State ed department releases test scores

The state’s education department released the test results of the English language arts and mathematic exams for students in grades three through eight.

Figures for charter schools are higher than the city’s public school counterparts. Nearly 50 percent of test-takers in math and 43 percent in English language arts scored as proficient, the education department said, compared to 41 percent proficiency in English and 40 percent in math for the five boroughs as a whole. Both are a 1 percent increase over 2016 figures.

In District 10, which covers the northwest Bronx, more than 23,000 students took both exams. In math, 23 percent — or more than 5,300 — were proficient. In English, the figure was 28 percent, or nearly 6,500 students, according to the education department.

Nearly 1 million students took the exams across the state. This year, approximately 19 percent of parents opted their children out, a 2 percent drop from 2016.

Ed department funds dropout prevention

The state’s education department awarded more than $14 million to 44 colleges and universities to support its dropout prevention plan Liberty Partnership Program, according to its website. 

Grant recipients, who work with students ranging from grades fifth to twelfth, would provide comprehensive programming and support like academic tutoring, counseling and mentoring to ensure that at-risk students complete their undergraduate degrees or transition onto a career path. Each school tailors its programming for its specific cohort of students.

Schools receiving funding must meet criteria like having a partnership with a community-based organization and having a student population of at least 40 percent who are eligible for free or reduced-priced lunch, according to the state’s website.

Educational institutions in the vicinity receiving funding include $312,500 to CUNY’s Bronx Community College and $450,000 to Fordham University.

In the 2015-16 academic year, Liberty Partnership served more than 13,000 students from more than 400 schools. The program had a 92 percent graduation rate, according to the state.

Lehman wants more Pell funding

Lehman College added its name to a list of more than 300 colleges, universities and education advocates calling on Congress to continue adjusting federal Pell Grants for inflation.

If Congress does not keep up with rising costs, the decrease in funding will impact 73 percent of the Lehman’s full-time and first-time students, the school said in a release.

A letter addressed U.S. Sens. Mitch McConnell and Charles Schumer — the majority and minority leaders respectively — and House Speaker Paul Ryan and minority leader Nancy Pelosi, said the grant would “cover less than 30 percent of the average cost of attending a public four-year institution.”

Undergraduate tuition at Lehman is $3,300 for a state residents, and $7,000 for out-of-state students who take between 12 and 18 academic credits, according to the school’s website.