Posted 8/16/12

As a result of the 2010-11 state test scores at three of its elementary schools, the Gloversville Enlarged School District must offer families the option to transfer their children to the Park Terrace Elementary School this year.

The Gloversville Enlarged School District has been identified as a “Focus District” under a new state system being used to classify the performance of schools across the state. Focus schools, together with “Priority Schools,” are among the lowest performing, according to the new designations.

Under the new classification system, the Gloversville High School, Gloversville Middle School and the Boulevard, Kingsborough and McNab-Meco elementary schools have been designated as Focus Schools.

This year, the federal Education Department granted New York State a waiver to certain provisions of the No Child Left Behind Act, and granted the state permission to calculate and communicate student progress differently.

In the past, schools with a significant number of students not achieving adequate progress were identified as a “School in Need of Improvement (SINI), or as in need of Corrective Action or Restructuring. This system of classification has been discontinued, and from this point going forward schools will be identified as Priority, Focus and Reward schools.

Federal law requires districts to allow families with children in Focus Schools to transfer their children to non-Focus Schools. As a result, families with children at the Boulevard, Kingsborough and McNab-Meco will be allowed to enroll their children this year at the Park Terrace Elementary School – the district’s only non-Focus School. The district has sent home letters informing families of the transfer option. Read the letters here.

As the district has only one middle and high school, school choice cannot be offered for those students. Requests for transfers to Park Terrace will be honored regardless of capacity. Federal law requires the district take any steps necessary to accommodate all transfer requests. All special education models available at a student’s current school may not be available Park Terrace, and school bus transportation will not be provided to students who do not currently receive it.

The Focus designations for the district and schools are a result of the performance of special education and economically disadvantaged students on state tests from the 2010-11 school year. The graduation rate at Gloversville High School is also a factor in the new designation.

“The district clearly has work to do to improve the performance – not only for our special education and economically disadvantaged students – but, for our entire student population,” Gloversville Interim Superintendent Clifford Moses said. “While we are committed to seeing that all our students in all our schools receive a quality education, we will accommodate any parent who decides that a transfer is in the best interest of their child.”

Parents are required to complete the necessary paperwork by Aug. 29 if they wish a transfer. Parents may call the district office to arrange a visit to Park Terrace prior to making their decision. Download the transfer form here.