Clarkstown North High School’s approach to helping students who scored poorly on the Regents exams has been effective. North Principal Harry Leonardatos said explained the school’s staff focused on four different techniques according to the grade level. Student groups or cohorts were identified by the year they entered ninth grade. 

Leonardatos told the board of education on Monday that the subgroup of students with special needs often does not make the annual yearly progress mandated by the state.  The high school was making a concerted effort to reverse that situation.

The 2008 cohort contained more than 358 students.  One of the goals was to help students with needs meet AYP.  Another approach was to provide additional support for the 2009 cohort of students at risk.  The third and fourth approaches were directed were to monitor and provide supports for the 2010 and 2011 cohorts.

Ten of the 358 students in the 2008 cohort retook the ELA Regents in January because of the scores they received on the June 2010 Regents assessments.  Seven others took it for the first time.  Students were enrolled in Carousel, an introduction to College English or another course to help them prepare.

Teachers determined and implemented intervention strategies, which included writing, checklist organizers and vocabulary review activities. On average, students in College English improved their scores by more than six points.  The special needs sub group within the 2008 cohort increased the number of students earning level 3 scores and decreased the number who received Level 1 or 2 scores.

The 2011 cohort of 129 students included those who scored a Level 1 or 2 on the ELA eighth grade assessment and received a D or F in the first quarter of ninth grade English.  Their counterparts in the 2010 cohort numbered 105.

To address the needs of those groups to prepare them for the ELA Regents, the curriculum for ninth, 10^th and 11^th grade was redesigned.  Scaffolded reading and writing skills were incorporated and quarterly exams based on the Regents were given to track progress.  Other intervention programs provided for students were a homework center, extras help sessions, co-taught and intensive classes.

Leonardatos said there were signs of improvement.  In the 2010 cohort, 19 of the 32 students who scored a 1 or 2 on the ELA eighth grade assessment and under 70 percent for the first quarter English grade raised their grade to more than 70 percent for the second quarter.

The 2010 cohort had 10 students who scored a 1 or 2 on the ELA eighth grade assessment and below 70 percent in their first quarter English class. Five of those students raised their English grade in the second quarter to above 70 percent.

“We’ve seen some gains,” said Leonardatos.  “All in all we’ve seen some gains.”