: Ignition Failure: Broken Schools Threaten New York State s Revival

Transcription

1 : Ignition Failure: Broken Schools Threaten New York State s Revival

2 Ignition Failure: Broken Schools Threaten New York State s Revival New jobs and new industries are emerging throughout New York State. But the widespread failure of public schools jeopardizes this growth especially in urban areas outside New York City, where 6 out of 10 public schools fail 90% of kids. A critical engine of opportunity is broken. Schools can be sparkplugs, but most are misfiring Cities across the state have faced unprecedented economic challenges in recent years, leaving bleak prospects for new jobs. But there are pockets of hope: The deep pessimism of the Great Recession has given way to bursts of job growth and plans for big investments, with colleges and universities at the center of the renaissance. Tens of thousands of children from Buffalo to Yonkers can now imagine a road that winds through one of those colleges and reaches a skilled job in a cutting-edge field. If their public schools can shift out of reverse, that is. Across Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse and Yonkers, 6 out of 10 schools are failing 90% of their kids. Statewide, almost 800,000 children in grades 3-8 failed proficiency exams last year. That s almost a million kids slipping through the cracks of our schools. In short, these school systems are failing monumentally a level of dysfunction that leaves children with almost no hope of reaching college and excelling professionally. Many of these schools have been failing for decades. So far, there has been little to no public outcry. This is not just an inner-city problem. Beyond those Big Four districts and New York City, there are 75 other public schools where at least 90% of kids are being failed. More than 400 school districts in New York State lack even one school where a majority of children meet academic standards. Public schools have enormous potential to be sparkplugs for the state s resurgence. They are the training ground for the next generation of computer scientists, engineers, and entrepreneurs needed to power entire communities. But right now, a significant number of the state s schools are a disaster. Consider some key findings from this study of public schools across the state: In the Big Four cities of Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse and Yonkers, 61% of schools fail 9 out of 10 kids. Those four cities contain just four schools where a majority of kids are on grade level or graduate ready for college. Severely failing schools outnumber these schools 34 to 1. 2

3 There are 203 severely failing schools outside New York City. More than 100,000 children are trapped in these schools. Children of color pay the highest price for the state s education crisis. One out of every five African-American and Hispanic children outside New York City attends a severely failing school compared with 1 out of every 50 white and Asian children. The scope of educational failure is breathtaking Families for Excellent Schools reviewed results from the 2014 New York State examinations in math and English Language Arts for every public elementary and middle school in the state, i as well as college readiness rates for every high school in the state. ii Sheet 1 The map below represents every public school outside New York City, using either average proficiency Average ELA/Math across math and ELA (for schools with grades 3-8) or college readiness (for schools with grades 9-12). iii Buffalo Rochester Empire State Crisis: More Than 100,000 Kids Are Trapped in Failing Schools Outside NYC Syracuse Yonkers College Readiness Math/ELA Proficiency In the Big Four school districts, there are 130 severely failing schools a staggering 61% of all schools. While these cities account for 8% of all schools outside the five boroughs of New York City, they account for 65% of the severely failing schools. In addition, there are 75 severely failing schools in other parts of the state, where nearly 32,000 children are trapped. 3

4 District Severely Failing Schools Percent of All Schools Students Enrolled Buffalo 42 61% 21,154 Rochester 54 79% 24,344 Syracuse 23 72% 15,092 Yonkers 11 28% 8,486 All other districts 73 3% 31,021 Total outside of New York City 203 7% 100,097 Using the same criteria, there are also about 148,000 students attending 385 severely failing public schools in New York City. iv That brings the statewide total of children stuck in these extremely low-performing schools to approximately 249,000. More students are trapped in New York s severely failing schools than the total enrollment of all schools in the cities of Boston, Atlanta, San Francisco and Seattle combined. v In the Big Four districts, nothing has changed The sweeping educational failure in Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse and Yonkers has existed for years.despite the massive scale of the problem, the performance of schools remains largely unchanged. For example, in 2006, elementary and middle schools in those cities were outperformed by comparable schools in almost every other district in the state. On average, they ranked 693rd out of 723 districts (ranging from Yonkers at 649th to Buffalo at 709th) placing them in the bottom 4% of all districts. vi Eight years later, in 2014, the schools in these districts posted an average rank of 679th out of 715, placing them in the bottom 5% of all districts effectively the same result. This failure to make meaningful improvement cannot be attributed to scarce resources. Per-pupil spending across those four districts has actually increased, from $18,046 in 2006 to $18,730 in 2012 (the most recent year available). vii Nor can it be blamed on seismic demographic shifts. The average poverty rate among students in the four cities rose by four percentage points, from 76% to 80%. This slightly exceeded the state overall, where the poverty rate rose 3 percentage points (from 45% to 48%). And the percentage of children of color in the Big Four districts actually declined, from 75% to 73%. viii In 31 U.S. states, including New York, deep and persistent failure allows state agencies to take over schools or districts. ix In June, for example, the State of Missouri exercised this right and began running Normandy School District in St. Louis County, leading to substantial leadership changes and a new emphasis on accountability. x After decades of struggle, New Orleans public schools were turned over to the Recovery School District in Today, students in this district dramatically outperform their peers in district-run schools. xi 4

