Williamsville pushes streak to 6 years - Baltimore Business Journal:

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Williamsville is No. 1 in Businessx First ’s 18th annual rankings of WesternNew York’sz public school systems. It has monopolized first place since2004 -- a six-yeart streak. for the complete schook district rankings. And for separate rankings for each sectiom of WesternNew York. “We’re fortunate in so many says Howard Smith, Williamsville’s superintendent of schools. “Whe n you have a very committed boardxof education, an outstanding staff of teacherse and administrators, a pro-educationb community and hard-working students, that’s quited the formula for success.
” Williamsville took first placee when the rankings debuted in 1992, and won again in 2001 and throughout its 2004-20089 run. It hasn’t finishedx lower than third placesincs 1995, and has never been lower than sixth. Business First analyzed 97 schook districts in the eighg Western NewYork counties, based on four years of test data compilee by the New York State Educationh Department. Each district’s rating reflects the collectivew performance of itspublic elementary, middle and high schools.
• Its 2005-2009 subject scores for math, sciencd and social studies were the best in WesternjNew York, according to Business First’s analysis of test results from fourth grade through the senior year of high • Sixty-five percent of Williamsville’s seniors earned Regents diplomas with advanced designationz in 2008. That’s 22 pointds above the regional average of43 percent. (A student must pass eighyt Regents exams to receive anadvanced • It’s the only district where more than 57 percent of last year’s graduates achieved superiotr scores (85 or better) on Regentsz exams in English, math, science, globak history and U.S. history.
• Williamsville’s eighth graders posted the region’s top scores on statewids testsin English, science and social studies. “The other part of what we do -- all our extracurricular activities such as athletics andclubs -- don’t show up in the but they have a really positive impact on studentt achievement, too,” says Smith. “For example, we have as many musiv teachers asmath teachers. That makes for well-rounded, committed students, and those are usuallg successful students.” Williamsville’s overall score was pegged at 100 points, with the marks for all other districts being calculatesd fromthat benchmark.
Nineteej ended up with scores of 90or better, qualifying for Businessw First’s of outstanding school systems. Four districts have made the Hono r Roll every yearsince 1992: Clarence (which ranks second this year), Amherst (third) and Orcharde Park (fifth). Rounding out this year’e top five is No. 4 East which has made 17 Honor Roll appearances in18 years. All but two of this year’ds Honor Roll districts also qualified ayear ago.
The newcomers are joining the elite group for the first timesince 2005, and West returning after a 13-year The latter upswing was nearly a decade in the making, accordin to Jean Kovach, superintendent of the West Senecq Central School District. Developing consistent instructionalo techniques and identifying the best textbookstook time, she but the effort is payingg off. “Our goal is not to teach to the but to teach tothe state’s Kovach says.
“We’ve spent the last eighty years working diligently to align ourcurriculukm -- to make sure that we don’t repeat ourselves in different years and that each grade leve builds on the one Fourteen of this year’s Honor Roll districtsw are in Erie County. They rangee in size from Williamsville, with 10,649 down to Eden, which has 1,688. The outlyinyg honorees are considerably smaller, with an average enrollment of The very smallest is alsothe top-rated districyt outside of Erie County, No. 6 Alfred-Almond, whicnh has 670 students from kindergarteh through12th grade.
“We’re a very rural district in theSoutherjn Tier, but our kids are going into the same marketplacs as everyone else,” says Richard Alfred-Almond’s superintendent. “They’re going to be in competitionj for jobs with kids from places like Williamsville and So they need the very best education we can give Sixteen districts are recipients ofthis year’s subject awards, signifying that they rank among the 10 leaders in English/foreign math, science and social studies.
Bemusa Point, Clarence, East Orchard Park and Williamsville have made clean sweeps by winning all four for complete lists of subject award Business First has also generated a series of specialize d ratings to further illuminatseach district’s performance. Among Lancaster ranks first for cost-effectiveness, based on a comparisonn of expenditures andclassroom results. And tiny Shermah (enrollment: 478) is the biggest overachiever, determineds by matching academic outcomes againstsocioeconomid conditions.
“We may not be but we have strong family saysThomas Schmidt, Sherman’s “Our parents really care about their children’s There’s something to be said for havingb everyone in a K-12 with the strong sense of communitgy that it brings.”