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HARRISON, N.Y. - Nick Lovinger grew up in the Harrison School District and saw the benefits of that education firsthand. Looking back on his experiences, he said he was happy to see his hometown's schools score so well on the New York State math and English Language Arts (ELA) tests.
The New York State Education Department this week released the results of the math and ELA exams taken by all New York students in third through eighth grades in May. Harrison's schools collectively scored higher than the county averages for each grade.
"I think it's great," Lovinger said. "I know they've put in lot of changes since I was that age. With math, I know they've hired some great teachers."
Harrison's highest scores came out of the seventh grade math tests in which the town scored 89.8 percent at or above proficiency. The county average at that level was 70.5 percent.
Harrison Superintendent Louis Wool and the Harrison School District did not return phone calls for comment.
"I was in the Harrison Central School District since kindergarten and I feel that that school prepared me as well as any school would," Lovinger said. "I think my parents would agree with that. When they hear things like this, they know that their money is going towards something good."
New York scores overall weren't as flattering, with many conclusions being drawn that state education still needed some reform.
"These results underscore the urgent need for New York to continue to aggressively move forward with the implementation of the Regents' reform agenda," Regents Chancellor Merryl H. Tisch said.
The data showed the average scores on this years English exams were slightly lower than last years at all grade levels and scores in math were about the same as last years. While most students met or exceeded the states proficiency standards in both categories, overall performance remained low and the gaps in achievement persist, according to a press release from the education department.
The full results by town can be seen by clicking here for math and here for English. Click here for the county results for math and here for county results for English.
How do you feel about the overall results? Do you think Harrison tax payers got their money's worth by scoring higher than the county averages? Tell us what you think on Facebook and Twitter.
E-mail town reporter Phil Corso at PCorso@TheDailyHarrison.com.
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