Bengal News reporters
To combat the rash of recent West Side schools placed on the New York State Department of Educations ‘Schools In Need of Improvement List’, Upgrade Academics opened a new location November 1 on Lafayette Street.
The program, which is funded by the No Child Left Behind Act, started off with a focus on teaching students basic reading, writing and math skills.
Today, Upgrade Academics has grown into one of Buffalo’s largest supplemental education service providers and has expanded its services to provide West Side students with SAT preparation, daycare and summer camp.
The primary office of Upgrade Academics is in Williamsville, but it has have facilities all over Western New York. Four of the nine locations are on the West Side where students of Buffalo Public Schools schools consistently fail to meet educational standards. Among the deficiencies:
• At Public School 30 Frank A. Sedita Academy, 35 percent of students in grades seven and eight are at a beginner’s level in reading and writing; while 37percent are considered to be at an intermediate level.
• At Public School 18 Dr. Antonia Pantoja Community School of Academic Excellence, grades four and five struggle to reach the learning standards in English.
•At Public School 45 International School, grades three, four, five and eight partially met the learning standards in English and in math.
“The kids at Upgrade Academics attend some of the worst schools in Buffalo,” said Kristen Shaffer, a tutor for Upgrade Academics. “Just meaning, test score wise, where the schools are, where they’re supposed to be isn’t up to par.”
More from Upgrade Academics tutor Kristen Shaffer:
Once schools are placed on the Schools In Need of Improvement list they become eligible to receive outside aid from non-profit organizations such as Upgrade Academics.
Shaffer has worked with students on both the East and West Sides.
Through her work she said she has noticed that the family makeup of the students from both communities impact their learning styles. For this reason, Schaffer said, courses are individually tailored to meet student’s needs.
Edited by Mike Gambini and John Patrissi
Since the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, there has been controversy over whether this congressional act has been success or if it has been an epic failure. Sides for and against the act have valid points that have made it a heated debate in society.
ReplyDeleteOpponents say one reason the program has failed is because the success of students is only measured by multiple-choice reading and math tests. Teachers fear that if they don’t receive the necessary numbers they may lose their job so they begin only teaching “to the test”. When teachers revolve their curriculum around these particular tests, it creates a deficiency in the child’s ability to receive a well-rounded education.
Those in favor of the act argue student test scores have been increasing ever since the act took effect in 2002. The overall achievement gap between minority and Caucasian students has seen a steady decrease. According to a report done by Carleton College, 450,000 eligible students have received free educational services or a public school choice since the law was enacted. The individual testing has allowed schools to be aware of who needs the extra help and in what areas. -- Ashley Brown