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Dear Pelham Community,
The Board of Education reviewed a report on student assessment data and received the findings of the District’s external financial audit at its meeting on October 11, 2023. Please continue reading for a summary of the meeting.
Student Data Report
Dr. Alice Bowman, Assistant Superintendent for Teaching & Learning, provided an overview of the New York State Gr. 3-8 Math & ELA Assessment data, Regents Exam results and AP/College-level Course Participation from the 2022-23 school year.
Gr. 3-8 Assessments
In her report, Dr. Bowman shared that Pelham students performed well on the assessments, exceeding regional averages for proficiency (scoring a 3 or 4) across all grade levels. The region includes schools in Westchester, Putnam and Rockland counties. In presenting the data, she noted that the Gr. 3-8 assessment data was not directly comparable to previous years as last year’s exam was based on New York State’s Next Generation standards for the first time. She also explained that assessment data is just one component of how the District assesses student performance and progress and is included along with other qualitative and quantitative measures when determining if and how additional student support is provided.
Pelham’s proficiency percentages are as follows:
|
Subject |
Gr. 3 |
Gr. 4 |
Gr. 5 |
Gr. 6 |
Gr. 7 |
Gr. 8 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
ELA |
79.6% |
86.8% |
84.1% |
68.2% |
75.7% |
91.8% |
|
Math |
79.7% |
88.5% |
82.7% |
80.4% |
84.3% |
63.4% |
Additionally, the majority of Pelham 8th grade students are enrolled in the more advanced Regents Algebra 1 and do not take the State Math Assessment, making the scores on the Gr. 8 Math Assessment not directly comparable to those in the region.
Regents
The Regents Exam performance data was compared to the previous year and Dr. Bowman noted that most subject areas had already transitioned to the Next Generation Learning Standards. Overall, students who took the 2022-23 exams had similar passing rates to the prior year with significant increases in the Geometry and Chemistry Regents. The passing rates for each Regents Exam are as follows:
|
Subject |
% Passing |
|---|---|
|
English |
96.3% |
|
Algebra 1 |
90.7% |
|
Geometry |
81.2% |
|
Earth Science |
88.2% |
|
Living Environment |
93.9% |
|
Chemistry |
90.9% |
|
Global History |
98.2% |
|
U.S. History |
97.5% |
AP/College Level
Dr. Bowman also provided an overview of PMHS students’ participation and success in AP and College-level courses, noting that taking advanced level coursework is one of the largest predictors of post-secondary preparedness. Some highlights are as follows:
- The number of PMHS students taking at least one AP course has risen over the past five years with 471 students enrolled in a course in 2022-2023.
- Approximately 80% of students who took an AP Exam in 2022-23 scored a 3 or higher on their exam.
- 190 PMHS students were named AP Scholars (score 3 or higher on at least 3 exams), AP Scholars with Honor (Average of at least 3.25 on all exams and a score of 3 or higher on at least 4 exams), or AP Scholar with Distinction (Average of at least 3.5 on all exams and scores of 3 or higher on at least 5 of these exams).
- PMHS students’ scores exceeded NY and/or Global Averages for 17 AP Exams.
- The number of PMHS students taking a college level course (dual enrollment) continues to increase with at least 422 students enrolled in one of these courses this year.
Audit Presentation
Chris Kopf, a Partner with PKF O’Connor Davies, presented the results of the District’s external financial audit for the 2022-23 school year. Mr. Kopf noted that the District received an “unmodified opinion,” which is the highest level of confidence possible for the audit.
Each year, the independent audit firm examines the District’s budget, expenditures, revenues, reserves and capital expenses and reviews accounting policies and procedures, internal controls and compliance with laws, regulations, and provisions of contracts and agreements as well as the District’s revenues and expenditures. These results are also reviewed by the District’s Audit Committee before the results are accepted by the Board of Education. Overall, the auditors reported the District to be in good financial health with no major findings or concerns.
The full audit report, including the Audited Financial Statements, Management Letter, Extraclassroom Activity Fund Report and Corrective Action Plan are available on the District website.
The next Board of Education meeting will be at 7:30pm this Wednesday, October 25, 2023 in the Pelham Middle School Library.
Sincerely,
The Pelham Public School