5 Across New York State, Most Schools Fail to Help Kids Achieve Only 19 schools in all of New York State help more than 90% of their students get on track for college. At more than 3,500 New York State schools, less than half of students can read or write or do math on grade level. At nearly 600 schools, barely one in ten will graduate ready for college. 52 schools where 4 in 5 students meet academic standards = 20 schools 362 schools where 3 in 5 students meet academic standards 1,068 schools where 2 in 5 students meet academic standards 1,592 schools where 1 in 5 students meet academic standards 1,304 schools where fewer than 1 in 5 students meet academic standards 5

6 Buffalo Sheet 1 Buffalo Schools Average ELA/Math severely failing schools 61% of schools 21,154 children College Readiness Math/ELA Proficiency Demographics Children of Color Severely Failing (<10% passing) 20% Moderately Failing (11 50% passing) 80% 39% 61% 67% Good Schools (>50% passing) 33% African-American / Hispanic White / Asian Poverty Students receiving free or reduced-price lunch 13% 19% 87% 81% 66% 34% Above poverty level 6

7 The City of Buffalo has achieved remarkable economic gains in recent years, with the unemployment rate falling from 8.2% in September 2009 to 5.7% in September xii The Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, a $375 million facility slated to open in 2016, promises further acceleration. xiii In South Buffalo, $225 million in state funds have been dedicated for a clean energy and hightech business hub at the former Republic Steel site. xiv These facilities will build on other developments, such as Larkin Square, which have brought life to the city in recent years. xv Yet Buffalo s public school system threatens to undercut the ability of local residents to seize newly created opportunities. The district ranked 697th in its math and English scores out of 715 districts in 2014, despite spending $18,971 per student. There are 42 public schools in Buffalo (61% of all schools) where 9 out of 10 kids are being failed. These schools enroll more than 21,000 children. Of those 21,000 students, about 16,500 are African-American or Hispanic. Children of color in Buffalo have a 67% chance of attending a severely failing school, compared to a 41% chance for white and Asian children. There are only two schools in the city where at least half the students meet state academic standards or are college ready: PS 64 Frederick Law Olmsted, a gifted and talented program, and the City Honors School at Fosdick Masten Park. At both of those schools, a majority of the students are white in a district where the average school enrollment is 20% white. xvi At 15 high schools in Buffalo, not even 1 in 20 students is college ready, including: Bennett High School (1% college ready) Riverside Institute of Technology (2% college ready) Lafayette High School (0% college ready) Math Science Technology Preparatory School (4% college ready) East High School (2% college ready) Additionally, at 18 elementary/middle schools, not even 1 in 20 students is proficient in math and English. Among them: Marva J. Daniels Future Preparatory School (less than 1% proficient) Harriet Ross Tubman Academy (1% proficient) Community School #53 (2% proficient) Build Academy (2% proficient) Herman Badillo Community School (3% proficient) What sets Buffalo apart from almost any other district in the state is that it is tackling its failing schools crisis head-on. The Buffalo school board in particular is taking impressive strides to transform failing schools and ensure parents have the highest quality choices possible. We support this bold action indeed, it should be a statewide model. 7

8 In Buffalo, Most Schools Fail to Help Kids Achieve Only one school in Buffalo has students on track for college. At the other 68 schools, less than half of students are able to read and do math at grade level. 1 school where 4 in 5 students meet academic standards = 1 school 0 schools where 3 in 5 students meet academic standards 2 schools where 2 in 5 students meet academic standards 9 schools where 1 in 5 students meet academic standards 57 schools where fewer than 1 in 5 students meet academic standards 8

