Frustrated abouttest scoresor your school's Progress Report? Do you wish your child's class was smaller? Parent activists and education advocacy organizations are organizing for change this fall. The "Save our Schools Coalition", led by the Coalition for Educational Justice and other advocacy...
I waited patiently outside an auditorium door for my turn, then bravely took the stage to work on the song I’d been practicing for months, “My Favorite Things,’’ from the Sound of Music. Three judges stared silently at me, looking bored and unimpressed, their arms folded neatly in front of...
A few thousand seats are still available in pre-kindergarten programs even after the second round of admissions, according to the Department of Education. If you have a child turning four years old by December 31 and you are still looking for a pre-K program at a public school or community...
Eighth graders applying to high schools aren't the only ones who should be mindful of the admissions calendar. Important dates are looming for students applying to middle schools and G&T programs for the 2011-12 school year. Here's the rundown for what you'll need to know for the upcoming...
With the release of the 2010 Progress Reportsfor elementary and middle schools, more than 700 schools (out of roughly 1100), including many charters, had lower letter grades. This is a dramatic change from 2009, where nearly 1000 schools saw their grades improve or remain the same from...
It’s a familiar scene by now. Leia, age 4, catches sight of me at pre-K pick-up and shouts “Mommeeeee!” as she bounds toward the doorway where I’m standing. She almost knocks me over with her flying hug, and we make our cheery exit from the building. But then at some point during the next 15...
The city released its 2010 Progress Reports for elementary and middle schools, giving each school a grade of “A” to “F,” based mostly on how children did on standardized tests compared to schools with similar demographics. The city has a tougher grading system than last year, and more than 700...
Dear Judy: I have an 8th-grader preparing for high school. I just received her citywide test scores for ELA and math. I understand the grading/scoring scale has changed -- her scores fell by 100 points. I wonder if this is something other families are noticing and how it will affect the...
A popular Brooklyn middle school, IS 234, made the news last week when it sent a few dozen newly-enrolled students to another school because of overcrowding. IS 234, the Arthur W. Cunningham school, isn't the only school turning away zoned students who are registering this fall. As of September...
When the school nurse calls me at work, the first thing I need to know—and I need to know it immediately—is that Brooks isn't seriously hurt. Once that's been established, as it was last week when a lousy cold sapped all my son's energy, I can then begin to traverse the logistics of how I get...
If you're not already in the throes of a high school search for your 8th-grader, now is the time to kick into high gear. The Department of Education Enrollment Office is hosting two parent workshops about specialized high schools admissions this week: tonight, September 27 at Sunset Park High...
Half of the nearly 23,000 students sent to summer school because of low marks on state exams in grades 3-8 were not promoted to the next grade, according to Department of Education statistics released Thursday. In fact, more students were forced to repeat a grade -- 11,481 -- than were allowed to...
I’m getting close to asking Mayor Michael Bloomberg, or even Schools Chancellor Joel Klein, to sign a letter to employers around New York City, asking them to grant parents in the midst of choosing middle schools and especiallyhigh schools some flexibility – and some time off. The business of...
The Center for Arts Education (CAE) is enlisting parent leaders to join a team of advocates dedicated to restoring arts education to New York City public schools. A recent studypublished by the CAE found that over the three year period from 2006 to 2009, support for arts education in the city's...
Dear Judy, I'm a currently a freshman and I hate my high school. I really want to transfer out. I want to talk to my guidance counselor about transferring but I have a few questions: 1. Can I get the transferring papers now or do I have to wait for the rest of the year to get it? 2. Can I only...
With the first full week of classes behind them, families and schools are settling into their routines. Most new students have registered, PTA meetings have been scheduled, some out-of-work teachers have returned to the classroom, and public hearings are underway to decide how C4E money from the...
It seems that most parents are embracing the new school year, with a similar attitude to the one they had at the endof2009-10 -- optimistic. In our last poll we asked our readers to share their forecast for the new school year. Among the nearly 500 who weighed in, roughly two-thirds are looking...
