District Officials Clarify Appearance on State List
Seeking to end any confusion among community residents about the publication of a state school improvement list, Huntington School District officials said the district as a whole is designated "in good standing."
Huntington High School was placed on the state's "needs improvement" list as a result of a limited group of students within the school not meeting state proficiency standards on ELA and Math Regents exams. Student groups not meeting state goals included those in special education and Hispanic and economically disadvantaged students. The numbers of students in these groups range from 32 to 50 and some students are counted in more than one group.
The federal No Child Left Behind Act divides school enrollments into a variety of sub-groups for reporting purposes, including children with disabilities, limited English proficiency, racial minorities and children from low-income families.
"Because we failed to make annual yearly progress for two years in a row, we are on the 'needs improvement' list," said Marybeth Robinette, district director of math and testing. A delegation of Huntington School District officials is scheduled to be in Albany this week to review improvement planning and reporting requirements.
School officials said the district's teachers and administrators are working with students who are not meeting standards in an all-out effort to improve their performance.
However, officials want residents to know that the high school's "needs improvement" designation does not mean the majority of Huntington High School's students are not doing well academically. Most students are well on their way to graduating with Regents and Advanced Regents diplomas.
"It's unfortunate that people might see Huntington High School mentioned in an article and jump to the conclusion that it is a failing school; it isn't," Superintendent John J. Finello said. "It is a wonderful school, with outstanding academic and co-curricular programs, fine teachers and exceptional students who enrolled in the most challenging courses offered at any high school. Each year our seniors are admitted to some of the finest colleges and universities in the country."