Test Scores in Commack District Among Highest in Suffolk County

High School students in the Commack Union Free School District are passing Regents exams at the highest rate in Suffolk County, the latest New York State School Report Card shows.

"We are very pleased with the District's NYS Report Card results, and we are extremely proud of the accomplishments of our students and staff, each of whom play an important role in the education of our students," said District Superintendent Dr. Donald James. "The Commack community expects and supports the District's efforts to prepare our children to achieve their fullest potential, and we will continue to work together to do so.‬"

For example, 99 percent of students in the district taking the English Regents exam passed in the 2009-2010 school year. That's up from the 96 percent of students who passed the same exam two years earlier.

For the Physics Regents, 91 percent of student test takers passed, a jump from the 80% that passed in the 2008-2009 school year. 

Some math exam scores, however, were on the decline, with 78 percent of students passing the Mathematics B Regents, down 10 percent from the previous year.  The scores marked the last year for the Math B Regents, as a statewide mandate is changing the structure of the math sequence.

For the Geometry Regents, scores slid to 96 percent, compared to 100 percent during the 2008-2009 school year. Despite the decline, that passing rate is still among the highest in the County.

The report, which was released Feb. 17, includes academic results, as well as a three-year look at how enrollment has changed, for all the districts in the state.

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That includes information on graduation rates, as well as post-graduation plans.

In the district, 603 seniors graduated in 2009-2010, and only 8 students dropped out. Of those, 99 percent earned a Regents diploma, and 81% percent graduated with an Advanced Regents diploma—both of which are the highest rates in Suffolk County.

"Clearly, the 99% Regents graduation rate and 81% Advanced Regents graduation rate for 2009-2010 reflect the quality of Commack's educational system, one that begins at the earliest grade level and continues through high school," said Dr. James.

The high scores are achieved through the combined efforts of administrators, teachers and students.

“We push the idea at the high school level to ask students to challenge themselves, and we try to provide them with multiple opportunities to do that," said Assistant Superintendent David Weiss. "The students accept that challenge, and push themselves to perform as best they can.” 

As for post-graduate plans, 76 percent planned to attend a 4-year college, while 20 percent said they would enter a 2-year college. Four students entered the job market while two joined the military.

Stay tuned to Commack Patch throughout the next week as we continue to break down these numbers. We've also attached the full reports so parents can see the data for themselves.