LIU: HIGH SCHOOL PROGRESS REPORTS DON’T MEASURE PROGRESS

Audit Finds that Department of Education’s Revisions to its High School Grading System Leave Educators, Students Chasing a Moving Target

New York City Comptroller John C. Liu announced that an audit of the Department of Education’s (DOE) High School Progress reports raised questions about the usefulness of the reports in comparing the yearly progress of schools.

“It’s troubling that a system that is used to decide school closings leaves teachers and students confused about what they need to do to improve,” Comptroller Liu said.  “The Department of Education should not leave parents, educators or students in the dark when it’s deciding their fates.”

High School Progress Reports are a DOE accountability tool that assigns schools an annual grade of A through F.  The Report grades play a significant role in the DOE’s decisions to reward high performing schools, perhaps with added funds, and restructure or close low-performing schools.

According to the audit, the DOE has revised the complex formula behind the grades every year.  The frequent changes the agency has made to its grading and other formulas — without determining the impact of those changes — makes it difficult, if not impossible, to get a true picture of a school’s progress by comparing its grade from one year to the next.  As a result, the High School Progress Reports paint an unreliable and confusing picture of a school’s progress or failure over time.  Auditors recorded complaints from schools that the DOE’s lack of consistency made it difficult to set goals for students.

The audit focused on 10 high schools representing the five boroughs. It included three schools (Jamaica, Metropolitan Corporate Academy, and Norman Thomas high schools) that the DOE selected in January 2010 for closing.

CHIEF AMONG THE FINDINGS: 

1. Inaccurate Picture of Year-to-Year Progress

The DOE’s changes to the formula behind the Progress Report grades make it difficult for parents and educators to measure a school’s performance from one year to the next.

The DOE says the Progress Report grades are meant as “a one-year snapshot” comparing one school against another in a given year, and not as a measure an individual school’s progress over time.  Yet, the agency itself uses the formula to track achievement from one year to the next.  For example, a school that receives a “C” three years in a row may be targeted for corrective action.

Example:

One school, Metropolitan Corporate Academy High School, which is set to close in 2014, improved its score every year from 2006 to 2010, but because of the DOE’s changing formula Metropolitan never rose above a “C.”  In fact, the school fell to a “D” in the 2008-2009 school year even though its numeric score would have earned it a “B” under the 2006-2007 grading formula.  It is impossible to tell to what extent Metropolitan’s scores reflect changes in its own performance or DOE’s changes to the grading formula. (See Table)

“The Comptroller’s audit of the High School Progress Reports demonstrates the difficulty of comparing a school’s letter grade over time when a school’s peer group composition and the cut scores for the grades change from one year to the next,” said Professor Aaron Pallas of Teachers College, Columbia University.  “The recommendation that the DOE report high school progress report grades using both the old and new criteria would enable stakeholders both inside and outside of the schools to understand trends in school performance more completely.”

Action:

Since the audit, the DOE has posted an advisory on its website regarding year-to-year comparisons of High School Progress Report grades.

2. Lack of Communication

The audit determined that, while DOE met with school principals and others about changes, auditors found no evidence that it actually integrated feedback from them into the Progress Report.  In fact, some educators told auditors that they felt as if they were chasing a moving target as they attempted to understand the changes that the DOE made to the grading formula each school year and to prepare students. The audit also found that the DOE did not do enough to inform schools what effect the changes to the grading system were expected to have on Progress Report grades.

“Taken alone, Progress Reports are an unreliable index for determining school closures or related high-stakes decisions,” said Professor David C. Bloomfield, chairman of the education department at the College of Staten Island.  “Greater feedback by stakeholders, as recommended by the audit, might help to improve Progress Reports’ utility in this process.”

Action:

The DOE has since published materials summarizing and responding to feedback from educators and others involved in the 2010-2011 review process.

3. Data Reliability

The audit found that the data — student grades, Regents exam scores, and other information — that the DOE used to calculate each year’s Progress Report grades was representative of student data recorded in the DOE’s computer systems and verifiable.  However, while the data in a given year was accurately recorded, it was not useful as a measure of an individual school’s progress over time.

RECOMMENDATIONS:

The DOE generally agreed with nine of the audit’s 10 recommendations and has begun to implement a number of them.  However, the audit notes that “DOE inappropriately misinterpreted and even exaggerated, many of the audits ‘positive’ conclusions as an endorsement for the progress reports,” while simultaneously discounting its weaknesses.

