Details

Written by: Wendy MacMillan

Published: 23 October 2024

Created: 23 October 2024

Last Updated: 23 October 2024

Hits: 4242

Despite the COVID crisis and the many curveballs life has thrown at them Scarsdale students continue to shine. And, as made evident through an Education Report given at the Board of Education meeting on Monday, October 21st, our students are excelling, far beyond the traditional metrics for measuring student achievement. In his annual Assessment Report this year, Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum, Dr. Edgar McIntosh detailed how Scarsdale students fared on standardized tests, and expanded his report to include a more holistic look at student achievement.

To begin, McIntosh and Superintendent Dr. Drew Patrick, gave a brief overview of the District’s newly developed, long term strategic plan that includes goals in the areas of Learning, Living, and Leading.

Patrick explained that each of the three goals contains an agreed upon set of priorities that are thoughtfully and collaboratively, researched, implemented, supported, and assessed on an on-going basis. For a better understanding of each of the Strategic Plan’s goals and priorities, you can see the slides of the presentation here.

After this brief overview, Mcintosh went on to say, “Tonight, we'll focus on standardized measures of student success. While these numbers highlight our achievements, they don't tell the full story. Our presentation, titled "A Holistic Approach to Assessments," aims to explore the development of essential skills and dispositions in our students.”

In what was perhaps the highlight of the Education Report, McIntosh introduced five SHS students who joined the meeting to share the learning, growth, and real-world skills they have attained in the newly added Financial Literacy class at the high school. In their presentation, the students, who each spoke with the poise and confidence of a seasoned professional, described the areas of study in their class including, Banking and Budgeting, Debt, Investing, Risk, and Taxes. In their descriptions of the class activities, the students detailed how they researched student loans and debated whether or not college should be free, took part in budgeting exercises for three different economic statuses, and learned to create and use amortization tables and how monthly loan payments are distributed between interest and principal over time. (Pictured at top are SHS students: Amelia Grossi-Romano, Mer Goh , Matan Davies, Zach Weinberg and Stacey Liew.)

Beyond developing financial literacy, the student’s presentation demonstrated examples of collaboration, creative problem solving, leadership, applying knowledge across disciplines, and many more skills that directly contribute to SHS’s Profile of a Graduate.

After the student’s presentation, McIntosh moved into the more traditional review of the results of many of Scarsdale’s Schools 2024 benchmark measures and standardized assessments, from 3rd-grade state testing- through APs, and SATs. As he stated, “What will be evident is that Scarsdale continues to maintain and demonstrate high levels of achievement through several standardized means- consistent with previous years.”

The first two slides of the presentation related that 99% of SHS students move on to a four year college after graduation and 73% are accepted to a top 50 university or top 50 liberal arts college as defined by US News. While these statistics are impressive and many in our community are eager to know these data points, Dr. Patrick cautioned against giving information like this to much weight, saying:

“We feel it is important to emphasize that there are numerous methodologies (literally dozens) for determining “quality”. Many people talk about selectivity, which typically boils down to the single stat of admissions rate (most selective ~<10%; highly selective~10%-25%; very selective ~25-50%; less selective ~50-75%; least selective ~>75%). US News does not use this data point at all. Further, it has always made us uncomfortable to report this data, as it is in opposition to how the high school (and most high schools) work with students and families to find the school that is best for them, and emphasizing any particular collection of schools rubs against the grain of the work. However, we understand that the community sees this as an essential outcome and therefore it is reasonable to expect this to be reported. We will also note that this excludes students who apply to and matriculate at schools outside of the U.S.”

McIntosh added, “Drew expressed a concern that I echo- even in a dynamic list, there are schools that are missing that don’t reflect the range of schools that are of high interest to many of our students and families, ones with special areas of expertise, highly regarded school and ones historically desirable to our community that are disadvantaged by the weighing of the criteria- and international schools are not considered. And notably, we have 14 students attending international schools. There is a link in supporting documentation to the USN&WR website which includes the metrics they use to rank the schools.”

These sentiments were supported by many other BOE members. Though many agree that focusing on colleges that are a good “fit” for the specific student is preferable, it’s hard to deny that with their stellar test scores, SHS students seem well prepared for whichever college they end up going to.

“As has been our practice, here is comparison data with local high-performing Districts in the SAT and the ACT In 2024. Scarsdale continues to be a leader in the region.”

In his review of test results at the high school level, McIntosh noted, “There has been a marked increase in students taking the exam- 24% increase in total students, and a 69% increase in total exams with younger students sitting for them. I’ve spoken to the counseling department about this trend. Oren and his team say there is a mistaken belief from community members that taking AP exams will provide an advantage in college placement decisions. This is not backed up with what admissions officers are telling us.”

