The reports award letter grades to schools based on student progress toward graduation, performance on standardized tests and coursework and student attendance, as well as surveys of parents, students and teachers about their schools.
For the first time, the reports also measure how many students in each high school take and perform well in advanced courses, graduate ready for college and enroll in a college after graduation.
As in previous years, schools received additional credit for progress made with students with disabilities and English Language Learners.
Also new this year, as part of Mayor Michael Bloomberg's Young Men's Initiative, schools were awarded points for high graduation rates by black and Latino males who entered high school struggling academically.
"Our message to schools is clear," Walcott said. "Students need to be meeting a higher bar and doing more rigorous work if they are going to be ready for life after high school. It's important that our principals, teachers, students and families are on the same page in this effort and understand the goal is not just graduating, but graduating college and career-ready."
Although individual school grades were generally stable, with increases in graduation requirements and tighter standards for measuring credit accumulation and scoring Regents exams, fewer schools received an A this year than last year.
This year, 32.7 percent received an A, 31.6 percent received a B, 24.0 percent received a C, 8.2 percent received a D, and 3.6 percent received an F. In 2010, 38.3 percent received an A, 29.7 percent received a B, 21.6 percent received a C, 6.9 percent received a D, and 3.6 percent received an F.
Other highlights include:
To learn more about the Progress Report, visit Schools.NYC.gov/ProgressReports. Information about other aspects of the city's accountability system is available at Schools.NYC.gov/accountability.
