State accountability system finds district in good standing

Aug. 14, 2012

The Watervliet City School District and all its schools are in good standing, according to a newly implemented state accountability system.

    Districts and schools are considered to be in good standing if students have achieved adequate progress on state tests.

    This year, the federal Education Department granted New York State a waiver to certain provisions of the No Child Left Behind Act, and granted permission to calculate and communicate student progress differently.

    In the past, schools with students not achieving adequate progress were identified as a “School in Need of Improvement (SINI), or as in need of Corrective Action or Restructuring. This system of classification has been discontinued, and from this point going forward schools not achieving adequate progress will be identified as Priority or Focus schools. High performing schools will be identified as Reward schools.

    “Our good standing status is the result of hard work, collaboration and individualized instruction,” Superintendent of Schools Dr. Lori S. Caplan said. “However, state and federal regulations, unfunded mandates and increasing expectations continue to raise the bar for our schools. We need to continue to rise to the challenge, and educate every student, every day to the very best of our ability.”