9 Failing Schools in Buffalo School District Name 9 Proficient / College Ready Children of Color Poverty PS 42 Occupational Training Ctr. Buffalo City 0% 67% 69% PS 84 Buffalo City 0% 48% 68% Lafayette High School Buffalo City 0% 54% 84% Alternative High School at 44 Buffalo City 0% 94% 81% Marva J. Daniel Futures Preparatory School Buffalo City 0% 89% 94% Burgard Voc. High School Buffalo City 1% 86% 82% International Preparatory School at Grover Cleveland at #187 Buffalo City 1% 72% 85% Harriet Ross Tubman Academy Buffalo City 1% 88% 94% Bennett High School Buffalo City 1% 89% 79% Oracle Charter School Buffalo City 1% 89% 81% Middle Early College High School Buffalo City 2% 80% 78% Community School #53 at #4 Buffalo City 2% 92% 95% Build Academy Buffalo City 2% 95% 97% Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Multicultural Institute Buffalo City 2% 96% 95% Buffalo Academy of Science Charter School Buffalo City 2% 87% 89% McKinley Voc. High School Buffalo City 2% 78% 79% Riverside Institute of Technology Buffalo City 2% 67% 84% East High School Buffalo City 2% 93% 80% Harvey Austin School #97 Buffalo City 3% 92% 93% PS 66 North Park Academy Buffalo City 3% 81% 91% Herman Badillo Community School Buffalo City 3% 92% 90% PS 59 Dr. Charles Drew Science Magnet Buffalo City 4% 88% 89% Highgate Heights Buffalo City 4% 95% 87% Math Science Technology Preparatory School at Seneca Buffalo City 4% 91% 84% Buffalo Elementary School of Technology Buffalo City 4% 65% 96% PS 61 at 171 Buffalo City 5% 92% 99% Dr. Lydia T. Wright School of Excellence Buffalo City 5% 96% 89% South Park High School Buffalo City 5% 43% 72% PS 74 Hamlin Park Elementary School Buffalo City 5% 94% 88% D'youville-Porter Campus Buffalo City 6% 86% 90% West Hertel Elementary School Buffalo City 6% 64% 93% Frank A. Sedita School #30 Buffalo City 7% 87% 96% Waterfront School Buffalo City 8% 67% 92% PS 82 Buffalo City 8% 90% 96% Bilingual Center Buffalo City 8% 76% 90% Western NY Maritime Charter School Buffalo City 9% 75% 78% Emerson School of Hospitality Buffalo City 9% 78% 80% PS 17 Buffalo City 9% 84% 93% PS 27 Hillery Park Academy Buffalo City 10% 37% 85% International School Buffalo City 10% 40% 94% Bennett Park Montessori School Buffalo City 10% 74% 78% Westminster Community Charter School Buffalo City 10% 97% 65% What sets Buffalo apart from almost any other district in the state is that it is tackling its failing schools crisis head-on. The Buffalo school board in particular is taking impressive strides to transform failing schools and ensure parents have the highest quality choices possible. We support this bold action indeed, it should be a statewide model.

10 Rochester Sheet 1 Rochester Schools Average ELA/Math severely failing schools 79% of schools 24,344 children College Readiness Math/ELA Proficiency Demographics Children of Color Severely Failing (<10% passing) 12% Moderately Failing (11 50% passing) 19% 88% 81% Good Schools (>50% passing) 74% 26% African-American / Hispanic White / Asian Poverty Students receiving free or reduced-price lunch 15% 23% 85% 77% 73% 27% Above poverty level 10

