News that the percentage of NYC public school fourth graders meeting state reading requirements have gone up 10 points was eagerly taken by Mayor Bloomberg and Schools Chanceller Joel Klein as evidence that the Mayor's overhaul of the Board of Education - now the Department of Education, mind you - was a good thing. In fact, the Mayor and Chancellor headed to P.S. 33 in the Bronx, where the number of students meeting standards doubled to 83% (scores rose 47%), and the Mayor said, "Tonight, everybody in the city has a reason to have a smile on their face." Many of the biggest gains were in urban areas, especially amongst black and Hispanic children, but some suggest that because the Mayor's plans held back many third graders last year, and they would have dragged down this year's scores. And also, there were percentage gains across the state, so it's hard to say that the city is exceptional with its scores. The troubling news is that the percentage of eighth graders reaching state reading standards actually dropped in NYC.
The Daily News feels, as do other publications, that the numbers at least give the Mayor "snappy soundbites" that keep his arguments that his plans for education have been working. Gothamist's been talking to a few public school teachers, and the unofficial verdict on him is mixed-to-dismal, so it'll be interesting to see how a Democratic candidate, backed by a teachers' union, will explain the situation. And read the press release on the statistics from NY State.