After what seemed like a false start that first Wednesday, the school year has finally lurched into gear, to the relief of most parents (some I know opted to extend summer until the 13th) and even a few kids–- my daughters couldn’t wait for a return to the classroom and more structured days. And,...
Parents of disabled children are fearful that the city’s ambitious new plan to integrate special need students in regular classes will result in ever more confusion – and may not offer them better opportunities. That’s the message from some 50 people -- including a girl in a wheelchair -- at a...
Last February the Department of Education offered the city's 65,000 11th graders free access to an online SAT prep course through College Board. The goal was to stem the tide of declining scores since 2002 by offering students the free course in time to prepare for the March, June, or October...
New York City students posted gains on the SATs in 2010 from the previous year, in contrast to statewide scores, which dropped slightly from 2009 to 2010. While the city's overall SAT scores inched up only a few points in math and English over 2009, the slight jump reversed a four-year downward...
Q: My son's high school offers very few Advanced Placement courses but does let qualifying students take actual college courses at nearby colleges. Are the in-school APs weighted the same as taking college classes at a a college (even if it is not a very rigorous college)? Or are the college...
On their first day back at middle school last week, my eighth-grade son and his classmates heard three words many have been dreading all summer: high school admissions. “Can you believe they made us talk about it on the first day?’’ he said glumly afterward, unwilling to concede summer’s end so...
The Department of Education will be holding public hearings in every school district on this year's round of funding from Contracts for Excellence (C4E), the state legislation passed in 2007 to distribute the settlement proceeds from the Campaign for Fiscal Equity lawsuit. Contracts for...
The Coalition for the Homeless launched a back to school project to collect school supplies for an estimated 15,000 homeless kids who attend New York City public schools. Until September 17, the Coalition will be accepting school supplies at locations around the city. Choose from a Wish List of...
When the state delayed release of the 2010 English and math until late July, it meant that families didn't find out their students' individual scores until mid-August -- and only then if they logged on to ARIS Parent link. Those who couldn't -- or chose not to -- access ARIS, will get their...
Dear Judy I was wondering if you knew about the situation with some Regents exams being discontinued. I know that only a few language Regents are being kept, and the language I am taking isn't one of them. How can I get an Advanced Regents diploma? Travis As you know, in order to get an...
Middle school students enrolled in K-8 schools fare better on standardized tests than those in typical middle schools, serving only grades 6-8, according to a study authored by Columbia University researchers and published this week in Education Next. Analyzing data on New York City public...
The gods of autism have smiled on us this summer: Brooks's latest obsession is baseball. No more Phineas and Ferb or Spongebob cartoons in the morning -- only the replay of last night's Mets game will do. He knows the teams, the lineups, the batting orders, and he often paces back and forth in...
A second August meeting of the Panel for Educational Policy was attended by angry parents last night, who challenged the Department of Education over the results of the 2010 state standardized reading and math tests. After the state raised the passing scores this year, far fewer students...
Letters to families who applied in the second round of pre-kindergarten admissions for this school year will be mailed by the end of this week, according to the Department of Education. An enrollment official said that some were being mailed beginning today. Families who applied online may...
Q: My daughter is currently attending a private school and is beginning her junior year. She was told that if she transfers out to a public school she will be able to take more AP and honors classes. But, she was advised by her guidance counselor that colleges and universities will value more...
The Panel for Educational Policy (PEP) has scheduled two meetings in late August to address unfinished business from its August 16 meeting that was cut shortin response to a parent-led protest concerning the 2010 state test results. August 30 meeting The PEP will meet on Monday, August 30 at...
The deadline to apply for upper grade Gifted and Talented programshas been extended from August 27 to September 17, according to an update on the Department of Education's website. Acceptance into 4th and 5th grade programs is based on standardized test scores -- to be eligible, students must...