11 Rochester is quickly emerging as an economic force. The metropolitan area s economy became one of only 56 across the country to surpass $50 billion in total output, according to figures released this fall by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. xvii Ongoing development projects continue to drive growth. The $200 million restoration of the historic Sibley Building will provide affordable housing, retail outlets and office space. xviii When Rochester s Mid-Town Rising project concludes in 2015, the site will offer the city 1 million square feet of office, retail and hotel space. xix A significant chunk of the city s potential, however, is being wasted. While many suburban schools in the area are high-performing, Rochester City School District is leaving thousands of children behind elementary and middle schools rank a lowly 707th out of 715 in New York State on math and English exams. And the district already spends $18,762 per student, a figure nearly double the national average. There are 54 schools in Rochester (79% of all schools) where 9 out of 10 children are being failed. These 54 schools enroll more than 24,300 kids. Of those, 21,409 are African-American or Hispanic. Children of color in Rochester have an 80% chance of attending a severely failing school; white and Asian students have a 69% chance. A majority of kids are academically proficient or college ready at just one school in the city: Genesee Community Charter School, which enrolls 216 children. Of those students, 67% are white and 27% are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch (FRPL), compared with city averages of 13% white students and 82% FRPL eligible. At seven high schools in Rochester, less than 1% of students are college ready, including: John Marshall High School Robert Brown School for Construction and Design Rochester STEM High School Vanguard Collegiate High School Additionally, there are 20 elementary/middle schools where no more than 1 in 20 students is proficient in math and English. These include: School 29-Adlai E. Stevenson (1% proficient) School 8-Roberto Clemente (2% proficient) School 45-Mary McLeod Bethune (2% proficient) School 54-Flower City Community School (2% proficient) School 22-Lincoln School (2% proficient) 11

12 In Rochester, Most Schools Fail to Help Kids Achieve Tragically, not one Rochester school has even 60% of students on track for college. At 62 of the city's 68 schools, more than half of all students are failing to read or write or do math at grade level. The important skills necessary to qualify for jobs in the area's economy are beyond their grasp. 0 schools where 4 in 5 students meet academic standards = 1 school 0 schools where 3 in 5 students meet academic standards 1 school where 2 in 5 students meet academic standards 5 schools where 1 in 5 students meet academic standards 62 schools where fewer than 1 in 5 students meet academic standards 12

13 Failing Schools in Rochester School District Name Proficient / College Ready Children of Color Poverty John Marshall High School Rochester City 0% 95% 76% School for Business Finance & Entrepreneurship at Edison Rochester City 0% 99% 67% Skilled Trades at Edison Rochester City 0% 86% 66% International Finance & Economic Development High School Rochester City 0% 100% 77% Robert Brown School of Construction/Design Rochester City 0% 90% 84% Rochester Stem High School Rochester City 0% 88% 81% Vanguard Collegiate High School Rochester City 0% 88% 85% James Monroe High School Rochester City 1% 93% 86% School 29-Adlai E. Stevenson Rochester City 1% 93% 93% Dr. Freddie Thomas High School Rochester City 1% 94% 81% Thomas Jefferson High School Rochester City 1% 53% 83% Northeast College Preparatory High School Rochester City 2% 90% 82% School 8-Roberto Clemente Rochester City 2% 93% 94% East High School Rochester City 2% 88% 82% School 45-Mary McLeod Bethune Rochester City 2% 93% 94% School of Engineering & Manufacturing-Edison Rochester City 2% 94% 67% Bioscience & Health Career High School-Franklin Rochester City 2% 100% 69% Northwest College Preparatory High School Rochester City 2% 88% 83% Global Media Arts High School of Franklin Rochester City 2% 95% 71% School 54-Flower City Community School Rochester City 2% 87% 85% School 22-Lincoln School Rochester City 2% 98% 95% Leadership Academy for Young Men Rochester City 3% 93% 80% School 17-Enrico Fermi Rochester City 3% 91% 94% School 1-Martin B. Anderson Rochester City 3% 86% 87% School 36-Henry W. Longfellow Rochester City 3% 91% 99% School 3-Nathaniel Rochester Rochester City 3% 94% 93% School 41-Kodak Park Rochester City 3% 79% 92% School Without Walls Rochester City 4% 81% 82% School 2-Clara Barton Rochester City 4% 95% 94% School 9-Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Rochester City 4% 98% 97% School 19-Dr. Charles T. Lunsford Rochester City 4% 96% 89% School 44-Lincoln Park Rochester City 4% 83% 90% Charlotte High School Rochester City 4% 82% 79% School 4-George Mather Forbes Rochester City 4% 92% 92% School 39-Andrew J. Townson Rochester City 5% 92% 92% School 7-Virgil Grissom Rochester City 5% 83% 89% School 16-John Walton Spencer Rochester City 5% 94% 90% School of Imaging & Information Technology-Edison Rochester City 5% 81% 72% Rochester Academy Charter School Rochester City 5% 84% 75% School 5-John Williams Rochester City 6% 71% 95% University Preparatory Charter School for Young Men Rochester City 6% 90% 97% School 28-Henry Hudson Rochester City 6% 92% 93% Integrated Arts and Technology High School Rochester City 7% 81% 85% 13