SCOPE: 

The audit was launched in March 2010 using data from the high schools’ 2008-2009 progress reports, the most recent data available at that time. The audit was expanded to include progress reports for the 2006-2007, 2007-2008, and 2009-2010 school years.  In addition, auditors interviewed staff at the high schools in April and May 2010. 

High School	Borough	2006-2007 Score/Grade	2007-2008 Score/Grade	2008-2009	2009-2010
ACORN Community HS	Brooklyn	63.3/B	64.4/A	65.4/B	71.7/A
Baruch College Campus HS	Manhattan	81.2/A	82.6/A	83.6/A	74.5/A
Curtis HS	Staten I.	64.2/B	59.4/B	68.8/B	69.8/B
DeWitt Clinton HS	Bronx	47.7/C	42.7/C	49.7/C	48.1/C
Flushing International HS	Queens	n/a	73.0/A	70.9/A	64.5/B
Jamaica HS	Queens	44/C	37.3/C	41.7/D	45/D
Metropolitan Corporate Academy HS	Brooklyn	35.9/C	39.1/C	43/1/D	48/C
New World HS	Bronx	n/a	97/A	92.1/A	85.6/A
Norman Thomas HS	Manhattan	33.4/D	29.7/D	36/D	36/F
Ralph R. McKee Career and Technical Education HS	Staten I.	63.8/B	67.6/A	79.5/A	76/A

BACKGROUND:

High School Progress Reports are a DOE accountability tool that assigns schools an annual grade (A through F) based on a variety of factors, including student performance, student progress, school environment, and comparisons between schools with similar populations.  The letter grades were introduced in the 2006-2007 school year. 

Comptroller Liu credited Deputy Comptroller for Audit H. Tina Kim and the Audit Bureau for presenting the findings.  The full report is available at http://comptroller.nyc.gov/audits.

COUNCIL MEMBER G. OLIVER KOPPELL DENOUNCES MAYOR’S SPIN ON FLAWED LIVING WAGE STUDY; NOTES POSITIVES IN “KEY FINDINGS”

           Council Member Oliver Koppell strongly condemned misleading statements made by members of the Bloomberg administration regarding a preliminary report on the impact of living wage legislation Koppell has introduced. 

“While the Mayor’s staff has made grandiose statements about the dire consequences of my proposed bill, a close reading of the ‘Key Findings’ summary while significantly flawed, portrays a different reality,” said Koppell. 

Koppell noted, “The analysis erroneously focuses on New York’s Industrial and Commercial Abatement Program (ICAP) as-of-right tax abatement program under which many small projects in the outer boroughs receive subsidies.  However, the legislature has not authorized the city to regulate ICAP and it would accordingly not be captured by the proposal.  This misreading of the bill has resulted in much of the modeling being concentrated on projects that would not be covered.  Nor was it the sponsors’ intent that ICAP subsidies would be considered for the purposes of this legislation.  The study should have focused on the large mixed use developments that receive the lion’s share of the city’s discretionary subsidies and which are the target of the proposal.”

“The report,” said Koppell, “even with its faulty analysis, had some positive findings and conclusions with regard to living wage legislation.”  For example, it projects that 34,000 – 62,000 workers would receive increased wages.  It states at several points that living wage mandates actually “reduce urban poverty.”  This finding should be given prominence because it is based on actual experience with living wage ordinances in other cities, not on models based on questionable data.

Another conclusion in the report was that the overall impact on the economy would be de minimis. In great part this is due to the fact that the future jobs that would allegedly not be created, according to the report, are the result of vastly overstated concerns about potential lawsuits by individuals to obtain lost wages at the higher living wage rate and enforcement actions against recalcitrant employers which would be conducted by the City Comptroller under the proposed law.  Additional losses to the economy, according to the report, can be found in its projection that 6,000 – 13,000 jobs would not be created if the living wage law was to be enacted.  Proponents of the legislation do not accept the premise that a living wage mandate will cause a reduction in jobs created.  Nonetheless, it is significant that the report only projects such a small amount of job loss.

