P.S. 8’s Ratings Roller Coaster Continues: From “F” to “A” to “C”

By on October 1, 2010 2:24 pm in schools

The Progress Reports issued by the City Department of Education for the past three years have given P.S. 8 very different ratings over that period. For the 2007-08 year, the school received an “F”, to the consternation of many local parents. However, the report for the 2008-09 year, released a year ago, gave it an “A”. This year’s report splits the difference, with a grade of “C”. As this Brooklyn Daily Eagle article points out, the DOE changed its grading system this year, and there was a higher cutoff on student tests the results of which weigh heavily on schools’ ratings, as a result of which most schools’ grades went down. According to the Eagle:

P.S. 8 students showed little or no improvement in the “student progress” category compared with a “peer group” of roughly 40 schools. (Compared to the average city school as opposed to the peer group, P.S. 8 showed more progress in math but less in English.) Student progress counts for 60 percent of the grade.

Among other local schools, P.S. 29 received an “A” while P.S. 261 received a “B”.

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  • Fritz

    Only a DOE boss who knows nothing about education or statistics would make decisions based on these numbers. But, I suppose he will. If you believe these mean anything, then you will also like “Waiting for Superman.”

  • John

    P.S 8 deserves a C it’s just not a good school.
    they really don’t care about about the kids learning.
    this is why people leave every year !

  • ABC

    there’s a lot of data to those grades. I dont’ take the grades at face value, but I am interested in the numbers.

  • Heightsman

    John – please provide some facts or details as compared to say a PS 29? Are you speaking from personal experience?

  • jesse

    This is a disater for the school and its principal.
    the so-called report card is shocking.
    this school is just not doing well compared to other schools in the boro.

  • nabeguy

    F-A-C. What will they get next year, a T? Because the “fact” is that PS 8 is doing fine. John, who specifically “doesn’t care about the kids learning”? Seth Phillips? Bob Mikos? The teachers who voluntarily attend training sessions? Please explain or give examples of a school where the staff is more involved, right down to Anthony, the custodian. The fact that PS 8 has bounced through the grading alphabet says more about the methodology behind the testing than the quality of the school.

  • jesse

    obviously anyone not in the amen corner is censored. No differences of opinion are tolerated, no opposing voices are allowed.
    You really over-do your moderation censorship.

  • emma

    I heard starting Monday PS 8 students(the ones who opted to do so) will recite the Pledge of Allegiance.

  • nabeguy

    When I went there, I didn’t even have an option. White shirt, blue clip-on tie, Assembly in the auditorium.”I pledge allegiance, to the flag, of the United States of America. And to the republic, for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.” Anyone care to argue with that?

  • ABC

    I don’t care to argue with that. But I worry about that 64.1% are at proficiency (leve 3,4) in English Language Arts with negative progess. That’s not good. Maybe it’s a matter of expectations, but for a long time people have been hearing “wait til next year” as the new generation moves thru the grades. (PS, as if I dont’ care about ALL the generations)

    As for facts, Heightsman, at PS29, 78.2% are at proficiency.

    It also leaves a funny feeling that PS8 didn’t complete their survey online unlike the half dozen other local schools I looked up. Maybe it’s bcs I’m just part of a digital generation, but to do this kind of thing on paper feels a little out of step to me.

  • davoyager

    The “Under God” line was added during the Eisenhower administration and was not part of the original pledge. Seems to violate the separation of church and state but who cares about that any more. We’re having enough trouble keeping the science of evolution in the schools. Welcome to the dark ages.

  • nabeguy

    Interesting factoid, davoyager. I always tripped over that line when I had to recite it, not so much for its content, but for its rhythm. As for evolution-deniers, I can only say that their heads are as flat as the world they believe we live on.

  • PS 8 parent

    I tried to post on this the other day, but it didn’t show up. If you ignore the progress report and look at the actual test scores, PS 8 is doing just fine. 49.3% of PS 8 3rd graders scored at level 4, the highest level. 35.2% scored at level 3, for a whopping 84.5% on or above grade level. This is in contrast to District 13 as a whole, where 12.3% of 3rd graders scored at level 4 and 32.3% scored at level 3. So we’re well ahead of district, and while the 4th and 5th grade scores aren’t quite as high, the fact that it’s the youngest kids who are doing best seems to indicate that the school is, in fact, improving with each new class.