14 School District Name Proficient / College Ready Children of Color Poverty School 35-Pinnacle Rochester City 7% 89% 89% School 34-Dr. Louis A. Cerulli Rochester City 7% 76% 94% School 20-Henry Lomb School Rochester City 8% 94% 94% School 33-Audubon Rochester City 8% 94% 89% School 43-Theodore Roosevelt Rochester City 8% 79% 85% School 42-Abelard Reynolds Rochester City 8% 65% 74% Joseph C. Wilson Foundation Academy Rochester City 9% 83% 81% Young Women's College Prep Charter School of Rochester Rochester City 9% 80% 88% School 50-Helen Barrett Montgomery Rochester City 9% 76% 92% Dr. Walter Cooper Academy Rochester City 10% 90% 89% Urban Choice Charter School Rochester City 10% 87% 80% 14

15 Syracuse Sheet 1 Syracuse Schools Average ELA/Math severely failing schools 72% of schools 15,092 children College Readiness Math/ELA Proficiency Demographics Children of Color African-American / Hispanic White / Asian Poverty Students receiving free or reduced-price lunch Above poverty level Severely Failing (<10% passing) 30% 18% Moderately Failing (11 50% passing) 70% 45% 55% 31% 82% 69% Good Schools (>50% passing) No schools above 50% passing No schools above 50% passing 15

16 Syracuse continues to make economic strides. Forbes described the city as one of America s best places for business in 2006, xx while Business Facilities in 2008 called it one of the seven top cities in the nation for a company to move or expand. xxi Examples of notable development include Agrana Fruit s $50 million factory in nearby Lysander and a $220 million facilities project at St. Joseph s Hospital Health Center. xxii But the home of Syracuse University, one of the state s top institutions of higher education, continues to confront sweeping failure in its public schools. Syracuse ranks 704th out of 715 New York State school districts for elementary and middle school performance, despite spending $18,387 per student. At 23 city schools (72% of the public school system), no more than 1 in 10 students is academically proficient or college ready. These schools enroll approximately 15,100 students, who are disproportionately among the most vulnerable in the city: 70% of them are children of color, compared with 55% at all other schools in the city, and 82% qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, compared with 69% across the rest of Syracuse. Not a single public school in the city has a majority of students on track for success. Five of the six high schools in the city have a college readiness rate of less than 10%. Based on their current rates, these schools will produce a combined total of 382 college-ready graduates out of nearly 5,800 enrolled students. Marcellus High School, located about 20 minutes from Syracuse by car, is on track to produce 383 college-ready students out of 626 enrolled. At 13 of Syracuse s elementary and middle schools, the crisis is even worse: No more than 1 in 20 students is proficient in math and English. These include: Westside Academy at Blodgett (1% proficient) Danforth Middle School (2% proficient) Delaware Academy (3% proficient) Van Duyn Elementary School (4% proficient) Lincoln Middle School (4% proficient) In fact, at the top elementary school in the city, Syracuse Academy of Science Charter School, just a third of children meet state academic standards. The next-highest proficiency rate, at Salem Hyde Elementary School, is 21%. 16

17 In Syracuse, Most Schools Fail to Help Kids Achieve Among the Big Four districts of New York, Syracuse has the fewest schools with students achieving at grade level. At best only one in five students is able to read or do math at grade level at any of the city's 32 schools. 0 schools where 4 in 5 students meet academic standards = 1 school 0 schools where 3 in 5 students meet academic standards 0 schools where 2 in 5 students meet academic standards 3 schools where 1 in 5 students meet academic standards 29 schools where fewer than 1 in 5 students meet academic standards 17

18 Failing Schools in Syracuse School District Name Proficient / College Ready Children of Color Poverty Westside Academy at Blodgett Syracuse City 1% 83% 94% Danforth Middle School Syracuse City 2% 91% 93% Delaware Academy Syracuse City 3% 78% 84% Fowler High School Syracuse City 4% 60% 82% Van Duyn Elementary School Syracuse City 4% 81% 82% Lincoln Middle School Syracuse City 4% 65% 86% Seymour Dual Language Academy Syracuse City 4% 82% 93% Hughes Elementary School Syracuse City 5% 84% 83% Meachem Elementary School Syracuse City 5% 65% 69% Dr. King Elementary School Syracuse City 5% 89% 89% Dr. Weeks Elementary School Syracuse City 5% 66% 84% McKinley-Brighton Elementary School Syracuse City 5% 91% 85% Grant Middle School Syracuse City 5% 49% 85% Porter Elementary School Syracuse City 5% 43% 76% Corcoran High School Syracuse City 6% 78% 72% Clary Middle School Syracuse City 6% 79% 84% Frazer K-8 School Syracuse City 6% 49% 85% Henninger High School Syracuse City 7% 51% 71% Bellevue Elementary School Syracuse City 7% 77% 83% Institute of Tech at Syracuse Central Syracuse City 8% 73% 76% Franklin Elementary School Syracuse City 9% 43% 84% Expeditionary Learning Middle School Syracuse City 9% 58% 77% Nottingham High School Syracuse City 10% 65% 74% 18

