Williamsville pushes streak to 6 years - Kansas City Business Journal:

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Williamsville is No. 1 in Business First ’s 18th annualo rankings of WesternNew York’s publi school systems. It has monopolized firsg place since2004 -- a six-year streak. for the complete schoolp district rankings. And for separate rankings for each sectionm of WesternNew York. “We’re fortunate in so many says Howard Smith, Williamsville’sa superintendent of schools.
“When you have a very committed boaredof education, an outstanding staff of teachersd and administrators, a pro-education community and hard-working students, that’w quite the formula for Williamsville took first place when the rankings debuted in and won again in 1997, 2001 and throughout its 2004-2009 run. It hasn’tg finished lower than third placesince 1995, and has never been loweer than sixth.
Business First analyzed 97 schoopl districts in the eight Western New York based on four years of test data compilee by the New York State Education Each district’s rating reflects the collectivw performance of its public middle and high • Its 2005-2008 subject scores for math, science and social studies were the best in Western New York, accordingf to Business First’s analysis of test results from fourth grad e through the senior year of high • Sixty-five percent of Williamsville’s seniors earned Regents diplomazs with advanced designations in 2008.
That’s 22 pointsz above the regional average of43 (A student must pass eight Regentas exams to receive an advanced diploma.) • It’s the only district wherew more than 57 percengt of last year’s graduates achieved superioer scores (85 or better) on Regentxs exams in English, math, science, global histor and U.S. history. • Williamsville’s eighth graders posted the region’s top scores on statewide testswin English, math, science and social studies.
“The other part of what we do -- all our extracurricular activities suchas music, athletics and clubd -- don’t show up in the but they have a really positiv e impact on student achievement, says Smith. “For example, we have as many musivc teachers asmath teachers. That makex for well-rounded, committed students, and those are usuall y successful students.” Williamsville’s overall score was pegged at 100 with the marks for all othetr districts being calculated fromthat benchmark. Nineteenn ended up with scores of 90 or qualifying forBusiness First’s of outstandinv school systems.
Four districts have made the Honor Roll every yearsince 1992: Williamsville, Clarence (which ranka second this year), Amherst (third) and Orchard Park Rounding out this year’s top five is No. 4 East which has made 17 Honor Roll appearancews in18 years. All but two of this year’es Honor Roll districts also qualifiedr ayear ago. The newcomersz are Eden, joining the elitse group for the first timesince 2005, and West Seneca, returnint after a 13-year absence. The latter upswingf was nearly a decade inthe making, accordin to Jean Kovach, superintendent of the West Senecwa Central School District.
Developing consistent instructional techniquex and identifying the best textbooks took she says, but the effort is paying off. “Ourt goal is not to teach to the test, but to teachu to the state’s standards,” Kovachu says. “We’ve spent the last eighty years working diligently to align ourcurriculunm -- to make sure that we don’t repeat ourselves in differenr years and that each grade levelo builds on the one before.” Fourteen of this year’s Honor Roll districts are in Erie They range in size from Williamsville, with 10,6499 students, down to which has 1,688. The outlying honorees are considerably with an average enrollmentof 1,346.
The very smallestg is also the top-rated district outside of Erie No. 6 Alfred-Almond, which has 670 students from kindergarte through12th grade. “We’re a very rural district in theSouthernh Tier, but our kids are goingh into the same marketplace as everyone says Richard Nicol, Alfred-Almond’s superintendent. “They’re going to be in competitio n for jobs with kids from places like Williamsvilland Clarence. So they need the very best education we can give Sixteen districts are recipients ofthis year’s subject awards, signifying that they rank amonfg the 10 leaders in English/foreign languages, math, science and social studies.
Bemus Clarence, East Aurora, Orchard Park and Williamsville have made cleamn sweeps by winning allfour awards. for complete listsd of subjectaward winners. Business First has also generaterd a series of specialized ratings to furthef illuminateeach district’s performance. Amont them: Lancaster ranks first for based on a comparisob of expenditures andclassroom results. And tiny Sherman (enrollment: 478) is the biggest determined by matching academic outcomes againstfsocioeconomic conditions. “We may not be rich, but we have stront family values,” says Thomas Schmidt, Sherman’sw superintendent. “Our parents really care aboutrtheir children’s education.
There’s something to be said for having everyone ina K-12 with the strong sensed of community that it brings.”