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Sch’dy schools failed to meet target
Graduation rates in special ed too low
BY MICHAEL GOOT Gazette Reporter

   Schenectady, Shenendehowa, Gloversville and Amsterdam are among area school districts that did not meet state targets for their number of students with disabilities graduating high school.
   However, special education administrators say the numbers may be misleading because these students may need more than the traditional four years to graduate.
   The state Education Department on Monday released profiles for districts based on statistical information compiled during the 2005-06 school year. The data measure the percentage of a group of students that entered high school in the 2002-03 academic year that graduated four years later.
   Schenectady had 100 special needs students and 27 percent graduated, which is below the state target of 37 percent. A total of 16 percent dropped out, which was within the acceptable state target of no more than 19 percent. The district also did not meet the state target for adequate yearly progress under the federal No Child Left Behind Act in high school language arts and math.
   Kathy Lupi, director of special education, said the district is not where it would like to be, but is making strides.
   “If you looked at historical data, all districts in New York state are making incremental progress,” she said.
   Lupi said the district works a lot on professional development to increase the skill level of teachers and works on individually tailored plans for students.
   “We want to make sure we’re meeting the kids’ individual needs and encouraging them to stay in school,” she said. “We’re making gains in both. We have to make sure we’re connecting with the students and keeping them engaged.”
   They are also working with elementary school counselors and alternatives to suspension as well as a focus on reading.
   “I think it’s an inherent problem not just with kids with special needs,” she said.
   Mohonasen Central School District had 34 students in the 2005-06 school year and 29.4 percent graduated, which did not meet standards. Only 2.9 percent dropped out.
   Elsewhere in Schenectady County, Schalmont and Niskayuna high schools met state targets. Schalmont had 36 students with disabilities in the 2005-06 year and 66.7 percent graduated and 8.3 percent dropped out.
   Niskayuna had a graduation rate of 61.7 percent and a dropout rate of 2.1 percent.
   Scotia-Glenville and Duanesburg school districts had fewer than 30 special needs high school students. The graduation and dropout rates for districts with 30 or fewer students were not tracked.
SLOW PROCESS
   Shenendehowa Central School District had 57 students and a graduation rate of 8.8 percent, which did not meet state targets, and a dropout rate of 12.3 percent, within state standards.
   Michael Smith, director of student services for Shenendehowa, said it takes longer for students with special needs to graduate.
   “We’d rather take more than four years because we think meeting the higher standards is what we want,” he said.
   For example, Smith said, these students may spread out their graduation requirements over fi ve years.
   The school district has made some changes, Smith said. It hired an academic administrator at the secondary level to evaluate the school’s special education curriculum. He believes the numbers for the 2006-07 school year will be better.