19 Yonkers Sheet 1 Yonkers Schools Average ELA/Math severely failing schools 28% of schools 8,486 children College Readiness Math/ELA Proficiency Demographics Children of Color Severely Failing (<10% passing) 16% Moderately Failing (11 50% passing) Good Schools (>50% passing) 26% 84% 74% 48% 52% African-American / Hispanic White / Asian Poverty Students receiving free or reduced-price lunch 13% 25% 87% 75% 55% 45% Above poverty level 19

20 Yonkers continues to ride a rising tide of development. ContraFect Corporation, a biotechnology company, recently opened a $15 million office in the city s ipark. xxiii In 2012, a $250 million renovation of the Cross County Shopping Center added a hotel and 220,000 square feet of new retail space. xxiv Today, work is underway to transform the closed Glenwood power plant site into an arts complex that will feature restaurants, a hotel and a marina. xxv But Yonkers public schools are in a state of crisis. Elementary and middle school performance ranks 609th out of the state s 715 districts, in the bottom 15%, despite annual per-student spending of $18,798. Eleven public schools in Yonkers more than 1 in 4 of them are failing 90% of kids. These severely failing schools enroll approximately 8,500 students, 84% of whom are children of color and 87% of whom quality for federal lunch subsidies. An African-American child enrolled at a Yonkers public school has a 43% chance of attending a severely failing school, while a white child has a 22% chance. There is only one city school, Pearls Hawthorne School, where a majority of students meet state academic standards. Students at Pearls Hawthorne are about half as likely to grow up in poverty as kids at the 11 severely failing schools. By contrast, in the neighboring borough of the Bronx, there are six schools where a majority of students meet state academic standards, a majority of students are children of color and the poverty rate is 90% or more. The stark lack of high-quality choices for parents exists for all grade levels. At five of the seven high schools in Yonkers, no more than 1 in 20 students graduates prepared for college: Gorton High School (2% college ready) Saunders Trades & Tech Senior High School (3% college ready) Riverside High School (3% college ready) Roosevelt High School (4% college ready) Palisade Preparatory School (5% college ready) At one K-8 school, MLK Junior High Tech and Computer Magnet School, only 3 students out of 100 are proficient in math and English. 20

21 In Yonkers, Most Schools Fail to Help Kids Achieve At the top-performing school in Yonkers, only three in five students are on track for college. Less than half of students at the other 36 district schools is achieving gradelevel reading or math proficiencies. 0 schools where 4 in 5 students meet academic standards = 1 school 1 school where 3 in 5 students meet academic standards 3 schools where 2 in 5 students meet academic standards 13 schools where 1 in 5 students meet academic standards 23 schools where fewer than 1 in 5 students meet academic standards 21

22 Failing Schools in Yonkers School District Name Proficient / College Ready Children of Color Poverty Gorton High School Yonkers City 2% 89% 92% Saunders Trades & Tech Sr. High School Yonkers City 3% 66% 82% Riverside High School Yonkers City 3% 90% 89% MLK Jr. High Tech & Computer Magnet School Yonkers City 3% 96% 91% Roosevelt High School Yonkers City 4% 84% 87% Palisade Preparatory School Yonkers City 5% 87% 88% Cross Hill Academy Yonkers City 7% 88% 88% Lincoln High School Yonkers City 8% 85% 89% School 13 Yonkers City 9% 92% 92% School 17 Yonkers City 10% 78% 82% School 29 Yonkers City 10% 72% 72% 22

