New schools ‘hit list’ out
State officials yesterday identified 123 city public schools for closure or overhaul by the 201415 school year, using criteria adopted with federal approval this year.
City schools accounted for more than half of the 223 named statewide as being in the bottomperforming 5 percent based on state test scores in math and reading or on several years of highschool graduation rates.
Student growth from year to year was included as a factor for the first time, officials said.
The list of “priority,” or worst, schools includes 17 that the city is already phasing out, as well as 24 that had been slated for major staff pushouts this summer but were left alone following a legal battle with the teachers union.
Also among the priority schools are 11 that were created by the Bloomberg administration since 2006 to replace other failing schools.
The city’s list included just one charter school — Williamsburg Charter HS in Brooklyn — and only one school that isn’t “high poverty,” William Bryant HS in Astoria.
While many of the schools are likely to close or undergo considerable change within the next three years, they could be removed from the list if they show significant improvement in the upcoming two school years, state officials said.
They added that the criteria for identifying the lowestperforming schools were more rigorous than in previous years.
“The state’s new system more closely resembles the city’s school Progress Reports by recognizing growth and measuring students’ college and career readiness,” said a city Department of Education spokeswoman. “We will continue to support our struggling schools while holding them accountable to the high standards our students deserve.”
Working in tandem, city and state officials also put 235 city schools on a “watch list” intended to send more support and services their way.
Meanwhile, 55 public city schools were identified as being among the state’s best, including perennial top performers Stuyvesant and Bronx Science high schools.
Full list at nypost.com