The Ithaca Journal has two stories on New York State's releasing the "most improved" list of schools whose test scores have increased, the first a more general story that looks at schools around the state, the second a close-up on the local schools in the list, including Dryden Elementary School for fourth-grade math.
In Dryden, grade 3-5 Principal Doug Premo "said he could attribute the increases in part to the use of a new math curriculum. The school phased in a curriculum called Everyday Mathematics with the kindergartners in 1998." This seems to be the same curriculum that was the subject of recent controversy on the editorial page of the Journal, with Dryden resident Kathy Zahler defending its testing and use.
Dryden Elementary School students have gone from 59% passing in 2000 to 88.7% passing in 2003, with "the first group that has had the program all the way through" taking the test last year. Math nights and homework instructions for parents may also have helped.
Posted by simon at February 24, 2004 8:06 AM in schools (Dryden)