No one should be surprised students in charter schools outperformed the rest. The system is designed for that to happen. Anyone who says otherwise isn't paying attention, or is on the payroll. Good for those kids, not so hot for the rest. Let's hope they find the supplemental support they need at home.

The State Education Department released the results of standardized English and math tests today, showing third through eighth graders did slightly better than the year before. In New York City, 46.9% of students met or exceeded the ELA proficiency standard, up from 43.9% last year. And, 60% met or exceeded the math standard, up from 57.3%.

Despite the increases, public school students in the five boroughs still lag behind overall statewide averages. Across New York State, 55% of students met or exceeded the English proficiency, and 65% did so in math.

The results also found New York City charter school students outpaced the progress made in non-charter schools. Charter student math proficiency increased from 68.5% to 72% this year. And English proficiency increased from 44.5% to 51.5%. What do you say?

Is the rise in New York City test scores a reason to celebrate? Why do you think students in the five boroughs are so far behind their counterparts upstate? Does the success of charter school students justify an expansion of more privately run, taxpayer-funded schools?

Send your thoughts using the link above.

I guess people should be happy that almost half the students in non-charter schools can read at or above level, and 60 percent can do math at the proper level. That means by the time they get to high school they won't be able to comprehend what they are given to read, but they will be able to properly figure out the average of their failing grades. As for the charter schools doing better, well to use a sports analogy if you take the US Olympic Basketball team and put them up against an NBA D-League team most of the time the top tier player will out perform their counterparts. The charter schools get to pick and choose who they take, so they are working with a whole different pool of students that may not have a lot of the issues other students have that affect their learning experience.

As for why the City is doing worse than the rest of the state, well it is larger version of the game the Mayor plays via the charter schools. It is common knowledge that the city gets short-changed in every area by the state, despite generating more money than many other regions. This is mostly due to the notion that New York City is a haven for minorities, and whether anyone will admit it or not the white Upstate population could care less if most city dwellers live or die. So basically after the state throws scrap money at the city school system and tell them to make do, the Mayor then takes that money and distributes it unevenly to his pet project, thus leaving those not deemed worthy of going to charter schools to get something that is a level below a sub-standard education at this point. And with all the screaming politicians like to do about how tax-payer money is spent, why is no one saying anything about this multilevel, class system based education that gives a separate and unequal education to mostly low-income, minority students?

RL
The Bronx

Charter schools cherry pick their students. It proves nothing other than that when you cherry pick students, results will be better than overall. Is the rise in New York City test scores a reason to celebrate? No. Its just one year and the difference is likely not statistically significant. Why do you think students in the five boroughs are so far behind their counterparts upstate? NYC schools are not properly funded. Does the success of charter school students justify an expansion of more privately run, taxpayer-funded schools? No.

Ira G.

John,

The reason NYC students lag behind is the Great Mayor of Dumbafication who knows nothing about education or schooling.

Joe
Port Richmond, SI

ENGLISH, MATH TEST SCORES RISE SLIGHTLY; CHARTER SCHOOLS PERFORM BETTER. LOOK OVER THERE, A UNICORN RIDDEN BY A GENIE!

JOE, BAY TERRACE

Hi John,

Of course this is just another setup as far as scores and polls go. So now we are to be impressed by these scores and that should think they can make us sway to voting in favor of the Charter Schools. Meanwhile these Charter Schools are just money makers for Bloomberg's cronies. Why even ask us since we have no say in anything. The last word is always what the dictator wants and gets. If he is looking to save money he should get rid of all of these panels that are nothing but a farce since the dictator always gets the final say. So why play games? I tell you our patience is getting very slim.

Thank you John,
maxxiee
mp

There's hardly anything in education this Mayor has done that's worth celebrating - these latest scores included.

I work in my Kindergarten class each year anxiously waiting for the standardized testing to reach my 4 year olds. And when we get those results, Mr. Mayor, what will we have learned about those youngest students? Academic rigor matters, to be sure, but will the results measure anything else about 4 year olds? Will the results quantify how they imagine, create, dream, infer, enjoy a new book, wonder, analyze, build, tell their story, learn a new song, take pride in their creations? Will they have time left for any of that, Mr. Mayor? Or will Early Childhood teachers be pushing all that aside and teaching, too, to the test?

Emily
Upper West Side

How can you put a positive spin on the State Test results when it shows 53% of students in grades 3-8 are not reading on grade level and 40% don't have basic math skills. The "news flash" is that it is not the teachers' fault.

James
Middle Village

You call that improvement? Principals and teachers were terrified. They spent months preparing and doing nothing else. Considering how much More everyone prepared, that's no improvement in actual skill at all, other than test Taking skill Charter schools weed out difficult kids. Their improvement proves nothing.

Michele from Manhattan

I am happy that my son goes to a charter school. For One Bloomberg has nothing to do with it. If we had more charter schools wouldn't that as far as budget get eaten up too. Why are there so many holidays for public schools. Charters don't have all those days off. My son is in mandatory summer classes now in additional prep for the next grade. Why if the scores are low the school is closed. Doesn't that over load other school? Classes made bigger?

