Superintendent: Low State Test Scores a Result of Focus on Challenging Students

The science Regents exam scores of Harrison High School students in 2008 and 2009 were significantly lower than those of students in neighboring districts, according to a New York State report. But Harrison Superintendent Louis Wool says district administrators are striving toward goals that aren't entirely statistical.

"We're dissatisfied that Regents exams are viewed as the ultimate assessment of whether or not a child is successful," Wool explained. "We're trying to build in another set of assessments that we think could be more valuable than a one-time, high-pressure, high-stakes exam."

According to the New York State School Report Card Comprehensive Information Report (NYSSRCCI), in 2008-09, 35 percent of Harrison students taking the biology Regents exam scored an 85 percent or higher. The rate of Rye high schoolers was 73 percent and in Scarsdale and Mamaroneck, the rates were 72 percent and 60 percent, respectively.

Wool said that the district is foresaking high science Regents statistics in order to give more special education students the opportunity to earn Regents diplomas.

This has resulted in a broader range of students receiving a Regents diploma. From 2007 - 09, the percentage of Harrison students with learning disabilities who earned Regents diplomas increased 12 percent.

"We know that our results on science exams may not look good, but we also know we have a larger responsibility to special education kids," Wool said.

The district says it has focused on encouraging more special education students to take earth science and chemistry courses, though 15 percent of special education students taking the biology Regents in Harrison in 2009 was comparable the 12 percent rate in Rye, Scarsdale and Mamaroneck.

But the increase of Harrison special education students taking the earth science Regents is more pronounced, according to Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction Michael Greenfield, who said there were 30 special education students taking earth science last year out of 69 total students.

In 2009, 32 percent of earth science test-takers in Harrison were considered learning disabled, while the rates in Scarsdale and Rye were 23 percent and 18 percent, respectively.

But the differential in numbers is striking. Only 54 percent of Harrison students taking the exam scored a 65 percent or higher, compared to rates above 92 percent in both Rye and Scarsdale.

Wool said of the district's efforts: "It's our attempt to steer kids, essentially special education students who are struggling learners, toward lab sciences so they can qualify for a Regents diploma." 

Though Harrison special education students taking earth science outnumbered students in neighboring districts, the number of students sitting for the chemistry Regents was less pronounced.

On the chemistry Regents, Harrison and Mamaroneck special education students made up 2 percent of chemistry Regents test-takers, while in Scarsdale and Rye, the rate was 1 percent.

Despite these statistical similarities, Wool said that the district's goal is less about achieving high test scores across the board than it is about challenging all students to their maximum capacity.

"Our purpose is to expose more and more kids to more and more rigor," he said. "But then the question is are you somehow disenfranchising the top."

That effort can be seen in the number of students taking Advanced Placement (AP) exams, one of Harrison's highly-publicized accomplishments since Wool came to the district in 2002. Since 2001, Harrison has made significant strides in the numbers of students taking AP exams.

Greenfield said that 20 Harrison students passed a minimum of three AP exams in 2001, distinguishing them as AP scholars. By 2010, 97 students were named AP scholars.

Despite this accomplishment over the past decade, Wool said that the district encourages kids who aren't likely to pass AP exams to still take the courses. To further this effort, students aren't required to take placement or entrance exams in order to take AP courses.

"We encourage kids who struggle in AP classes to take AP exams," Wool said.

"We also want to see kids who might take one or two AP courses and score a one or two on the exams," he explained. "The research we have done shows that exposure of AP classes makes students more likely to go on to finish four years of college."

In 2001, 180 AP exams were taken in total. In 2010, 1,046 exams were taken by Harrison students.
 
By challenging both high-achieving and special education students with rigorous coursework, Wool said that Harrison students are more likely to be well-prepared for college and future careers.

"We like to believe we're practicing what is the purpose of public education," he said.