Two local high schools on state 'reward' list

Two local high schools have again been identified as high-performing "reward schools" by the state Education Department.

Rhinebeck and Spackenkill high schools made the list based on 2016-17 school year results.

Reward schools are those that demonstrate either high academic achievement or the most progress with minimal gaps in student achievement between certain populations of students, according to the state.

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For a high school to make the cut, the graduation rate has to be above 80 percent with a higher-than-state-average number of students who earn a Regents diploma with advanced designation or a Career and Technical Endorsement, among other things.

High schools also need a higher-than-average graduation rates for students who were below "proficient" in ELA or math when they entered the school.

This is the third year in a row that Rhinebeck and Spackenkill high schools got the designation. Statewide, they are among 155 high-achieving and high-performing schools, including charters, to be classified as reward schools for the upcoming year.

“It’s truly impressive that so many of this year’s Reward Schools were able to maintain the designation for three years in a row,” said State Education Commissioner MaryEllen Elia, in a news release. “All of these schools serve as models to others in the state to inspire them to achieve a high level of accomplishment and improvement.”

State data shows a fairly strong correlation between a school's academic performance and its poverty levels. Students in wealthier schools tend to graduate at higher rates and do better on state tests.

In Dutchess County, the Rhinebeck and Spackenkill districts consistently have among the highest graduation rates, while their poverty rates are among the lowest. They are the only two local districts in which more than half of the test-taking students in grades 3-8 are considered "proficient" in math and ELA last year. And on average over a five-year-period, they had the highest rates of college-bound students. 

In 2016, for instance, Rhinebeck's graduation rate was 91 percent and 21 percent of students were deemed economically disadvantaged, which means their family incomes qualified them for free or reduced meals. Spackenkill's graduation rate was 94 percent and a quarter of students were economically disadvantaged.  

Nina Schutzman: nschutzman@poughkeepsiejournal.com, 845-451-4518, Twitter: @pojonschutzman