Koppell said, “I look forward to a full hearing on the Fair Wages for New Yorkers Act on Thursday, May 12, 2011 at the Council.  We will be hearing from a variety of stakeholders and interested parties, including retail workers, economists, unions and clergy.  It will provide us with an opportunity to get the facts straight and moving us closer to passing this important bill.”

Living Wage Rally and City Council Hearing
Hundreds to Speak Out and Attack Bogus Bloomberg Study
Thursday, May 12. Rally at Noon, Hearing at 1 p.m.

At a time when far too many working people struggle to survive, members of a growing citywide movement will demand living wage jobs for all New Yorkers at a public City Council hearing. Elected officials, community members, faith and labor leaders from the Living Wage NYC coalition will demand passage of the Fair Wages for New Yorkers Act, popular legislation supported by a majority of City Council that will ensure taxpayer subsidies create more living wage jobs. Bloomberg’s biased and rigged anti-living wage study will also be challenged.

Thursday, May 12, 2011

12:00 p.m. – Press Conference & Rally, City Hall Park (Broadway & Park Place.), NYC.
1:00 p.m. – Hearing on the Fair Wages for New Yorkers Act, 250 Broadway, 16th Floor, NYC.

Balanced state budget not painless: State Comptroller DiNapoli 

   While the state economy is making progress, the South Bronx and other parts of New York City won’t see a thaw in the “deep economic freeze” anytime soon. That was the core point made by New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli at the South Bronx Leadership Forum, hosted on April 28 by the South Bronx Overall Economic Development Corp. or SoBRO. “Unfortunately, this year’s State Budget won’t help matters,” remarked DiNapoli, New York’s chief fiscal officer since February 2007.  “On the positive side,” DiNapoli said, the budget “is balanced and on-time for the first time in years, and it doesn’t rely heavily on new taxes. That said, you can’t make $10 billion in cuts without pain.”

            Held at the SoBRO Center in Mott Haven in front of a packed house of community leaders, nonprofit executives and local residents, the forum gave the Bronx audience a first-hand glimpse of Governor Andrew Cuomo’s new Executive Budget which was passed by Albany to mixed reaction from various quarters. Among the budget’s key provisions is the slashing of more than $10 billion in spending, which will not be painless. “Those cuts will be felt in the South Bronx and in communities across the state,” DiNapoli acknowledged.

According to the state’s budget watchdog, $2.3 billion in cuts to Medicaid will have implications for jobs and the purchase of durable medical equipment. Those cuts will impact the bottom lines of hospitals and nursing homes throughout the state. Education will also be hit hard, with $1.3 billion in cuts for public schools.

DiNapoli affirmed that failure in public schools “isn’t an option,” and that the nonprofits such as SoBRO have filled the gaps through education programs that help “thousands of at-risk students succeed in middle and high school, and giving them a chance for college or a career.” The challenge is to sustain the role of public school classrooms as the road to good jobs and better economic opportunities while making better spending decisions. “It’s more critical than ever to make sure that every state dollar – at every agency and every public authority – is spent wisely,” DiNapoli cautioned.

A key ingredient to economic progress is transportation infrastructure. The state comptroller pointed to the current use of tax dollars to build modern roads, bridges, tunnels, subways and trains as “inefficient.” A Transportation Infrastructure Report put out by his office in November 2010 found that New York State has spent $63 billion on capital projects over the last 10 years, “yet 40 percent of our roads and bridges are still substandard or obsolete – a number that’s twice the national average.”

But all is not doom and gloom with the state budget. New York continues to invest strategically to create new businesses and jobs. According to DiNapoli, the New York Business Development Corporation (NYBDC), a state investment vehicle, partners with the Small Business Administration (SBA) to make loans to local businesses for working capital, equipment or real property. “Last fall,” said DiNapoli, “I directed a new allocation of $100 million to NYBDC, bringing the Fund’s total allocation in NYBDC to $400 million.” NYBDC has made 892 loans totaling $264 million to small businesses across the state.

In response to the Census, which reflects increasing numbers of women and minorities in business, the NYBDC Program has a goal of making 25 percent of its loans to Minority and Women-owned enterprises. “I’m happy to report that the program has exceeded that goal, at 33 percent,” DiNapoli added.