Crystal

What goes under reported is how many of the failing students from charter schools go by to public schools to pad their stats. Fund education now !!

Carlos

I work for a charter school and have for 3 years. I believe in this movement NOT because charters are better, or traditional schools are better but because this movement pushed both teachers and students to aim higher and achieve more - and we have succeeded because of it.

I believe that our next step is not expanding charters but creating more CHANGE. Whatever is working at all the high achieving schools, like some charters, some on the Upper East Side and some in Westchester - needs to be shared and adopted

Kimberly, Astoria

Students are not handpicked for the Charter Schools. Children are selected thru a lottery. Its an even playingful parents just need to be aware and involved and find out when these applications are being distrubted.

Chris from Kew Gardens

Speaking of the difference with the charter school. My daughter attended a charter school and was held back twice. Kindergarten and second grade. Unfortunately they told me she would do better in a Public School because they didn't have the resources for her.

How can you open a school and not be able to provide the services to kids that need it. I think some Charter schools are only looking for gifted children. I think they need to take their time with kids that need the extra help and work with them and not force them out.

Kecia

The corporate takeover of public education has changed the nature and definition of achievement such that data on math and reading scores is viewed as success. This is a fraud that will continue to played out at the expense of what it truly means to be educated. Test scores are only one aspect of achievement and grossly overrated.

Kenn from Bayside

It appears that the only significant gains this "Education Mayor" has made in his tenure is his personal wealth. The public school system is worse off, vilified by the mayor, the charter schools are his project. Funny thing is that the gains are minimal even for charter schools. It is called divide the community, via education. Our children have been disadvantaged more so due to the briliance of the "Education Mayor".

K
Harlem

It's not the teachers' fault that so many kids don't speak English. Bloomberg wants New York to be a Sanctuary City to illegal immigrants. Does he think the kids come in speaking English?

Frances
East Village

It's a known fact that charter schools don't take under performing children, ELL's, IEP's and known Special Ed's. Some don't even take children born after August 1st in for kindergarten in the year that they turn 5. It is also known that staff and administrators coach parents of these types of children to look to other schools because they feel there child will better off in another school that already addresses these "problems". Charter schools would average the same as public schools if they had true lotteries, zones and applied the same criteria for entry as the public schools do.

Valarie

There are so many resources, financial and otherwise, from funding to educational non-profits, that are dedicated to NYC public school students. With all of the NYC schools closing, if kids continue to fail in surviving schools, the difference must be parental involvement.

- Jennifer, Dyker Heights

I am a charter school teacher who teaches 7th grade math and is part of the lottery and application process within my school. This is a lottery where the school can NOT hand pick students, nor kick students out if they are not performing well. But, as educators, if a student is not performing well it is our obligation to advise parents of the best placement for their child, wherever that may be. My school has a 40% special needs population from the lottery (higher than public schools in my community) and brought students who were on a 10% modified promotional criteria, to standard promotion on grade level.

Charter schools perform better on state assessments because funding and resources are greater, and teachers are not promised tenure. We have to work every year to outperform the public schools so that our charter can stay open and that our principal rehires us the following year.

I cannot stand all the lies that follow charter schools. Merryl Tisch said in one of her speeches at our school that in order for the future of education to improve, charter and public schools must meet someone in the middle. Neither system is perfect, but looks like the city could take some pointers from us.

Dana, Staten Island

It's silly how regular education schools who service special education students get double time for testing but don't actually get double time for learning. Shouldn't they be given the additional services to learn if they're expected to test just like everyone else?

It's curious how registers in charter schools don't seem to remain as full as the student numbers when they enter. Say there are 100 Kindergartners but there are only 50 by 5th grade. When public schools can't turn away the students who under-perform but charters seem to be able to re-direct these lower performing students and keep their own performance appearing high there is something very wrong!

Russell J.

I DON'T WANT MY TAX DOLLARS TO BE USE ON CERTAIN KIDS TO ATTEND A CHARTER SCHOOL. MY TAX DOLLARS SHOULD BE ON ALL CITY KIDS

PEDRO
BRONX

If we required parents to become involved in their kids' schools, perhaps district schools would see greater improvement.

Carl, HARLEM

there is no reason to celebrate because anyone familiar with the scoring of the exams, knows that if the child simply wrote a word, or simply wrote numbers, they got points for the problem. It was ridiculous watching which answers were acceptable for points. We still are not providing a quality, lifelong education for our children.

Why are the City children behind the State? Simple - demographics - We have some of the poorest neighborhoods with many children filling our classrooms. These children have no educational support at home. We have a larger non English speaking population than the rest of the State as well. These children too, although they may know English, have no educational support at home simply because the adults in the house do not speak or read English. They can't help their own children.

Charter school success - They don't educate the neediest of students in overcrowded classrooms, with limited materials for teaching. Charter schools have small classes, money is infused into their classrooms, materials are plentiful and supplies are readily available. The public schools take everyone - no matter ability or disability. Charter school teachers are mostly either retired NYC public school teachers OR recent education graduates who couldn't get a job with the NYC public schools. They aren't better teachers than their public school counterparts, they are just working under different circumstances.

Jessica, Arden Heights, Staten Island