NHP-GCP, Herricks schools draw kudos

Richard Tedesco

Schools in the New Hyde Park-Garden City Park and Herricks school districts have been designated as “reward schools” by the state Department of Education. 

The Garden City Park, Hillside Grade and Manor Oaks schools were all recognized by the education department for the program, which enables the school district to apply for a $150,000 grant. 

The Center Street School earned the designation in the Herricks School District.

Schools are designated based on results of test scores on standardized state tests administered during the 2010-11 school year, according to New Hyde Park-Garden City Park Superintendent of Schools Robert Katulak.

“It wasn’t just a one-year effort. It was an effort over the past three or four years to improve teaching techniques to benefit our children,” Katulak said. “We’re very pleased. We’re going to make sure we work hard that we continue to do the best for the kids.”

The state education department identified 250 schools in 164 districts statewide as reward schools. The education department defines reward schools as schools that have made the most progress or schools that have the highest achievement in the state and do not have significant gaps in student achievement.

The New Hyde Park-Garden City Park schools are “dissemination” schools under the program, which pairs those schools with schools in what are designated as “replication” schools in districts, Katulak said.

He said the $150,000 in grant money is primarily applied to materials for the “dissemination” schools to assist the “replication” schools in upgrading their academic standards.

The respective districts with schools designated as reward schools apply for the $150,000 in grant money. Katulak said the New Hyde Park-Garden City Park district had applied for the grant, but noted that only five districts statewide will receive the grants.

Herricks Superintendent of Schools John Bierwirth said the state education department hasn’t yet informed Herricks about the parameters of the program.

“We have no idea how they calculated it and the state Education Department has yet to tell anyone what rewards a reward school gets,” Bierwirth said.   

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