BUSHWICK — A few North Brooklyn schools tripled the rate of students passing state exams this year, though many area schools still lagged behind citywide averages and the vast majority kids still struggled, test data shows.
Schools like P.S. 147 Isaac Remsen, Brooklyn Arbor Elementary School and P.S. 120 Carlos Tapia saw some of the most dramatic improvements, data released by the city shows.
Last year while just 15.4 percent of the 90 students at P.S. 147 Isaac Remsen, at 325 Bushwick Ave., passed the English exam, but 52.9 percent did this year. Math scores at the school also bumped up 11 percent to 33 percent of students passing.
At P.S. 120 Carlos Tapia, located at 18 Beaver St., 37.2 percent of students tested proficient on English up from 10.8 percent of the 156 students that passed last year. Math scores also improved by ten percentage points.
Finally at Brooklyn Arbor School, at 325 S. 3rd St., the percentage of students who passed the English language test doubled, even as enrollment increased. Nearly 40 percent of students scored proficiently in 2016, compared with just under 20 percent the year before. Eleven percent more students passed their math exams than last year.
The surging test at the three schools dramatically outpaced the citywide trends of higher test scores this year for third through 8th graders.
Though these schools and many others across the two districts — 32 and 14 — showed improvement during this year's state tests, North Brooklyn students still tested below citywide averages in the math exam, with just 20 percent of students passing in Bushwick and slightly more, around 30 percent, passing in Greenpoint and Williamsburg.
Citywide, 36.4 percent of students passed the math test.
While Schools Chancellor Carmen Fariña trumpeted the hard work of students and school staff as the reason for the citywide increases, the state's Education Commissioner warned that this year's test may not be comparable to last year's for a number of reasons.
"Because of changes made to the 2016 exam and the testing environment, the 2016 test scores are not an apples-to-apples comparison with previous years and should not be viewed as such," said Education Commissioner MaryEllen Elia, according to the New York State School Boards Association.
The changes included fewer questions, and students were given unlimited time to finish the exam.
The Department of Education didn't respond to a request for comment.
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