School District, Parent Group at Odds Over 'Tracking'

The Harrison Central School District honored 121 advanced placement scholars in 2010, a 505 percent increase from just nine years ago. But a group of concerned parents say the accomplishment has cost the district in other ways during that span.

That group is calling for a return to tracking, a process in which students must meet certain grade requirements to take advanced level classes. Harrison's schools abandoned structured tracking years ago, and have seen more students taking advanced classes in each of the last eight years.

But some parents say the district is pushing students into A.P. classes, setting them up for failure while at the same time inhibiting the more advanced students from reaching their full potential. The current practice in Harrison, these parents say, has led to lower average SAT and A.P. test scores.

On Jan. 19, the parent group hosted a public meeting at the to voice their concerns. According to Robert Piliero, a speaker for the group, about half of Harrison students who take advanced placement tests fail them. He also speculates that even fewer achieve scores high enough to receive recognition from colleges.

Although Piliero said he supports giving each student a fair shot, he believes that the open enrollment policy is hurting the school's reputation with colleges and families considering moving into the district.

"Why get rid of the system that basically has been for many, many, years used and is continued to be used in the high-performing school districts?" Piliero said.

The board of education, meanwhile, says opening A.P. classes has created a more enriching classroom experience while providing each student with an equal opportunity to succeed. Studies recently cited by the board say that tracking a student into lower-level classes has been shown to stunt their intellectual growth.

"I would never, ever, ever, agree to any scenario where we would put limitations on any kids and their ability to take any class," said Philip Silano, a 12-year veteran of Harrison's board. "If this community wants to bring back tracking, they have to vote me out, basically, because I would never support that."

Several others on the seven-member board, including Dennis DiLorenzo, Paul Curtis and David Singer also spoke out publicly against a return to tracking during a meeting last week.

"I don't think I should serve as the dictator as to whether or not you get in, or you get in, or maybe you get in," Curtis said. "The decision to take a class really rests with the parent, the child, the teacher and the guidance counsellor, and I think it stops there."

Although all students are allowed to take advanced placement classes, Harrison Superintendent Louis Wool denies that unprepared students are pushed in. He says the decision to take advanced classes is made with the help of "experts" within the district — guidance counsellors and teachers. Those people, he said, have a better understanding of each student than a grade point average or test score.

"We help you track your path, we don't define that path for you," he said.

But Piliero disagrees with the method and says the numbers are on his side. When comparing Harrison to neighboring Mamaroneck, which has a similar student demographic, Piliero said his group found that Harrison students score lower on the SAT and that significantly fewer students are attending four-year colleges, blaming the issues on the movement away from tracking.

He added that even if district administrators choose to ignore the low pass rate in A.P. classes, colleges have noticed. According to the New York State Department of Education's annual report card, only 66 percent of Harrison graduates in 2009 attended four-year colleges. Numbers for most surrounding communities, including Mamaroneck, were above 80 percent.

"In every way imaginable we do worse," Piliero said.

The Harrison Central School District disputes the 66 percent figure, citing an internal reporting error. The correct number of students who attended four-year schools, according to the school district, was 80 percent. 

Regardless, Piliero said the current system in Harrison isn't realistic and will continue to hurt the district moving forward.

"What he (Wool) wants to do is have everybody have equal access, and I think that's great," Piliero said. "I think everybody should have equal access, but I don't think that me, who's 5'10", should have equal access to play on the New York Knicks."

The parent group plans to host another public meeting on March 2 to further discuss its concerns. The board of education has opened the door for a discussion with the group, but Piliero said that those talks were to be limited to only a portion of the board, preventing them from being public. Attempts to present a slideshow at a board of education meeting have been denied, he said.

Wool said that the practice of meeting with concerned parents or organizations in smaller groups before bringing issues to the entire board is standard protocol, and that his door remains open.

Outside sources have varied with their overall ratings of Harrison. Last year a named Harrison one of the 100 best public school districts in the nation. The district is also being strongly considered as an International Baccalaureate school, a prestigious honor among most intellectual circles. Meanwhile, an article by Westchester Magazine in October gave the school district a three rating out of 10. 

Wool has maintained that, although important, test scores are far from the only way to measure success. He said last week that the district places an emphasis on the overall learning experience, saying that a student who takes an advanced placement class, for example, will be more prepared for life after high school regardless of his or her score on a final exam. 

When looking at A.P test scores alone, far more students in Harrison are passing A.P. tests, but at an overall lower percentage. In 2001 151 out of 180, or 84 percent of students who took A.P. tests passed. Meanwhile, in 2010 545 out of 1046, or 52 percent passed. 

Wool said that by excluding some students from taking A.P. tests, the district could easily increase its pass/fail average. That, however, wouldn't be providing the best possible public education.

"If that classifies us as a failure, then I guess we have different definitions of success," he said.

Editor's note: Paul Curtis' quote: "The decision to take a class really rests with the parent, the child, the teacher and the guidance counsellor, and I think it stops there," was posted in an earlier version of this story as: "The decision to take a class really rests with the parent, the teacher and the guidance counsellor, and I think it stops there." 

"The child" was left out in the original quote, the mistake has been fixed.