How are Rochester students doing? New report shows growing, yet low proficiency ...Middle East

ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Roc the Future Alliance is preparing to present its 13th annual State of Our Children Address. The report highlights concerns about education readiness and proficiency levels in Rochester.

The report shows that kindergarten readiness is at about 50% in Rochester. Proficiency in third-grade English Language Arts during the 2023-2024 school year was only 18%, despite a slight increase over the last five years. Roc the Future Alliance aims for an 80% proficiency benchmark.

ROC the Future Alliance puts together the report to help with its mission to support over 11,000 Rochester youth on a path to upward mobility by 2030.

“This report is a collaboration between Roc the Future Alliance and our partners in government, school providers, and community members,” said Brian Lewis, executive director of Roc the Future Alliance. “We continue to do well with kindergarten readiness but need to improve high school graduation rates to position young people for successful careers.”

Third Grade English Language Arts Proficiency – All Rochester students (New York State Department of Education):

The report aims to guide future decisions for districts, parents, and lawmakers. Lewis emphasized the importance of using trusted messengers like parents to inform others about educational opportunities. The report also addresses the impact of the pandemic on students, noting a decline in reading and math competency from kindergarten through eighth grade.

“By continuing to add more interventions and more supports that work,” Lewis said. “This past year, we partnered with Ampex, which is a high-dosage tutoring program to provide in-school supports so that kids are getting that critical numeracy and literacy foundation very early on.”

Lewis said he hopes school and government leaders learn from the report. “Even with award-winning universal kindergarten in Rochester, we have seats going unfilled,” he said. “Our partners in government can learn from this report that it’s powerful to have trusted messengers like parents inform others about the importance of enrolling their children in childcare.”

New York Department of Education data shows that, during the 2023-2024 school year, more than 2,700 students were enrolled in early childhood programs.

The report also highlights that less than 5% of students were proficient in eighth-grade math during the 2023-2024 school year. Toyin Anderson-Smith, a parent family partner, discussed the role of parental involvement. “Working on understanding how we partner with parents,” Anderson-Smith said. “You have the welcoming space, and then you still have some space that you need to update themselves a little bit more on what parent engagement is.”

Eighth Grade Math Proficiency – All Rochester students (New York State Department of Education):

Looking ahead, Anderson-Smith expressed hope for improvement. “If I had a magic wand, every high school child would walk the stage with a diploma,” Anderson-Smith said. “We want to see an upward trend in readiness and proficiency at every level.”

She urged the community to take action. “We know the numbers are alarming,” Anderson-Smith said. “I want you to ask, ‘What role can I play?’ Let’s figure out how we can move the needle for our babies.”

External factors such as extreme poverty and homelessness are noted as impacting student success. The report shows more than 3.024 students in the city of Rochester are homeless. At the high school level, graduation rates remain below 70%, intending to reach around 80%.

Public & Charter High Schools Graduation Rates – All Rochester students (New York State Department of Education):

The full report will be released during the State of Our Children Address on Thursday, Feb. 26, at The Theater at Innovation Square. Speakers will include Mayor Malik Evans and Tulsa Deputy Mayor Krystal Reyes. Reyes, who is establishing Tulsa’s first Office of Children, Youth, and Families, will discuss strategies for economic mobility alongside ImpactTulsa Executive Director Ashley Philippsen.

How are Rochester students doing? New report shows growing, yet low proficiency WHEC.com.

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