MONTROSE, N.Y. When classes begin Tuesday administrators in the Hendrick Hudson School District will be keeping an eye on one particular group of students.
Students with disabilities at Buchanan-Verplanck Elementary School failed to meet expectations in English Language Arts (ELA) for the second straight year, putting it on a list of schools that are need of improvement. Both students with disabilities and those determined to be economically disadvantaged did not meet the performance expectations in math established by New York State.
Because of the test results, parents of all Buchanan-Verplanck students can request a transfer to the other two elementary schools in the district, Furnace Woods and Frank G. Lindsey.
District Spokesman Rick McCormick said the district is working to alleviate parent concerns. He said while only students with disabilities were seen as underperforming, the consequences affect all the schools students.
Because the school was designated by the state as a school in need of improvement - we dont like the term failing school - we had to open up school choice to the entire school, McCormack said.
Initially, parents of 51 students asked for transfers. However, only 41 decided to take them, McCormack said. He said no staff was transferred and no additional staff was hired to accommodate the student transfers.
Because of the changes, class lists for all three elementary schools were mailed out a week later than usual.
Students with disabilities at Blue Mountain Middle School also fell below the new standard in both ELA and mathematics. Because the mathematics deficiency is new at Buchanan-Verplanck, and both subject deficiencies are new at Blue Mountain, the schools were given a year to increase performance.
While we had hoped for stronger results, we had already begun planning additional support for students and staff to further enhance instruction for all students, said Superintendent Daniel McCann.
Hendrick Hudson Board of Education President Marion Walsh said the district will offer additional support for students with disabilities. There are more economically disadvantaged students in that school than in the other elementary schools, which provided additional challenges to the district, Walsh added.
"Nobody blames the students or the school, this is a district challenge," Walsh said.
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