23 Conclusion New industries and new jobs continue to recharge New York State s urban centers outside the five boroughs. In 2013, the metropolitan areas of Buffalo and Rochester each surpassed $50 billion of economic output for the first time. xxvi As the region ramps up its participation in the technology-centric new economy, citizens stand to benefit in both the short run (higher wages, lower unemployment) and the long run (happier, more stable communities). However, the miserable condition of local public school systems jeopardizes all these gains. Across New York State, in small towns and big cities, the more than 200 schools that fail to educate their students are destined to put a drag on this new economy. In Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse and Yonkers, 6 out of 10 schools are failing 90% of students. That statistic should be serious cause for concern among employers and state leaders, as well as a source of despair for parents. The 100,000 students trapped in these schools, most of them children of color, are being stripped of opportunity for the future. Without the requisite skills, they won t be able to graduate college and secure a highly skilled job. Too many New York State public schools, as they currently operate, represent a human capital engine that just won t start. The cost of such dismal results is real and growing. Stanford University researcher Eric Hanushek, who has studied the relationship between public school performance and economic well-being, concludes: Higher achievement is associated both with greater individual productivity and earnings and with faster growth of the nation s economy. xxvii Hanushek estimates that for every increase of one standard deviation to test scores in math, the growth rate of economic output increases by one percentage point. xxviii As one example of what this means, consider the Buffalo metropolitan area. xxix If Buffalo public schools were to improve their average math proficiency rate from 15% to 50%, the average annual economic growth rate for the metro area would increase from 2.7% to 5.3%. xxx Between 2010 and 2013, that would have translated to an increase of more than $4 billion of economic activity and all its attendant jobs, increased wages and overall prosperity. Tens of thousands of children are paying a steep and ever-rising price for the education crisis that is crippling too many of New York State s school systems. These children deserve better: schools with academic rigor, highly engaging teachers, excellent professional development and carefully tracked progress. Most of all, they deserve action bold and immediate steps that will prevent students from languishing in broken schools any longer. 23

24 Failing Schools in Other Districts School District Name Proficient / College Ready Children of Color Poverty Jasper-Troupsburg Junior-Senior High School Jasper-Troupsburg 8% 1% 40% Holley Junior Senior High School Holley 10% 8% 54% Mt. Vernon High School Mt. Vernon 8% 95% 68% Fallsburg Junior Senior High School Fallsburg 10% 48% 66% Salamanca Junior/Senior High School Salamanca City 9% 5% 52% Thornton High School Mount Vernon 9% 95% 70% Herkimer High School Herkimer 10% 4% 41% Hempstead High School Hempstead 6% 98% 60% Green Tech High Charter School Albany City 8% 97% 80% Albany Leadership Charter HS-Girls Albany City 7% 92% 77% Roosevelt High School Roosevelt 3% 95% 74% Afton Junior/Senior High School Afton 8% 3% 48% Wyandanch Memorial High School Wyandanch 4% 98% 89% Birchwood School Clarkstown 4% 19% 25% Pine Hill Education Center Cheektowaga 5% 51% 72% Orchard View Alt High School Wappingers 7% 28% 48% Castleton Academy HS of Oceanside Oceanside 4% 20% 22% Nelson Mandela Comm. HS-Columbus Bldg. Mount Vernon 1% 96% 60% Linden Hill School Hawthorne-Cedar Knolls 0% 90% 77% Berkshire Junior-Senior High School Berkshire 0% 70% 73% Mount Pleasant-Cottage School Mt. Pleasant-Cottage 0% 90% 76% Hawthorne Cedar Knolls Sr./Jr. High School Hawthorne-Cedar Knolls 0% 91% 71% Hornell Junior High School Hornell City 0% 6% 53% North Syracuse Junior High School East Syracuse-Minoa 0% 6% 30% Westport Central School Westport 0% 1% 36% Kiryas Joel Village School Kiryas Joel 0% 2% 71% Freshman Center Brentwood 0% 91% 71% Greenburgh Eleven High School Greenburgh 11 0% 94% 76% George Junior Republic School George Junior Republic 0% 35% 86% Martin Luther King Jr. High School Greenburgh-Graham 0% 93% 84% Edenwald School Mt. Pleasant-Cottage 0% 94% 99% Greenburgh Eleven Middle School Greenburgh Eleven 0% 100% 89% Geller House School Hawthorne-Cedar Knolls 0% 100% 100% Blythedale School Mt. Pleasant-Blythedale 2% 76% 0% Arbor Hill Elementary School Albany City 2% 89% 94% Philip J. Schuyler Achievement Academy Albany City 4% 82% 90% Franklin School Hempstead 4% 95% 87% North Albany Academy Albany City 5% 90% 91% Sheridan Preparatory Academy Albany City 5% 86% 95% Ziccolella Elementary School Greenburgh-Graham 5% 93% 25% PS 2 Troy City 5% 66% 92% Carroll Hill School Troy City 6% 54% 85% Alverta B. Gray Schultz Middle School Hempstead 6% 98% 76% 24

