How has the COVID-19 pandemic changed the School Quality Snapshot?
From March 2020 through June 2022, the New York City Department of Education (DOE) and the New York State Education Department (NYSED) made a variety of adjustments to ensure that all students could learn safely during the pandemic. Some of these adjustments continue to impact the types of information that we share on the School Quality Snapshot. For example, for high schools, the cancelation of some Regents exams in past years continues to impact graduation rates in 2022. Read on for a further explanation of how this and other COVID-19 policy adjustments influence what you see on the 2021-22 School Quality Snapshot.
No overall ratings
All schools typically receive ratings on a scale of 1 to 4 in categories such as “Student Achievement,” “Rigorous Instruction,” and “Collaborative Teachers.” For 2021–22, the DOE did not calculate these ratings for schools, as learning was disrupted by COVID-19 cases among students and staff, and instructional limitations were put in place to keep communities safe. You will find a red note on each tab of the Snapshot stating that ratings are not available.
No comparisons to city, district, borough, or Comparison Group data
In the years before COVID-19, most test scores and survey results were shown next to the average results for the entire city, with additional comparisons in some cases to district, borough, and Comparison Groups. This year, the Snapshot does not have comparisons. See examples below.
School’s impact on student test scores: not displayed
The School Quality Snapshot usually shows how attending a particular school impacts students’ performance on 3-8 State tests (for elementary and middle schools) or Regents exams (for high schools). This information is derived by looking at student performance at the school as compared to performance of similar students who attended different schools. Because of disruptions from the pandemic, including limited or no test scores from recent years, we cannot accurately determine which students within New York City had similar characteristics. This means that we cannot infer the impact that a school has on its students’ performance as compared to other schools.
Comparison between third and fifth grade State test scores: not displayed
In past years, the School Quality Snapshot for elementary schools has shown how fifth grade students scored on their State tests in relation to their own scores in the third grade. For 2021-22 we do not display this information. Students who were in fifth grade in 2021-22 did not take State tests in third grade, as all State tests were cancelled that year due to COVID-19.
High school graduation requirement change: some Regents exams not required
Since many Regents exams were either not given or not required in 2020 and 2021, many students were eligible to waive these exams for graduation in 2022. For example, students with a waiver for a June 2021 Regents exam were not required to pass that exam to graduate in 2022. Although all 2022 graduates completed all of their course credits and any program requirements, some used waivers in lieu of exams that would normally have been required for graduation.
Students with Individualized Education Programs (IEPs): some data not displayed
In past years, the School Quality Snapshot’s Supportive Environment tab displayed a rating of how well schools move students with special needs to less restrictive environments. Schools received higher ratings when, over time, their students’ schedules include more time in class with general education students. For District 75 schools, there was a related rating for students’ integration into general education schools. When the DOE calculates these ratings, it considers the scheduling of students with similar characteristics who attend different schools. This type of comparison was not possible during the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, these ratings are not displayed for the 2021-22 school year.
Survey response rates are lower than usual
The 2022 NYC School Survey administration window was February 14 through April 15, 2022. Most years, parents, and students have the option to complete the survey in person in school buildings, and the survey is available in two formats: online or on paper. In 2021–22, the survey was administered online only for students, and both online and on paper for families. However, response rates were lower than in years that were not impacted by COVID-19.
You can find survey responses on each tab of the School Quality Snapshot. In some cases, the survey results represent the opinions of a small portion of the members of a school community. You should make note of the response rates when you look at the survey results.
No Quality Reviews during the pandemic
As part of the DOE’s system for ensuring school quality, experienced educators visit and evaluate schools, and publish their findings in Quality Review Reports. During years that are not disrupted by COVID-19, reviewers visit a selection of schools—not all schools have Quality Reviews every year. The School Quality Snapshot displays selected questions from each school’s most recent Quality Review Report (and links to the full report for each school).
As a safety measure during the pandemic, visitors to school buildings were kept to a minimum, and no Quality Reviews were held. The 2021-22 School Quality Snapshot still displays Quality Review results, but all Quality Reviews are from 2020 or earlier.
For additional information about how the DOE shares data about school quality, please review School Quality Reports and Resources.
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