The New York State Department of Education says Rochester’s East High School has made “demonstrable improvement” since its takeover by the University of Rochester, but not enough to get off the state’s list of “persistently struggling schools.”
But Education Commissioner MaryEllen Elia says East won’t be turned over to a receiver. She says the extensive reorganization of the school into junior and senior highs amounts to “extenuating circumstances.” The state wants to continue with the U of R as East High’s Educational Partnership Organization.
The state says it wanted to see 10 struggling schools improve their academic performance, graduation rates and attendance by 58-to-100 percent. East High’s improvement last year was definite, but less than 40 percent.
Two other Rochester schools on the list did make better than 58 percent improvements: James Monroe High School, and Martin Luther King School #9.