SAMANTHA BRIX PHOTO | Mount Sinai school officials went over standardized test results at Wednesday's Board of Education meeting.

Mount Sinai school officials went over the most recent set of standardized test scores at last week’s Board of Education meeting.

Executive Director for Educational Services Deena Williams-Timo, led the presentation, reviewing student scores on state assessments, Regents and Advanced Placement exams.

She compared Mount Sinai’s assessment scores with those of neighboring districts, but withheld the names of those districts. Mount Sinai’s third and fourth graders, she said, placed either first or second among nearby schools.

“Of those districts similar to ours, we’re actually doing better,” Ms. Williams-Timo said.

She compared percentages of students who passed math and science high school Regents exams last school year to the year before. A higher percentage of students passed earth science, living environment and integrated algebra. The percentage of students who passed chemistry, physics and geometry dipped.

A few residents chimed in with their perspectives on standardized testing.

John Wittpenn, who served as Board of Education president for the past 15 years and took a seat in the audience for the first time this school year, cautioned the crowd not to take Regents scores too seriously.

“[Regents scores] bear no reflection on preparedness in college whatsoever,” he said, adding he has made that opinion known for the past 15 years. “My appeal isn’t to get our Regents scores higher; my appeal is to make our kids betters writers.”

One woman questioned the accuracy of standardized tests, saying her son does well in school throughout the year, but gets low grades on standardized tests.

Ms. Williams-Timo said some students inevitably struggle when taking tests.

“There are a lot of individual variables that can affect a student that day,” Ms. Williams-Timo said. “That’s why you can’t bank on one test score.”

Regardless, Ms. Williams-Timo said school officials are aiming to increase student test scores as part of working to improve overall student achievement.

“Everyone needs to be increasing and shooting for that mastery level,” she said.

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