SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC News) — The Syracuse City School District is looking to improve their scores from last year’s statewide ELA test. The district has a history of extremely low proficiency rates. According to New York State data, less than 20% of students enrolled in 3rd-7th grade are proficient in English Language Arts.
Jane Murphy, a curriculum coordinator for a tutoring program, says she notices the challenges students are facing. “Given their socioeconomic background, many of them are taking care of their siblings, helping work at family businesses…they’re given a lot of responsibility at a very young age,” Murphy says.
However, some responsibilities students are faced with cuts into their academic experience. “We are told to come in never expecting an education level or reading comprehension ability of a student above the grade of fifth grade,” Murphy explains.
Murphy doesn’t blame the students. “I think it’s a reflection of how the district focuses its resources. There are tradeoffs of how you use funding. Do you use it to supply these students with two meals a day? Or do you invest in reading aids? The schools within the district face immense tradeoffs due to lack of resourcing.”
At the end of the day, the scores of these tests determine the attractiveness of the district for families. Elizabeth Wimer, a parent in the district, says she decided to educate her children privately. “It is because of the testing requirements and the way that their teachers would teach to the test that we choose to put them in private schools,” Wimer says.
Although her children are educated privately, Wimer still prides herself on contributing to the district. “We choose to live in the city because our taxes go to the Syracuse City School District, even though we then educate our children privately.”
The exams will take place in schools on April 11th and 12th.