In balancing social needs with budget priorities, the role of community-based nonprofits in fueling economic growth cannot be overemphasized, the state’s chief fiscal officer said in closing. That applies in the South Bronx as it does in Oneida, Long Island, Niagara and other corners of the state. “For almost 40 years, SOBRO has focused on removing the causes of economic and social problems here in the South Bronx. But there’s more work to do.”

THE EMPIRE STATE BUILDING WILL SALUTE THE BOROUGH

DURING BRONX week 2011

Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. announced that on Saturday, May 14, the Empire State Building will light up in the colors of the Bronx flag to honor the 40^th anniversary celebration of Bronx Week. The announcement was made during the official kick off of Bronx Week 2011, a celebration that from Thursday, May 12, through Sunday, May 22, will pay tribute to the continuing revitalization of the borough’s businesses, educational institutions, cultural sites and civic groups. 

 “On May 14, when New Yorkers look up they will see the unmistakable sign that Bronx Week is here. The Empire State Building will help us to invite Bronxites, New Yorkers and visitors from all over the world to join us in the Bronx for our annual celebration of what makes the Bronx a great place to live: our people, places, history and culture,” said Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. “Bronx Week gets bigger and better every year and has something exciting for everyone. There is no better place to be from May 12 through May 22 than right here in The Bronx. I look forward to seeing you all here!”

During the kick off, Borough President Diaz also announced the names of the celebrities and notable Bronxites that will be included on the Bronx Walk of Fame 2011. This year’s inductees are: Chazz Palminteri, an actor who wrote and starred in “A Bronx Tale” and then turned it into an award-winning stage production; Irene Cara, a Grammy Award and Golden Globe winner best known for her performances of the hit songs “Flashdance…What a Feeling” and “Fame;” Joy Bryant, actress and former fashion model who currently stars in the NBC television series Parenthood; and Charles Latibeaudiere, Co-Executive Producer of the popular celebrity news show TMZ.

The kick-off event also featured a performance from the Bronx’ own Steven Oquendo Latin Jazz Orchestra, as well as food from two of the most celebrated establishments in the borough, the Bronx Alehouse in Kingsbridge and the Havana Café in Throggs Neck. The event also featured samples from the Bronck’s Beer Company and the Bronx Food & Sustainability Coalition.

Borough President Diaz explained that this year,  Bronx Week has also been promoted outside the borough with colorful lamppost banners installed at strategic locations around the city, and that on May 22 neighbors from other boroughs will be able to ride the “El” vintage trains circa 1917 to get to the grand finale festival on Mosholu Parkway. This year’s concert will feature performances by hip-hop legends Big Daddy Kane and the Force MDs, as well as salsa stars Conjunto Imagen.

This year’s Bronx Week highlights include an urban farms tour, a centenarian celebration, a celebration of the Arthur Avenue Retail Market and a hip hop block party, as well as some of the more popular events from past years, such as the Bronx Trolley, which this year is dedicated to the 420^th birthday of Anne Hutchinson, the DiVa Spa, the Business Breakfast, the Health Fair and the annual Bronx Parade.  All the events are organized by the Bronx Overall Economic Development Corporation and the Bronx Tourism Council.

Bronx Week 2011 is made possible thanks to the support of Montefiore Medical Center, the main sponsor of all the events. The other main sponsors are: the New York Yankees, Con Edison, Affinity Health Plan, United HealthCare Community Plan, Assurance Wireless, Kyocera, the Bronx CUNY Colleges, Health First, Emblem Health, The New York Hispanic Cosmetology & Beauty Chamber of Commerce, Citi, Verizon, BronxNet, Domino’s Pizza, News 12, the Bronx Design Group, and the New York Daily News.

“As the largest employer in the Bronx, Montefiore has a deep and abiding commitment to our community,” said Steven M. Safyer, MD, President and Chief Executive Officer of Montefiore.  “That’s why we’re delighted to be a principal sponsor of Bronx Week again this year. We’re proud to join the celebration of what makes the Bronx a great place to live and work. Because Montefiore is so concerned with the health and wellness of all the people in the Bronx, we are particularly pleased that a number of Bronx Week activities, such as the Health Fair and the Urban Farms Tour, are geared toward promoting a healthier environment for our residents.”

“The New York Yankees are proud supporters of Bronx Week and are honored to partner with the Office of the Bronx Borough President to showcase the rich resources of our great borough,” said Brian E. Smith, Senior Vice President, Corporate/Community Relations, New York Yankees.

