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The state Education Department released school district report cards last week, and local schools' performances came in above the state averages in most categories.

The section of the report card with specific test rankings covers the 2006-07 school year as compared with test results from the year before. It contains results of state testing of performance in English Language Arts and mathematics from third through eighth grades, and of science in grades four and eight.

Tupper Lake

"It's excellent," said Tupper Lake Superintendent Seth McGowan.

Mean scores increased in every category from 2006-07 over 2005-06 for every grade except seventh, where the mean score stayed stable in math and fell slightly in English. In all these categories, the state said the district was in "good standing," and predicted it will remain so far the 2008-09 school year.

The tests were measured in levels of one through four, and the percentage of students scoring between levels two and four was higher in Tupper Lake than the statewide average for nine out of 14 tests in both school years measured. The number scoring a three or four was higher than the state average for eight out of 14 tests in 2006-07 and seven of them in 2005-06.

Eighty five percent of the original 2002 freshman class had earned a local or Regents diploma by Aug. 31, 2006. District officials have previously discussed what can be done to raise this number; however, it is well above the state minimum standard of 55 percent.

McGowan said he wanted to raise the performance of elementary school students with disabilities in English Language Arts. The district achieved Adequate Yearly Progress, according to the state, in all other categories without problems, but reached it in this only by using the lower "Safe Harbor Target."

Special Programs Director Kelly Wight said concentrating on improving the reading abilities of special education students will help, as will giving phonics training to all special education staff.

District officials also noted a decline in some scores, particularly in the number of students scoring a three or four, between fifth grade and sixth. In 2006-07, 69 percent of fifth graders scored a three in English and 11 percent scored a four. For sixth graders, the numbers are 60 percent and 8 percent. In math, 61 percent of fifth graders scored three in 2006-07 and 15 percent scored four; the numbers for sixth grade were 54 percent and five percent, respectively.

"The design of the test is significantly different starting in sixth grade," McGowan said.

Another factor, Martin said, is that since these state assessments are not factored in students' averages, older students don't take the tests seriously.

"There is a lack of investment there for them," McGowan said. However, he said, he doesn't think this necessarily means the district should start factoring the tests into students' averages.

"I would not want to do that," he said. "They're not intended to be used that way. I think (the) state Ed(ucation Department) would be all over us."

Martin said she would meet with staff to think of ways to close the gap.

Saranac Lake

Saranac Lake's state report card covers the 2006-07 school year. For the most part, scores remained the same as in previous years, ran slightly above state average.

Sixth grade mathematics appeared to have the biggest improvement, with a 10 percent increase in students scoring between a two and a four. Saranac Lake came in at 96 percent while the state average is 91 percent. In the same category, students scoring between levels three and four went up nearly 30 percent to 85 percent, and students scoring at a level four increased from 7 percent last year to 31 percent this year.

"Last school year we went to a new format for sixth grade and the teachers have worked very hard to be consistent in their instruction," Saranac Lake Middle School Principal Patricia Kenyon said. "We went to three sixth grade teams and they have two teachers for their core subjects - math, social studies, science and English - and that helps them with the transition to the middle school model."

The only section that saw declining scores across the board was fourth grade math. Although the drop is not more than a few percentages, however the difference from the state average is greater.

Students scoring between levels two and four dropped from 94 percent to 90 percent. The state average is 94 percent, scores at levels three and four dropped from 77 percent to 71 percent, with the state average being 80 percent, and scores at level four dropped from 20 percent to 18 percent, 10 percent below state average.

As for graduating students, 61 percent planned to attend a four-year college, 24 percent planned for a two-year college, 11 percent went on to employment and 1 percent went into the military.

According to the report, 22 students from the 2007 graduating class did not graduate on time.

"I would say approximately eight to 10 kids are dropping out per year and there is an upward trend in the state," High School Principal Bruce VanWeelden said. "This is mostly becuase the standards are going up each year and you're having kids that don't meet the standard and don't want to stick around for a fifth year or a sixth year and complete."

VanWeelden said that although some do drop out, much of that number accounts for students that have to make up credits over the summer or students that go on to get their general equivalency diploma (GED).

"The graduation rate piece is something that we are always fighting with and always struggling with and we are looking at that every year to improve," VanWeelden said.

Lake Placid

The Lake Placid Central School District is in "goodstanding" in all the categories tested, and will remain so for the 2008-09 school year.

In grades three, four, seven and eight, the district achieved scores that were higher than or equal to the state average for the 2006-07 school year in English language arts. Grades five and six had test scores slightly below state averages for those years, but Lake Placid's average score improved in both grades in 2007, up from 656 in 2006 to 667 and from 655 to 667, respectively.

Lake Placid was above the state average last year in mathematics testing in every grade except third, where 90 percent of students scored between two and four, compared to the state's 96 percent. Two through four are considered a passing grade; a one is failing.

One-hundred percent of the district's eighth graders for 2006-07 scored between a two and four, compared to the state's 91 percent and 98 percent of fourth-graders achieved a passing score, compared to 97 percent statewide.

As for the future of Lake Placid's 2006-07 graduates, 36 percent planned to attend a 4-year college; 43 percent planned to attend a 2-year college; 18 percent planned to find employment; 1 percent planned on joining the military and 1 percent's plans were unknown.

District officials were out of town at a meeting this week and could not be reached for comment as of press time. School board president Dan

Nardiello said he had not yet reviewed the report card.