W-b To Haul To Trash To Landfill

Adaline Burgess 
January 3, 1997 
Adaline Burgess, 93, Of Mount Zion Road, Wyoming, Died Friday At The 
Wilkes-barre General Hospital.

Monday, January 06, 1997 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Page: 





Quality ingredients for above-average schools &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Friday's The New York Times carried an exhaustive report documenting the
quality of New York City's schools, as measured through new statewide
standardized tests taken by New York students. Here are its conclusions about
the secret behind above-average scoresHint: It isn't spending. "The analysis
also shows that higher spending does not necessarily translate into better
performance by students," the story reports. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "For example, at the Heathcote Elementary School in the Westchester village
of Scarsdale, where per-pupil spending is $13,105 a year, 73 percent of the
third graders read at or above grade level. By contrast, at the Pennington
Grimes Elementary School in Mount Vernon, where per-pupil spending is $10,389
a year, slightly more students -- 79 percent -- read at or above grade level." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Hint: It isn't the student-teacher ratio. "The report also showed a number
of other findings, including that academic performance does not necessarily
improve with fewer students per teacher," according to the story. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "At the elementary school in the Westchester village of Mount Kisco, where
there are 12 students for every teacher, 52 percent of third graders read at
or above grade level. By contrast, 73 percent of third graders achieved
similar results at the elementary school in nearby Katonah, where there are
nearly 17 students per teacher." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Hint: It isn't even wealth, at least not entirely. "The raw data show that
most of the high-achieving schools are in affluent suburbs. ... But when the
poverty and limited English proficiency are taken into account, three New York
City elementary schools -- P.S. 88 in the Morrisania section of the Bronx,
P.S. 31 in Greenpoint, and P.S. 29 in the Melrose section of the Bronx -- are
among the top five performers in the state in reading. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "Their students perform much better than other children from similar
backgrounds, and educators say their achievement is evidence that the school
is responsible." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 So what is the secret? &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The three New York City schools mentioned above "share ingredients that
educators say are important for achieving success in the classroom: a clear
sense of mission, a consistent curriculum, strong parental involvement and a
willingness to solve their own problems." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The best predictor of individual performance remains students' families and
backgrounds. "Students from stable homes with educated parents tend to do well
no matter what school they attend," the story reports. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 But good schools without a doubt affect the average scores of the entire
student body, and ratchet those scores above the norm. And if inner-city
schools in metropolitan New York can do that, Wyoming Valley schools can, too. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Quality Ingredients For Above-average Schools 
Friday's The New York Times Carried An Exhaustive Report Documenting The 
Quality Of New York City's Schools, As Measured Through New Statewide 
Standardized Tests Taken By New York Students. Here Are Its Conclusions About 
The Secret Behind Above-average Scores.