BOE member Amber Yusef felt that the Board should keep their eye on this explosive growth in the number of AP test takers and the number of AP tests they are taking. She questioned if there is something else going on and wonders if this will become a trend. She also noted that students considering applying to international schools do need to take AP exams.

Another BOE member, Jim Dugan, pointed out that more students have been applying to state schools, which are more likely to accept AP classes for college credit. The ability to opt out of a college class and save money, might incentivize more people to take the AP tests.

In another slide, a chart shows the percentage of our students who have successfully passed the required regents exams in algebra, ELA, Biology, Global History and US. History and Government.

Before discussing the K-8 standardized testing measures, McIntosh took a moment to remind everyone that, “State assessments are just a small tip of the iceberg of the ways we assess our students. For a fuller picture, take a look at the first section of supporting documentation.  These pages describe the multitude of ways we assess, monitor, and evaluate our student performance through common benchmark assessments, formative assessments, and progress monitoring tools. These assessments provide more nuanced and actionable data than the snapshot these assessments provide.”

He also took a moment to clarify, “At the elementary and middle school level, we appreciate standardized assessments have their place- and provide broad measures of topic coverage and concept understanding-. They are , we know, inconsistent in reliably and accurately measuring individual students' abilities. When a student does poorly on an exam, however, it sets in motion team review.”

“The next two new slides show our students' performance on the new science assessment given this year. These exams are aligned with the Next Gen Standards in Science. Our students performed near the top of our compassion districts in this area. That said, the 5th grade exam is going through some careful review at the state level based on critical feedback on various factors, including the amount of time students needed to complete it.”

Of the next slide McIntosh said, “On this slide, you will see that our students continue to perform within the historically high percentages on the ELA state exam. This slide highlights six years of the exam in which the format of the exam was the same. As described, there are no scores to report for 2020, and flawed 2021 scores do not provide helpful comparisons. Please know that we have included the longer history of performance in the supporting documentation.”

As in past years, the report provided comparisons to an average of a high-performing cohort of Districts, the lower Hudson region, and statewide percentages.

Next, the presentation covered math performances and made clear that students continue to perform within the historically high percentages.

McIntosh took a moment to make note of the District’s math curriculum saying:

“As described in past education reports, Reveal Math resources are evidence based and built on established and effective pedagogy--- But it is essential that we build on outside research and respond to the lived experience of our students and teachers, and survey educators and assess students to drive improvements in this area.

Based on internal research, Program Improvement Days over the summer focused on:

-Building in addition Enrichment and Extension experiences
-Aligning and adapting Benchmarking and Performance Assessments
-Critical assessment and adjustment of program sequencing and Unit Order
-And leaning into the powerful practice of building and Using Games to Extend skills and conceptual understanding”

This comprehensive Education Report certainly made clear that Scarsdale students continue to be high performing test takers. But more than that, this holistic review of assessments illustrates that our District sure seems to be meeting its Strategic Plan “Learning Goal” of:

“Promote a collaborative academic culture where confident and creative risk takers bring voice to their passions, think deeply about what they are learning, solve problems in increasingly sophisticated ways, and communicate what they know and can do through a wide range of performance tasks and assessments that occur within and beyond the classroom.”

See the Education Report here:

Details

Written by: Dave Taber

Published: 17 October 2024

Created: 17 October 2024

Last Updated: 17 October 2024

Hits: 2007

The Raiders celebrates their hard-fought victory.The Scarsdale High girls soccer team hosted Mamaroneck on Wednesday on 10-16. The Raiders were down 1-0 at halftime but came roaring back with two second half goals to edge the Tigers. Scarsdale’s record is now 10-1-2 with their only loss coming against Mamamaroneck earlier in the season. The Raiders last game before the playoffs start is next Monday at Ursuline.

Photos by Dave Taber of Shots of the Game
To see more game photos and/or download photos, please visit https://www.shotsofthegame.com/

Mia Laboy (4) makes a pass.Goalie Lilly Tessler (35) gets ready to defend an upcoming shot.Midfielder Gia Asten (22) tracks down the ball.Captain Naomi Fischer (5) gets ready to advance the ball upfield. Captain Lexie Kiley (17) lines up a throw-in.A celebration of Allison's goal with a "snapshot" by Leah Brown (9)

Details

Written by: Wendy MacMillan

Published: 26 September 2024

Created: 26 September 2024

Last Updated: 26 September 2024

Hits: 2577

Though board members at Monday night’s Board of Education meeting had a fruitful discussion about a timeline for future bond projects and heard brief updates about curriculum and safety and security, perhaps the most exciting news of the evening came when Superintendent Dr. Drew Patrick announced that Scarsdale High School has been recognized by the US Department of Education as a 2024 National Blue Ribbon School. He explained that Scarsdale High School is one of only four to receive the honor of exemplary high performing schools in New York State, and one of only 54 nationwide. Patrick added, “This designation is presented annually to some of the best schools in the nation, affirming the hard work and dedication of students, educators, families, and the community to exemplary teaching and learning. Congratulations to the SHS community for this distinguished achievement.”

