Thursday, April 23, 2015

Fiscal Policy Institute calls New York state the cause of failing schools

Posted on March 17, 2015 | By Brittany Horn   
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Less than a month after Gov. Andrew Cuomo released his report on New York's "failing schools," the Fiscal Policy Institute released its own report, citing New York as the real cause of struggling schools across the state.
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Due to a continued lack of adequate funding and the high ratio of students living in poverty, the institute said it should come as no surprise to the governor that these schools continue to perform at low levels, scoring in the bottom 5 percent in student proficiency tests or posting low graduation rates. If the state wants to see a real change, the institute said it needs to increase funding to K-12 schools, make universal pre-kindergarten available to all families seeking care and improve the resources available to families living in poverty.
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"Proposals such as requiring teacher evaluations to be based on test scores and the promotion of charter schools fail to directly address the educational challenges faced by low-income students," according to the report. "Teachers cannot control the backgrounds of their students, and they cannot overcome the resulting disadvantages on their own."
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The report lists poverty as the main contributor to low school performance, citing the following statistics:
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    Students live in communities among the poorest in the state "with the least resources to improve local schools." In districts with priority schools, three times as many school age children live in poverty than in average New York school districts.
    More than 75 percent of students in priority districts qualify for the free or reduced lunch program.
    More than 90 percent of students in priority schools are minority students, who may not be proficient in English or come from families with high levels of unemployment and poverty.
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The institute's report is also critical of the way state aid is awarded to school districts across the state, noting the funding that has not yet been restored since the Gap Elimination Adjustment was enacted during the recession. The report notes that Cuomo's proposal for the upcoming year fails to adequately address these funding deficits.
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"The Governor is trying to blame teachers for what is largely a societal problem," said Ron Deutsch, executive director of the Fiscal Policy Institute.  "It's very clear from our research that the majority of children enrolled in 'failing' schools are living in families that are struggling to make ends meet and need greater supports to do better academically."
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