Long Island Schools Meet State and Federal Standards

Long Island Schools had over 30 schools not meet the New York State Standards for the 2004-2005 school but this year the number of schools rose dramatically. Schools that succeeded this year that had not last year include East Hampton, Ronkonkoma, Mineola, and Valley Stream. The Long Island Schools' ratings were based on New York's expectations of a school's test scores and graduation rates. These standards were met in part because of many Long Island Schools have greatly improved their education methods and instructional opportunities for those students with learning disabilities.

Several Long Island Schools did not attain the required state scores from their special education students last year. During the 2005-2006 school year more teachers and paraprofessionals were hired throughout all Long Island Schools which allowed students with disabilities to be in inclusion programs and have smaller class size. A lot of these changes have been inspired by the No Child Left Behind Act that required Long Island Schools to raise the mathematics and language arts scores of all students with emphasis placed on specific student groups including whites, blacks, Hispanics, the poor and the disabled. The students in these groups should achieve higher percentages of success every year with the goal being 100% proficiency by 2014. Currently around 83% of all New York schools meet the academic requirements of the No Child Left Behind Act.

Among the Long Island Schools that did not meet standards last year that did succeed this school year include: Comsewogue High School, Center Moriches High School, Ronkonkoma Junior High School (Connetquot), Walter G. O'Connell Copiague High School, East Hampton High School, Eastport-South Manor High School, Harborfields High School, Hauppauge High School, G.W. Hewlett High School (Hewlett- Woodmere), Hicksville High School, Huntington High School, Island Trees High School, RJO Intermediate School (Kings Park), Lindenhurst Middle School, Long Beach Middle School, Newfield High School (Middle Country), Mineola Middle School, Oceanside High School, Saxton Middle School (Patchogue-Medford), South Side Middle School (Rockville Centre), Joseph A. Edgar, Intermediate (Rocky Point), Roslyn High School, Sachem High School North, Pierson High School, Floral Park High School (Sewanhaka), New Hyde Park High School (Sewanhaka), Sewanhaka High School, Walt Whitman High School (South Huntington), Southold High School, Ward Melville High School (Three Village), Valley Stream Central High School, and Westbury High School.

Seniors in Long Island Schools Win New York Lottery Leaders of Tomorrow Scholarship

New York Lottery Leaders of Tomorrow Scholarship awards a $4,000 scholarship to one senior at every New York high school paid in $1,000 increments each year for university study. This year Long Island high schools in Suffolk School District and Nassau School District had one senior from each high school receive a New York Lottery Leaders of Tomorrow Scholarship.

To be eligible for the New York Lottery Leaders of Tomorrow Scholarship students must meet the following requirements: Scholarships can only be used toward the cost of attendance at a New York State accredited college, university, community college or trade school; At least a B average, based on seven semesters of high school; Experience in extracurricular and community activities; Demonstrated leadership skills; and Parents/Guardians are not employed by the New York Lottery or one of its contractors.

The following requirements must be met by the awarded student in order to keep the New York Lottery Leaders of Tomorrow Scholarship: Attend a New York State accredited college, university, trade school, or community college; Maintain full-time student status; Maintain at least a B cumulative average, as determined by school; Do not accept full-cost-of-attendance scholarship from another source; Provide program administrator with proper transcripts/documents to confirm eligibility; and Complete studies within five years of high school graduation date.