Progress, Achievement Will Continue
For Freeport Public Schools

Full-day Kindergarten Is Coming

One of these inititatives is the school district’s new full-day kindergarten program, which will begin in September at Columbus Avenue, Archer, Bayview, Giblyn and New Visions Schools. This significant step will give Freeport’s kindergartners a strong foundation as they move up the grades, and prepare them more fully to perform well on standards-based state tests that now begin as early as third grade.

Research has shown that full-day kindergarten impacts student performance positively. Moreover, New York State has set standards for early childhood education that recognize the importance of these early educational experiences. Preparations have been underway during the summer to ready classrooms and teachers for the full-day adventure.

The Science Research Program Is Expanding

Over the past few years, a successful science research program has been established at Freeport High School. Student research won honors in both middle school and high school regional robotics competitions, and earned more than $500,000 in scholarship money for no less than 128 young scientists at FHS! The district’s science department has forged unique partnerships with business and industry that enrich the program; the department has demonstrated its commitment to student success with a highly successful science fair and formal science awards program.

Now, the 21st century emphasis on research-based science will be extended into  grades pre-K through 8, with new, age-appropriate texts, hands-on resources and teacher training. This will not only raise performance in the lower grades, it will also fuel the high school research program and earn recognition in prestigious competitions such as the Intel and Siemens science talent searches.

Sessions To Help Students Meet Standards Increased

New York State has increased its testing of academic standards, last year adding English Language Arts (ELA) and mathematics tests in all grades between 3 and 8. The Freeport school district has responded by expanding the extended-day and Saturday Academy programs that have been so successful in raising performance on the traditional state assessments in grades 4 and 8.

Since 2000, 4th grade students achieving levels 3 or 4 (meeting or exceeding the state standards) have increased from 49% to 84% in ELA and from 52% to 96% in math. Freeport’s elementary schools have been honored as among the most improved in the state, and were most recently recognized for closing gaps in student performance. At the middle school level, during the same period, the number of students scoring at levels 3 or 4 has increased by 14 percentage points on the 8th grade ELA, and 28 percentage points in 8th grade math.

Freeport High School’s Regents Review Program will be strengthened during 2006-2007 with the goal of not only boosting performance on Regents exams, but raising the graduation rate as well. Performance has already improved significantly on the English and Math A Regents, increasing from 58% to 71% passing English between 2001 and 2005, and from 22% to 74% passing math.

Students Reap Honors

Freeport students are almost always in the mix when awards are given, and when top colleges look for their freshman classes. Two FHS Odyssey of the Mind teams were regional champions. DECA marketing students were state champions and national finalists. In May, an FHS senior was named a Gates Millennium Scholar and featured in Newsday among 10 outstanding Long Island graduates. The Class of 2006 will be attending such prestigious colleges and universities as Freeport students and the staff that teaches them consistently bring recognition to the Village of Freeport.

A District That Has Sound Finances