Cinco de Mayo Celebration

 

Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. is joined by State Senator Jeff Klein , as  they helped celebrate Cinco de Mayo on Saturday May 7th with El Grupo Unidos, on Crescent Avenue and East 197th Street.

Then on Sunday May 8th BP Diaz was with his father Senator Ruben Diaz Sr. to cut the ribbon for the grand-reopening of Sabrosura Restaurant located at 1200 Castle Hill Avenue. Sabrosura Restaurant "The Pride of Chino Latino Cuisine" that opened in 1982 added  sidewalk seating for 27 more customers in a fully weather proof air-conditioned enclosure. 

Pictured are co-owner Tat Cheung, Bronx BP Ruben Diaz Jr., co-owner Nelson NG, and Senator Ruben Diaz Sr. in the new seating area.

BOROUGH PRESIDENT DIAZ CONDEMNS CITY’S LIVING WAGE REPORT

Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. has blasted a study, released by the Bloomberg administration, which states that the “Fair Wages for New Yorkers” Act—a bill that would require developers that receive heavy taxpayer subsidies to pay their employees a “living wage”—would harm the city’s economy.

“We have known all along exactly what this report would say, so I am not surprised,” said Borough President Diaz, who noted when the study was commissioned that it would likely be skewed against the bill. “Not only did the City choose a company that is hostile to the idea of a ‘living wage’ to conduct this study, but the mayor has made it crystal clear for months that he does not support this bill. The mayor wasted $1 million of taxpayer funds on this study, simply to provide trumped-up evidence for their pre-determined conclusions on the ‘Fair Wages for New Yorkers’ Act.”

Borough President Diaz noted that there is a host of evidence contradicting the City’s report, and added that a “living wage”—currently defined as a modest $10-an-hour plus benefits—would lessen the financial burden on taxpayers by lowering dependence on government programs such as welfare and food stamps.

“The ‘Fair Wages for New Yorkers’ Act is sound economic policy, and fiscal conservatives should support a ‘living wage’ because it lowers dependence on the anti-poverty programs they so often vilify. If mega-corporations do not want to pay a ‘living wage,’ then the answer is simple: do not beg for a taxpayer handout. As I have said in the past, if you want charity, you must be charitable,” said Borough President Diaz.

The “Fair Wages for New Yorkers” Act, which was introduced into the City Council at the behest of Borough President Diaz, would require developers that receive heavy taxpayer subsidies to pay their employees a “living wage.” The bill, which was introduced by Council Members Annabel Palma and G. Oliver Koppell on behalf of the borough president, currently has 30 City Council co-sponsors. A City Council hearing on the bill will held on Thursday.

“I look forward to testifying in favor of this bill and leading the citywide charge for fair development and good salaries. ‘Living wage’ is the right thing to do, and it is time to get it done,” said Borough President Diaz.

COMPTROLLER LIU STATEMENT ON EDC LIVING WAGE STUDY

 City Comptroller John C. Liu stated the following in response to questions about a recently completed study commissioned by the NYCEDC, “The Economic Impacts on New York City of Proposed Living Wage Mandate.”

“The EDC’s claim that a living wage kills jobs shows just how distorted the agency’s operations have become.  The proposed living wage would be a requirement on new projects that are heavily subsidized by taxpayers.  It may curtail the number of new minimum wage jobs, with the hope that these new jobs would then pay a decent wage.  The claim of job losses is rhetoric at its worst.”

SENATOR RIVERA HOSTS TOWNHALL TOUR OF SENATE DISTRICT 33
Assemblyman Castro and Councilman Cabrera Join Senator Rivera for First in Series of Town Hall Meetings
 

Senator Gustavo Rivera will hold a Townhall Tour of the 33^RD Senate District over the next month, visiting with community leaders from throughout the district. The first in this series of town hall meetings will be held on Wednesday, May 11 from 6:30pm to 8:30pm at the Bronx Works Morris Senior Center. 80 E 181 St. Bronx, NY

Senator Rivera will be hosting additional town hall meetings on the following days:

-          Sunday, May 15 from 2:00PM-3:30PM – Kingsbridge Heights Community Center - 3101 Kingsbridge Terr. Bronx, NY