New York is among ten winners in the second round of federal "Race to the Top" funding announced today. After losing out in the first round earlier this year, the state legislature voted in May toraise the cap on charter schools, to help boost New York's chances to win the federal...
Dear Judy: I am wondering how we parents can help offset the impact of budget cuts. Any suggestions as to what parents can do to keep school programs going despite the loss of staff and funding? A parent Dear Parent, With schools set to open in a few weeks, now is a good time to plan your...
Since ARIS Parent Link, the Department of Education's student data portal, went live in May 2009, parents have had online access to their children's grades and test results. No doubt lots of anxious parents found ARIS handy in mid-August, when they were able to log on to learn their children's...
Beginning September 1, the Department of Education, will open temporary student registration centers for high school students who are new to New York City, new to its public schools, or who otherwise don’t have a high school placement. The centers will operate Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m....
UPDATE: A protest organized by the NYC Coalition for Educational Justice halted the Panel for Educational Policy's monthly meeting held last night, Aug. 16. Check out the news coverage at Gothamschools, New York Times, Daily News, NY Post, WNYC, DNAinfo and NYC Public School Parents. The Panel...
A couple of weeks back, over ice cream cones, we told our daughter, Night Owl the news: she will be attending a new school in September. After a lot of puzzling and sleepless nights, my husband and I have concluded that right now, a private school with smaller class sizes -- and a learning...
Students' individual scores on the 2010 state English and math exams are now available on ARIS Parent Link. Families who have set up an ARIS account will be able to find out their child's proficiency level (1 to 4), actual test score, and read a breakdown of their child's test performance by...
Schools Chancellor Joel I. Klein may not use his emergency powers to override a state education commissioner's ruling that blocked the expansion of Girls Prep Charter School inside PS 188. Last Friday, three days before Girls Prep's middle school students were to report to school, the Department...
Manhattan's District 2 may get its first charter school in 2011-12 and some parents aren't happy about the prospect. The District 2 Community Education Council will vote on two resolutions tonight, addressing the proposed 2011 opening of KED Manhattan Charter School, founded by a Swedish school...
Back in November 2009, Insideschools reported on the controversy surrounding the expansion of Girls Prep Charter School to include grades 5 to 8 inside a building it shares with PS 188 and PS 94 on the Lower East Side. At the time, the Department of Education proposed three options -- one...
The last of a series of workshops for middle school students and their families, introducing them to the high school admissions process, will be held tonight, Aug. 10, atStuyvesant High School at 6:30 p.m. Led by Department of Education officials from the office of enrollment, the topic is "next...
Dear Judy With all the talk about professional tutoring giving the edge in admissions tests for selective schools and G&T programs, I am beginning to worry. We can’t afford much in the way of extra tutoring. Isn’t there any other way to prepare for these tests? Perturbed parents Dear...
UPDATE: On August 24, the deadline to apply for upper grade Gifted and Talented programswas extended from August 27 to September 17, The Department of Education is accepting applications for upper elementary grade seats in Gifted and Talented programs through August 27. One hitch: ...
A front page story in today's New York Times spotlights the practice of deciding a student's "giftedness" based on performance on just one test and points out a lack of diversity of students accepted to the city's topnotch public schools. The article focuses on Hunter College High School, a...
Last week was extremely hard for all principals and teachers, as we faced a free fall in our "proficiency" percentages on the 2010 state tests, the most important indicator of success of the city’s accountability measures. And, it will become even harder when parents and studentslearn of the new...
The ARISE Coalition, a group of parents, educators and advocates seeking to improve special education in New York City, this week released a guide for parents on the latest reforms to special education. The Department of Education is set to roll out the reforms in 265 schools in September; the...
How important are your children's earliest educators in predicting their success? A New York Times article ("The Case for $320,000 Kindergarten Teachers") last week argues that kindergarten teachers matter– - a lot. The piece details the results of a recent study, in which a group of children was...
