Assemblymember Jim Brennan (D-Brooklyn) has released a report examining the performance of New York City schools on the National Assessment of Educational Progress Trial Urban District Assessment (NAEP TUDA) during mayoral control. The report reviews the progress of New York City Schools on the national tests from 2003 to 2011 and reveals minimal progress in most of the major test areas during this time.

The NAEP TUDA has two main achievement level measures: the percentage of students who achieve basic level and the percentage who achieve proficiency level. From 2003 to 2011 New York City had the slowest rate of improvement in the percentage of students reaching proficiency level in 8th grade math and 8th grade reading compared to a group of comparable large cities. In both 4th and 8th grade math, New York City had the smallest percentage improvement of students achieving basic level. In 8th grade reading, the percentage of students achieving proficiency only improved by two points, which was tied with Boston for the smallest gain. Tables indicating test scores for New York City and a group of comparable large cities are presented at the end of this press release.

"The NAEP exams offer the strongest perspective on the New York City school system from the onset of mayoral control in 2003. The New York State tests have experienced numerous test score recalibrations and a change in proficiency standards. These changes in standards and subsequent dramatic drop in proficiency levels make it very difficult to assess progress over time. We must look to the NAEP TUDA to provide a more accurate picture of the improvement of our school system during mayoral control," Brennan said.

Brennan also noted the important comparative perspective the NAEP TUDA provides. "The NAEP exams allow us to view the progress of New York City students alongside their peers in other comparable large cities. When placed in this context, the performance of NYC schools is in no way exceptional. In fact, due to slower rates of improvement from 2003 to 2011, New York City is actually falling behind many other large districts such as Houston and Boston."

Brennan continued, "New York City schools are actually falling behind other large cities. Significantly, these other large cities have governing structures that differ substantially from New York City, suggesting that the degree of mayoral control that New York City Schools experience is not necessarily directly related to school improvement as measured by student achievement."

This report is the eighth in a series of reports by Brennan's office analyzing the New York City school system.