Earlier in the day on Monday, SHS Principal Mr. Kenneth Bonamo sent a letter informing the parent community of this remarkable achievement. Mr. Bonamo shared a quote from the U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona who stated, “This prestigious recognition highlights schools that excel in academic performance or make significant strides in closing achievement gaps among different student groups. ‘The National Blue Ribbon Schools Award is a testament to the exceptional achievements of students and educators at each of these schools,’ said U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona. See Bonamo’s letter here:

BOE Coffee Meetings

BOE President Suzie Hahn announced the dates of the BOE’s Community Coffees, designed to create more opportunities to engage with, and garner feedback from the community. They hope that these more relaxed settings will inspire folks to feel more comfortable speaking up and sharing their concerns. There will be at least two BOE members in attendance and the first two coffees will take place on:

-Wednesday, October 30th at 10:00 a.m. in Room 170-172, Scarsdale High School
-Wednesday, November 6th at 7:00 p.m. in Room 170-172, Scarsdale High School

Hahn and Patrick discussed a meeting with the Scarsdale Teachers Association that took place earlier that evening. Dr. Patrick said, “There are a number of collaborations planned for this year that are the result of last year’s contract negotiation with the STA. These include a committee to look at school:home communications, as well as a committee to examine our Annual Professional Performance Review, among other priorities. We also had the chance to discuss our Off and Away practice, and gaining teacher perspective continues to be helpful.”

Curriculum Update

In his Curriculum Update, Dr. Edgar McIntosh announced that the focus of this year’s Education Reports will be on assessment and how the District “measures our students, our programs, and our progress as they align with the goals described in our strategic plan. These reports will lead us to a May Tri-State visit in which we will ask the Tri-State team to benchmark the experiences and assessments we provide, and how they fulfill our vision where learning, living, and leading is at the center.”

The first Education Report of the year will be held on October 21st and will include a review of the District’s state standardized test scores. As in years past, this presentation will consider test results, how we compare to similar districts, and metrics used in relation to college access. As a meaningful addition to the traditional presentation, McIntosh announced that this year’s report will feature feedback from high school students enrolled in the new Financial Literacy course. These students will join Dr. McIntosh’s presentation to “share their experiences and provide insight into the impact of authentic, integrated, and meaningful learning beyond standardized testing.”

Also noteworthy, McIntosh shared, “Subsequent educational reports will be more frequent than in the past, continuing a focus on assessment. We will review curriculum changes, evaluating progress through assessments and firsthand feedback from teachers and students. We anticipate providing updates in ELA, math, and science, and highlighting new courses. And while we will certainly highlight our innovations in assessment and program, we will also spend time reviewing progress on adopted curriculum.”

School Safety and Security Update

Director of Special Education, Mr. Rauschenbach gave a brief update on the District’s Safety and Security Emergency Management saying that the fire and lockdown drills are going well and because of the good weather, they remain on schedule. Rauchebach also explained that there is a new state regulation that requires the District to email parents to announce upcoming lockdown drills within one week of, and twenty four hours before a lockdown drill.

He said that The District Emergency Response Teams (DERT) have met and reviewed recent, unfortunate events from Georgia to see if there is anything to learn from it and continue to have ongoing discussions about safety practices with the Scarsdale Police Department.

Public Comment

First to speak during the Public Comment period was Mr. Yung on behalf of Scarsdale Volunteer Fire Fighters. Mr. Yung urged the BOE to adopt a New York State tax exemption bill (that recently passed with overwhelming support), for volunteer first responders. Mr. Yung explained that the act grants a 10% property tax deduction to active volunteer emergency service workers who have completed at least two consecutive years of service and a lifetime exemption to those who have twenty years of active service. Mr. Yung expressed that adopting this bill would align Scarsdale with many of our neighbors in Westchester County.

Three other people took the opportunity to address the BOE about their concerns with the Rolling Gradebook program at SHS. Some of the concerns shared include:

* It has not met its intended purposes - in fact it has contradicted them causing more stress, overloading assessments at the same time and not permitting a student to truly ever know where his /her grades are since there is no way to no how many points are available for the remaining part of the year (even during the last week of the year)

* I want to point out that year-end grades are not always the same, and I can provide you with a spreadsheet showing this mathematically.

* The rolling gradebook actually does not benefit any student. It stresses out and hurts students emotionally and academically who are inconsistent and need to raise a grade or who risk having a grade drop without realizing it.

* It can be detrimental to a senior who might want to provide an improved grade for third quarter to show resilience and grit to an admission officer at a college where they are waitlisted. With RGB there are no quarter grades to show.

