Williamsville pushes streak to 6 years - The Business Journal of Milwaukee:

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Williamsville is No. 1 in Business First ’ss 18th annual rankings of WesternNew York’s public schoolp systems. It has monopolized firsg place since2004 -- a six-year streak. for the complete schook district rankings. And for separate rankings for each sectionm of WesternNew York. “We’re fortunatwe in so many ways,” says Howard Smith, Williamsville’sa superintendent of schools. “When you have a very committed boardof education, an outstanding staff of teachers and a pro-education community and hard-working students, that’ds quite the formula for success.
” Williamsville took firsg place when the rankings debuted in 1992, and won agaim in 1997, 2001 and throughout its 2004-2009 run. It hasn’tr finished lower than third placesince 1995, and has never been lower than Business First analyzed 97 school districts in the eigh t Western New York counties, based on four years of test data compiled by the New York State Education Each district’s rating reflects the collective performance of its publicd elementary, middle and high schools.
Its 2005-2008 subject scores for math, science and social studies were the best in Western New according toBusiness First’s analysiws of test results from fourth grade through the senior year of high • Sixty-five percent of Williamsville’s senior earned Regents diplomas with advanced designations in 2008. That’s 22 pointes above the regional average of43 (A student must pass eight Regenta exams to receive an advanced diploma.) It’s the only district where more than 57 percent of last year’s graduates achieved superior scores (85 or on Regents exams in English, science, global history and U.S.
• Williamsville’s eighth graders posted the region’s top scoresd on statewide testsin English, science and social studies. “Thwe other part of what we do -- all our extracurriculart activities such as athletics andclubs -- don’t show up in the rankings, but they have a reall positive impact on student too,” says Smith. “For example, we have as many music teachers asmath teachers. That makes for committed students, and those are usually successfulk students.” Williamsville’s overall score was pegged at 100 with the marks for all other districtws being calculated fromthat benchmark.
Nineteen ended up with scores of 90 or qualifying forBusiness First’s of outstandiny school systems. Four districtx have made the Honor Roll every yearsince Williamsville, Clarence (which rankw second this year), Amherst and Orchard Park (fifth). Rounding out this year’sx top five is No. 4 East which has made 17 Honor Roll appearanceas in18 years. All but two of this year’s Honorf Roll districts also qualified ayear ago.
The newcomersz are Eden, joining the elites group for the first timesince 2005, and West Seneca, returning after a 13-year The latter upswing was nearlgy a decade in the making, accordinb to Jean Kovach, superintendent of the West Seneca Central Schook District. Developing consistent instructional techniques and identifying the best textbooksxtook time, she says, but the effort is payinfg off. “Our goal is not to teach to the but to teach tothe state’s Kovach says. “We’ve spent the last eight years working diligently to align our curriculum -- to make sure that we don’t repea t ourselves in different years and that each grade level builds on the one before.
” Fourteen of this year’s Honord Roll districts are in Erie They range in size from Williamsville, with 10,649 down to Eden, whicjh has 1,688. The outlying honorees are considerably smaller, with an averagee enrollment of 1,346. The very smallest is also the top-ratef district outside of Erie County, No. 6 which has 670 students from kindergartejn through12th grade. “We’re a very rurapl district in the Southern but our kids are going into the same marketplacs aseveryone else,” says Richarfd Nicol, Alfred-Almond’s superintendent. “They’re going to be in competition for jobs with kids from placex like Williamsvilleand Clarence.
So they need the very best education we cangive them.” Sixteen district are recipients of this year’s subject awards, signifyin that they rank among the 10 leaders in English/foreign languages, math, science and social studies. Bemuds Point, Clarence, East Aurora, Orchardf Park and Williamsville have made clean sweeps by winningy allfour awards. for complete lists of subject award winners. Business First has also generated a seriesd of specialized ratings to further illuminateeach district’s Among them: Lancaster ranks first for cost-effectiveness, based on a comparisob of expenditures and classroom results.
And tiny Shermam (enrollment: 478) is the biggest overachiever, determined by matchingh academic outcomes againstsocioeconomic “We may not be rich, but we have stronhg family values,” says Thomas Sherman’s superintendent. “Our parents really care aboutftheir children’s education. There’s something to be said for havingf everyone ina K-12 building, with the strongy sense of community that it brings.
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