Briarcliff Schools Earn Statewide Recognition

The following is from the :

I am pleased to announce that both and have just been named by the New York State Department of Education as Reward Schools. Only 250 in the state, these Reward Schools were identified based on those schools that have made the most progress or have the highest achievement in the state. To illustrate our students’ high achievement, here is a look at our state rankings in our 3-8 State Assessments and our high school Regents Exams. 

Of the twelve ELA and Math assessments in grades 3-8, our students’ results proved to be among the best in the state. Six results were in the Top 10 in the state: 

ELA: 

Grade 4 - #6 

Grade 7 - #9 

MATH

Grade 4 -#6             

Grade 5 -#9                                              

Grade 7 - #5

Grade 8 - #2 

Overall, our 3-8 grade assessment results ranked #6 in the state, out of nearly 700 schools.

At the high school, last year’s Regents Exam results are still embargoed, but in looking at the scores of the twelve exams in 2010-2011, six our students’ results placed in the Top 10 in the state:

Global Studies - #8

Chemistry, Living Environment, Physics, French, Integrated Algebra - All #1

These tremendous results earned us the #1 ranking of all high schools in New York State (with more than 33 students). 

Parents, be proud of your children’s accomplishments. Last year, our Board of Education honored 125 students in many different categories, including Music, Dance, Poetry, Filmmaking, Science Research, Chemistry, Mathematics and Athletics. Our concerts and art festivals are among the finest around. Our athletic teams consistently do well and provide great spirit and pride for our schools. Also, the rich experiences of the Science Research Program are unsurpassed.

This year, also, we will implement two new policies, a and the Dignity for All Students Act (DASA). One will insure that our students will get proper recovery time after a head injury and the other will insure that our students will be treated with respect and dignity at school and school events. 

When a student or student athlete suffers any type of head injury, he or she will be removed immediately from the activity or game and we will institute a protocol for determining, with the family’s physician and our District Physician, when that student can return to athletic activities. All of our athletes are required to take part in Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing (referred to as ImPACT) to establish a baseline of cognitive functioning to be used as a comparison prior to a student returning to an activity. Our athletic department and nurses’ offices have full and complete information on this new policy.

DASA provides students with our commitment to promptly address incidents of harassment and/or discrimination of students that impede students’ ability to learn. This includes bullying, taunting, intimidation and cyberbullying. Our new policy is the result of the Dignity Act that raises awareness and sensitivity to discrimination and harassment based on a person’s actual or perceived race, color, weight, national origin, ethnic group, religion, religious practice, disability, sexual orientation, gender and sex. With this policy, we make our schools places of learning that are ever-safer and ever-more tolerant.

There is so much more that our faculty and staff are learning and working toward, and in all that we do, our #1 priority is our students. We are united in our efforts to help all children succeed. We are United for Educational Excellence!

Neal S. Miller
Superintendent of Schools
Briarcliff Manor Union Free School District