In June 2016, the Common Core Algebra Regents cut scores were dropped to allow for a higher passing percentage as well as an increased "college readiness" percentage. You can find it Here. However, despite the significant drop in the Math cut scores, the citywide "college and career readiness"scores only slightly increased by 2% to 37%. Therefore, it was not surprising that many of the Renewal high schools met this metric, the very low bar of a 1% increase in the "college and career readiness" scores.
This post is about those unscreened Queens high schools who, despite the lower Math cut scores and a far too easy English Regents, actually had a lower "college and career readiness" scores then the previous year.
School...................................2015........2016.......Reduction
Queens Collegiate..................46%.........33%.........-13%
Cambria Heights Academy......22%..........9%..........-13%
Academy of Medical Tech........20%..........8%..........-12%
Hillcrest.................................32%........27%..........-5%
Queens Preparatory Acad........28%........24%..........-4%
Hillside Arts & Letters.............28%.........24%.........-4%
Flushing.................................21%........18%.........-3%
John Bowne............................37%........34%.........-3%
Rockaway Collegiate...............14%...,....13%..........-1%
William Cullen Bryant..............35%........34%..........-1%
Pathways to College................21%........20%.........-1%
Metropolitan...........................47%........46%.........-1%
The biggest and most disturbing drops occurred at Queens Collegiate (-13%) at the Jamaica campus, Cambria Heights Academy (-13%), and The Academy of Medical Technology (-12%) at the Far Rockaway campus. If I was the DOE I would be thoroughly investigating what's going on in these three failing schools.
The schools on the list above has a lot of explaining to do on why their college ready scores declined despite the State gaming the system to show improvement in their college ready scores. Of course, I take these numbers to mean only one thing, the students of the schools are not getting a quality education at these schools. Furthermore, many of the schools listed suffer from high teacher turnover, poor school administration, and a student body that includes many academically struggling cohorts. If I was a parent of a Queens middle school child, I would keep my child far, far, away from these schools.