25 School District Name Proficient / College Ready Children of Color Poverty Roosevelt Middle School Roosevelt 6% 97% 81% William C. Keane Elementary School Schenectady City 6% 54% 95% Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary School Utica City 7% 67% 97% Cecil H. Parker School Mt. Vernon 7% 96% 96% Pleasant Valley School Schenectady City 7% 52% 90% Randolph Academy Randolph Acad 7% 26% 47% Poughkeepsie Middle School Poughkeepsie City 7% 85% 87% Bellamy Elementary School Rome City 7% 19% 77% Franklin Delano Roosevelt Elementary School Schenectady City 7% 68% 95% Edward Williams School Mt. Vernon 8% 98% 89% Graham School Mt. Vernon 8% 99% 88% Thomas S. O'Brien Academy of Science & Technology Albany City 8% 70% 84% Davis Middle School Mt. Vernon 8% 93% 78% Longfellow Middle School Mt. Vernon 8% 98% 78% Milton L. Olive Middle School Wyandanch 8% 97% 94% Morse Young Magnet School Poughkeepsie City 8% 85% 93% Barack Obama Elementary School Hempstead 8% 93% 86% Grimes School Mt. Vernon 9% 96% 90% Warring Magnet Academy Of Science And Technology Poughkeepsie City 9% 88% 92% Vails Gate High Tech Magnet School Newburgh City 9% 80% 83% Yates School Schenectady City 9% 67% 93% Cordello Avenue Elementary School Central Islip 9% 90% 81% Edmund W. Miles Middle School Amityville 9% 92% 71% Senator James H. Donovan Middle School Utica City 10% 51% 85% Dunkirk Middle School Dunkirk City 10% 60% 70% Mont Pleasant Middle School Schenectady City 10% 53% 85% Gov. George Clinton School Poughkeepsie City 10% 88% 89% Hillcrest School Peekskill City 10% 87% 75% Hamilton Elementary School Schenectady City 10% 59% 94% Lackawanna Middle School Lackawanna City 9% 32% 79% 25

26 i Results from the 2014 New York State Exams in math and English Language Arts are available at: irs/pressrelease/ /home.html ii In this study, college readiness rate is used synonymously with the rate of students meeting New York State s Aspirational Performance Measure (APM). The APM, calculated using Regents exam scores, reflects how many students are on track to begin college without needing remedial coursework in math or English. More information and the data is available at: iii New elementary schools that have not phased in testing grades, as well as high schools without college readiness data, are excluded from this study. Schools with both ELA/math data and college readiness data are considered failing if either rate is 10% or lower. iv The New York City Department of Education uses a slightly different formula when reporting college readiness rates for its schools. For the sake of consistency, this study universally applies the APM as calculated by New York State. v This calculation is based on the enrollment totals published here: Boston: San Francisco: Seattle: Atlanta: vi All district-level rankings in this study are calculated using the weighted average of proficiency rates on math and ELA exams in 2006 and All data available at: vii Per-pupil spending data accessed from U.S. Census reports published at: viii All demographic and enrollment data used in this study comes from Report Cards published by the New York State Department of Education, available here: ix See: x See: xi See: xii Unemployment rates for New York State are available at: xiii See: xiv See: firms xv See: xvi One school in Buffalo, Frederick Olmsted #156, had a 57% college readiness rate, but a 37% average proficiency rate. xvii See: xviii See: xix See: xx See: 26

27 xxi See: xxii See: xxiii See: xxiv See: xxv See: xxvi See: xxvii See: xxviii Ibid xxxix For the purposes of this example, the Buffalo metro area is approximated as the municipalities of Buffalo, Niagara Falls, Lackawanna, Lockport, Tonawanda, North Tonawanda and Olean xxx For the purposes of this calculation, we assume the performance of schools in Niagara Falls, Lackawanna, Lockport, Tonawanda, North Tonawanda and Olean remains constant. Note also that we are using results from the New York State Exam in math, whereas Hanushek uses both math and science results from other instruments to come up with his estimates. This is meant as a back-of-the-envelope calculation. 27