

Children Left Behind– ENGLISH

 

The following indicates by grade, how many children in grades 3 to 8 did not pass the 2011 Achievement Tests in English Language Arts and Math whom the district must bring up to passing this year.

 

MAY 2011  ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS  ASSESSMENT

 

SNAPSHOT

 

CHILDREN BEHIND  ENTERING 2011-12

 

GRADE   ENTERING    TESTED      PASSED     FAILED         # FAILED

 

8           9        486        52.7%       47.3%          231

7           8        524        52.3%       47.7%          249

6           7        473        59%         41%            193

5           6        493        52.6%       47.4%          234

4           5        513        56.3%       43.7%          224

3           4        486        57%         42.9%          208       

 

TOTALS         2,549     52.5%     47.5%       1,339

 

The sobering realization the district faces is that of upgrading English Language Profiency in almost half their students in grades 3 through 9.

 

 

CHILDREN LEFT BEHIND – MATH

 

 

MAY 2011 MATH  ASSESSMENT

 

SNAPSHOT

 

CHILDREN BEHIND  ENTERING 2011-12

 

GRADE   ENTERING    TESTED       PASSED     FAILED         # FAILED

 

8          9          498         71.5%      28.5%           142

7          8          530         69.9%      30.1%           159

6          7          479         69.3%      30.7%           147

5          6          498         60.1%      39.9%           198

4          5          517         66.5%      33.5%           173

3          4          491         58.3%      41.9%           205

 

TOTALS          2,563       60%     40%         1,024

 

The two charts show that despite the better passing percentages in math,  1,024 children in Grades 3 through 9 have not shown Proficiency in Math.

 

Approximately  1,339 District children are in need of serious intervention on English skills and 1,024 require remediation in math, in addition to moving ahead with new academics as they enter the school year in September.

 

Reviewing the percentages by which the passing scores were raised by the state, and the performances of the May 2011 White Plains scores, the 2011 school district maintained their performance in the lower grades but have a long way to go.