21 Long Island districts, 30 individual schools on academic improvement list

Twenty-one school districts and 30 individual schools on Long Island were designated Thursday by the state as requiring academic improvement under a system that takes into account students' participation and performance on standardized tests.

All the newly identified schools were in the "Targeted Support and Improvement" or TSI category, meaning they needed to do better in specific areas, such as increasing the number of students taking tests, as required by federal law.

Schools falling in a more serious category of Comprehensive Support and Improvement or CSI, meaning they needed more sweeping improvement, were identified by the state Education Department last year. That category included 28 schools in Nassau and Suffolk counties.

The latest school ratings are controversial on Long Island because they reflect a massive series of test boycotts that have swept the region in recent years. Low participation rates on state tests can count against districts, under a complex formula that went into effect last year. 

Another controversial feature of the rating system is that it measures performance not only for students as a whole, but also for subgroups, such as students with disabilities or those living in poverty, also known as "accountability groups."  

Several superintendents of identified districts blasted the state's assessment system Thursday, pointing out that overall academic achievement in their systems was relatively high.  

Brian Doelger, superintendent of Shelter Island schools, said his district was listed as "targeted" for academic improvement, stemming from academic results for eight special education students. The tiny East End system enrolls 204 total students. 

"They're claiming a sample size of 48 students, which is eight students with disabilities who took three tests over two years," said Doelger, referring to the state's calculations. "My argument is that the sample size is too small. It's ridiculous." 

Doelger added that state computations of test participation also affected Shelter Island's results, because half of the local students with disabilities opted out of testing.

In Smithtown, the interim superintendent, Russell Stewart, said only one student subgroup out of 82 in the 8,300-student district failed to meet the state's expectations, and "that single designation is not representative of the quality of our schools or our students."

Lindenhurst’s superintendent, Daniel E. Giordano, said the district’s Albany Avenue Elementary School received a TSI rating because of the status of one subgroup of students, coupled with a high number of students who opted out of state tests.

In the William Floyd district, spokesman James Montalto said individual schools were in good academic standing, but that the district was placed in the “target” category because one subgroup was in a “potential” bracket.

“We believe that our students will rise to the challenge and meet the state’s criteria to remain in good standing,” Montalto added.

In Albany, a department spokeswoman, Emily DeSantis, said in a prepared statement that the state's testing accountability system was part of a broader plan aimed at increasing equity for all students. 

"New York State is committed to ensuring that all students succeed and thrive in school no matter who they are, where they live, where they go to school, or where they come from," DeSantis said. 

The announcement Thursday marked the latest in a decadeslong effort by federal and state authorities to identify schools with the lowest academic achievement and require accountability. A series of national laws has required identification of at least the bottom 5% of schools in each state.

Since last year, Albany has used federal nomenclature in creating two new categories: CSI and TSI. 

Classifications are spelled out in the Every Student Succeeds Act, which was passed by Congress in 2015, replacing the No Child Left Behind Act from 2001. New York’s plan for carrying out the law was approved by Washington in 2018.

New York education officials like to point out that their current plan broadens the criteria under which schools are ranked academically. Under the old system, schools were judged mainly by their students’ scores on state English Language Arts and math tests in grades three through eight and, at the high school level, by graduation rates. Any high school where fewer than 67% of students graduate on time is considered failing.

New criteria include chronic student absenteeism as a negative factor. On the positive side are criteria such as students' success in completing advanced coursework, along with their readiness for college, careers and civic participation.

One additional criterion has generated particular controversy. It’s a complex formula that calculates lower academic weighting for schools in which large numbers of parents opt their children out of state tests. In effect, the formula complies with a federal requirement that at least 95% of students participate in state tests each year.

The change has raised objections, especially on Long Island, which has the highest opt-out rates in the state. Last spring, a median 43% of students in Nassau and Suffolk counties declined to be tested — down from a peak of more than 50% in 2017, but still far beyond the 16% statewide average.

Regional education leaders note that needs-improvement ratings can have real consequences for school districts, even if no financial penalties are involved.

Roger Tilles of Manhasset, who represents the Island on the state's Board of Regents, said that, under negative ratings, "The morale of the district, not to mention land values, are also diminished. People who might have moved in might not and residents might decide to leave."  

State Education Department officials have tried to offer reassurances that no school where tests scores are above the state average will get an unfavorable rating because of high opt-out rates alone. However, that leaves uncertainty for the other half of schools that rank even slightly below average.

By John Hildebrand

john.hildebrand@newsday.com@johnhnewsday

John Hildebrand is Newsday's senior education writer and has covered school news and policy issues affecting Long Island for more than 40 years.