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Mount Vernon Students Fare Poorly On State Exams

MOUNT VERNON, N.Y. – The percentage of New York students considered proficient in math and language arts has dropped statewide from a year ago, including in Mount Vernon, which showed little proficiency on state standardized testing.

Mount Vernon students scored poorly on state proficiency exams in English and math.

Mount Vernon students scored poorly on state proficiency exams in English and math.

Photo Credit: Courtesy of Flickr user biologycorner

According to the state’s assessment, given to students in grades 3-8, 41 percent of Westchester County students were at grade level in English Language Arts and 40 percent of county students were at grade level in math.

The state results for Mount Vernon showed the following percentages.

  • Grade Three – 17.2 percent of students met or exceeded proficiency for their grade in ELA and 18.6 percent met or exceeded proficiency for their grade in math. The Westchester County average was 40.6 percent for ELA and 41.2 percent for math.
  • Grade Four – 21.1 percent of students met or exceeded proficiency for their grade in ELA and 18.8 percent met or exceeded proficiency for their grade in math. The Westchester County average was 41.6 percent for ELA and 46.1 percent for math.
  • Grade Five – 18.4 percent of students met or exceeded proficiency for their grade in ELA and 11.8 percent met or exceeded proficiency for their grade in math. The Westchester County average was 41 percent for ELA and 39.4 percent for math.
  • Grade Six – 16.6 percent of students met or exceeded proficiency for their grade in ELA and 13 percent met or exceeded proficiency for their grade in math. The Westchester County average was 46.6 percent for ELA and 40.6 percent for math.
  • Grade Seven – 9 percent of students met or exceeded proficiency for their grade in ELA and 5.3 percent met or exceeded proficiency for their grade in math. The Westchester County average was 41.1 percent for ELA and 37.3 percent for math.
  • Grade Eight – 12 percent of students met or exceeded proficiency for their grade in ELA and 3.5 percent met or exceeded proficiency for their grade in math. The Westchester County average was 44.2 percent for ELA and 37 percent for math.

Statewide results for New York students in grades 3-8 showed 31.1 percent of students met or exceeded the ELA proficiency standard and 31 percent met or exceeded the math proficiency standard.

The lower results do not reflect a decrease in performance for schools or students, but a raising of standards to reflect college and career readiness according to state Education Commissioner John B. King Jr.

"I understand these scores are sobering for parents, teachers, and principals. It's frustrating to see our children struggle,” King said in a news release accompanying the results.  “But we can't allow ourselves to be paralyzed by frustration; we must be energized by this opportunity. The results we've announced today are not a critique of past efforts; they're a new starting point on a roadmap to future success.”

The state said it does not intend to identify any new “Focus Districts” or “Priority Schools” based on the 2012-13 assessment results.

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