Keyword: 'exams' | Herald Community Newspapers

The state budget: some good, some bad

For weeks New Yorkers heard rumors that when the state’s budget battles finally ended, teacher performance would be measured more effectively, elected officials would be held to higher ethical standards . . . more

4/9/15

Marla Kilfoyle, a leader of the activist organization Badass Teachers Association, spoke at a forum on state education policies on March 31 at Brookside School in North Merrick.

Parents, educators decry testing at forum

On March 31, a crowd of roughly 150 people, mostly parents and teachers in Bellmore and Merrick, packed the auditorium at Brookside School in North Merrick for a forum on the state’s education policies. more

By Brian Racow | 4/9/15

North Merrick students worked on their math during a recent lesson.

‘Opt-outs’ in Merricks increase during math exams

Sometime between when third- to eighth-grade students took state English Language Arts tests at the beginning of April and when they took state math tests four weeks later, some Merrick and North Merrick parents decided that enough was enough. more

By Brian Racow | 5/23/14

Students across the state sat for English Language Arts exams earlier this month. 246 third- to eighth-graders in the Merricks' public schools refused to participate, at their parents' direction.

Common Core test refusals are up in Merrick

When New York state debuted new standardized tests for third- to eighth-graders in English and math last year, a handful of Merrick parents told school administrators that they would not allow their children to take them. Earlier this month, the number of students whose parents have joined this protest nearly doubled at Merrick Avenue Middle School, more than doubled in the North Merrick School District and more than tripled in the Merrick School District. more

By Brian Racow | 4/17/14

The best weapon against breast cancer is awareness

Breast cancer victims are our mothers, our sisters, our friends and, yes, sometimes our fathers and brothers. more

10/17/13

Caryn Blum, the Bellmore-Merrick Central High School District’s assistant superintendent for instruction, said that this year’s seventh- and eighth-grade state English Language Arts and math exams were ‘not indicative of student performance at all.’

Bellmore-Merrick Central District officials lambast state exams

Bellmore-Merrick Central High School District officials spent recent weeks poring over reams of state English Language Arts and math test data for the seventh and eighth grades, looking for patterns in student performance, according to Caryn Blum, the district’s assistant superintendent for instruction and a former Merrick Avenue Middle School principal. more

By Scott Brinton | 8/28/13

Common Core: a great idea we're not yet prepared for

“Test scores plummet.” Those were the headlines about the “seismic” drop in scores following the latest state exams. Apocalypse! more

8/28/13

The Bellmore-Merrick Central High School District honored former trustee Nina Lanci, second from left, at its September meeting on Wednesday. Joining in celebrating Lanci's many achievements as a seven-year board member were, from left, Superintendent Dr. Henry Kiernan, board Vice President Marion Blane and President Dr. Matthew Kuschner.

Central District excels on Regents, AP exams

Before hearing a half-hour presentation on students’ many successes on New York State and Advanced Placement exams on Wednesday night, the Bellmore-Merrick Central High School District Board of Education paused at its September meeting to honor Nina Lanci, who served on the Central board for seven years before losing in her re-election bid this past spring to newcomer John Ferrara. more

By Scott Brinton | 9/9/11

Does passing a test mean success?

To graduate high school in New York, every student must pass a variety of Regents exams. In principle, the exams are a good thing. They ensure that graduates know enough of the basic concepts from each subject to pass a test. In practice, however, the Regents exams show nothing. more

Ross Shulman | 11/18/10

Merrick test scores surpass county average

The State Department of Education recently upped its "cut scores" for elementary-level English and math tests, making it harder for children to pass the exams, and the change became a topic of discussion at Tuesday night's Merrick Board of Education meeting. more

David Weingrad | 8/11/10