* The lack of quarter grades with RGB is also deflating and de-motivating. With RGB a student cannot have a great quarter after having a terrible one. An A in the second or third quarter is highly motivating for a student who did not succeed during first quarter.

* I would also like to ask you to reassess the policy followed by some high school departments of not returning assessments for students to keep. Students who want to learn from their mistakes and improve are not always able to do so if they cannot look at their assessments at times that are convenient to them when they need to study for the next test or a final exam. I appreciate that teachers make themselves available for parents and students to come in but that is not always feasible. Please consider abandoning this policy.

* I also understand that the assessment committee is assessing the rolling gradebook. I also request that you re-assess the composition of the assessment committee to put members of the BOE, PTA and parents on it instead of only teachers who would benefit from feedback and consequences of RGB and other assessment practices to do right by SHS students.

* Please, please consider repealing RGB, requiring all departments to return tests for children to keep and adding community representatives to the assessment committee.

Bond and Facility Projects

Later in the meeting, Dr. Patrick gave a detailed presentation in which he and Andrew Lennon first gave an update on the 2024-25 capital projects which are funded by our current budget. These projects include the high school auditorium which continues to remain on schedule, in addition to some District wide exterior repairs which have already been completed. Lennon also discussed ongoing storm water mitigation, sustainability, and health and safety projects. To see the presentation on the 2024-2025 capital projects see here or for slides from the presentation see here. 

In the next part of the presentation, Dr. Patrick asked the Board to consider a “proposed process that would lead to the adoption of a capital projects bond for public consideration in advance of the 2026-2027 school year, and at some time thereafter. The presentation outlined a series of steps and a proposed timeline as a framework for discussion and contemplation.”

Dr. Patrick expressed that he felt it is important to begin this process now so as to provide transparency to the community and so that the BOE has ample time to put forth a thoughtful proposal. The presentation further outlined one of the main goals as to “Support and participate in the planning and development of a bond proposal that addresses the current and future needs of our school facilities and programs, while accounting for the anticipated decline in debt service following the 2026-2027 school year.”

Details

Written by: Joanne Wallenstein

Published: 18 September 2024

Created: 18 September 2024

Last Updated: 18 September 2024

Hits: 3753

Fallon Krane, Alexa Gallante, Sophie Landa, Jalyn Ryu, Maya Kossakowski, Kay Cottrell, and Sophia WuIt had to end sometime. And it did on Tuesday September 17, 2024 when the Scarsdale Girl’s Varsity A Tennis Team broke their 82 match winning streak. That’s right. The team had been undefeated since 2018, not dropping a single match in six years and winning the NYS title for the past two years.Gianna Marks

Sadly, the young team was not able to prevail over Horace Greeley at home, losing the match 2-5. Why? It turns out that three top returning players decided not to play on the team this year, on the advice of private coaches who persuaded them to pursue tournament play in order to improve their chances to be recruited for college.

So, Coach Jennifer Roane, who has piloted this highly successful program for years, found herself down three essential team members when her top two singles players, Charlene Dong and Katie Kendall and first doubles player Emma Ha failed to sign up for the season. To make matters worse, returning player Carly Alin is injured.

Though many talented players were moved from doubles to singles, and from the Varsity B team to the Varsity A team, it was tough to recover from this blow.

On Tuesday, they went into the match with a 5-0 record, defeating Rye, John Jay, Harrison, Mamaroneck and Bethlehem – in a scrimmage match. But they knew that Chappaqua, a top team in the league, would be hard to conquer.

Sophia Wu and Jalyn RyuThe team fought hard. Matches were lengthy and the second singles match, played by Isabel Lin went to a tiebreaker. It was close to 6 pm and getting dark before everyone left the court.

There were some bright spots. Returning player Gianna Marks, who played third singles last year, is now playing first singles. She hit deep shots and fierce overheads to win that match 6-3, 6-3.

And in second singles, after long and powerful exchanges from the baseline, Isable Lin won the first set 6-3, dropped the second 4-6, but triumphed with a score of 11-9 in the tiebreaker.

But for third singles player, and former doubles champ Kay Cottrell the match was a disappointment, falling 2-6, 1-6 to her opponent. The same score was reported on the first doubles court where returning players Jalyn Ryu and Sophia Wu, two who are not used to losing, did not prevail.

Also fighting it out in second doubles were juniors Sophie Landa and Maya Kossakowski who ran their opponents around but failed to take it to the finish line, with a score of 2-6, 3-6.Jalyn Ryu and Kay Cottrell

Playing third doubles were seniors Phoebe Flaster and Emily Hyman and in fourth, were juniors Fallon Krane and Alex Gallante who said they could use more experience playing together.

The girls will have a chance to come back with they play Chappaqua again in two weeks. Coach Roane remained upbeat, saying, “The girls gave 100 percent at the match. The loss has motivated to beat them when we see them in 2 weeks.”

Sophie Landa and Maya Kossakowski