Two Syracuse city schools will continue to be considered academically struggling because COVID-19 canceled state tests that are used to assess improvements.
The state education department amended its regulations this year and said it will not use scores from the 2021-22 school year to assess institutions because fewer students took the tests during the pandemic.
Syracuse City School District officials say this will keep both Clary and Lincoln middle schools ranked at the state’s lowest level of academic performance, this is also known as being in receivership. That means the district steps in the oversee intervention strategies at the individual schools.
Clary was first labeled as struggling in 2018-2019, while Lincoln's designation was carried over that same year from a previous underperforming standing. The carryover was allowed when a new accountability system was implemented under President Barack Obama, who replaced No Child Left Behind with the Every Student Succeeds Act.
District Chief Accountability Officer Timothy Moon confirmed the two schools will continue with the struggling designation until each school meets certain benchmarks, which includes student performance on state tests.
But Moon said the schools have already been working on improvements because the initial receivership designation triggered changes at the institutions.
Clary added an internationally recognized program that combines learning with global awareness, known as the International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme.
Meanwhile. Lincoln is adding curriculum to prepare students to join the workforce or college, known as Advancement via Individual Determination or AVID.
Moon said Clary’s new framework aligns with Corcoran High School’s IB program, and AVID at Lincoln will help set strong foundational skills for learning.
“Early on it teaches kids about how to take good notes, how to organize themselves and time management skills. But really with a forethought of how do I become college and career ready,” Moon said of AVID at Lincoln.
The hope, Moon says, is that state testing will resume at pre-COVID numbers and help the district’s ability to demonstrate growth and progress, especially with the implementation of these new frameworks.