-          Wednesday, May 18 from 6:30PM-8:00PM – Twin Parks Southwest Community Room - 1800 Valentine Ave. Bronx, NY

COMPTROLLER LIU STATEMENT ON THE MAYOR’S EXECUTIVE BUDGET

New York City Comptroller John C. Liu stated the following in response to questions about Mayor Bloomberg’s FY 2012 Executive Budget:

“While the Mayor’s Budget presents a picture reflective of the lingering effects of the recession, it should be noted that throughout the economic crisis, City agencies have spent billions of dollars on high-priced outside consultants resulting in runaway spending on technology-related contracts.  Unfortunately, the Executive Budget offers no respite. The continued lack of oversight of subcontractors working on City projects has resulted in the City being bilked out of millions of dollars - dollars that could have been better utilized elsewhere.

Although the Mayor has heeded our concerns and acknowledged that more needs to be done to rein in spending on consultants, now is the time to fully rethink the proposed spending plan on IT projects, especially within the Department of Education.  As we have seen in recent months, there are serious gaps in the DOE’s ability to properly keep track of their prime and subcontractors.

Before we commit critical funding towards more technology contracts, we must consider the necessity of these projects when compared to the proposed service and personnel cuts the Mayor has put forth.

As our local economy continues its gradual recovery from the recession, I am hopeful that some of the most painful cuts proposed in the Mayor’s Budget will be able to be mitigated.  I look forward to analyzing the Mayor’s Budget and presenting my findings.  In the meantime, my office will continue to scrutinize and restructure when necessary each contract that comes through our door as well as audit City agencies to find savings.”

STATEMENT FROM BOROUGH PRESIDENT DIAZ

RE: Mayor Bloomberg’s Fiscal Year 2012 Executive Budget

  

“While I understand that these are tough fiscal times, Mayor Bloomberg’s budget will drastically reduce crucial services and have a major negative effect on the quality of life in our city. Certain services, especially our public schools, must be held harmless from budget cuts, and the mayor’s plan to lay off more than 4,000 of our teachers is unacceptable.

“Right now, this city has a close to $3 billion surplus, which Mayor Bloomberg has stated should be seen as a ‘rainy day’ fund. Well, it’s pouring, and that money needs to be used to protect our teachers, and our public school students, from cuts that will increase class sizes and lower their quality of education.

“In addition, I am concerned that the Department of Homeless Services, an agency that serves some of our most vulnerable residents, has been gutted by this budget. I hope that the Bloomberg Administration will rethink these painful cuts to some of our neediest city residents.

“I do agree with the mayor that the State has not done enough for New York City to prevent these cuts, and I join his call for the State Legislature to fulfill its fiscal commitment to the five boroughs.”

“There are some bright spots in the mayor’s budget, and he is to be commended for them. I am happy both that we will not see the closure of firehouses in this budget and that 1,147 new police recruits are slated to join the force. I am also happy that the city has backed off of its plans to eliminate most of the 16,000 day care slots that had been slated for closure,” said Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr.

Editors Note*
We add that Scott M. Stringer, the Manhattan Borough President (and possible candidate for mayor in 2013), criticized the mayor’s lack of transparency in releasing his budget. “This document is political,” Stringer  said,  and “This is not the way we should be running the city.”

Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr., and AT&T New York President Hal Lenox Commend Summer Search NYC for Broad Impact on City Youth

Wednesday May 4 the Bronx School for Law, Government and Justice welcomed Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr., AT&T New York President Hal Lenox and Summer Search New York City Executive Director Karina Kirsch to honor the impact the Summer Search program has had on high school students in the South Bronx and across the City. 

Summer Search is a non-profit youth leadership program that provides high school students a unique combination of intensive, long-term mentoring; full scholarships to summer experiential education programs; access to college and financial aid counseling; and a lasting support network, including access to professional development skill-building for alumni. 

AT&T sponsors Summer Search through its “AT&T Aspire” program, a $100 million multi year commitment to confronting the high school dropout crisis and preparing students for continuing education and the workforce.

Summer Search New York City is currently focusing its growth in two of the most underserved areas of the City, the South Bronx and Brooklyn.

 More than 99 percent of students who have participated in Summer Search graduate high school and 85 percent graduate college, as compared to the current 50 percent and 11 percent graduation rates for high school and college, respectively, for South Bronx students.

 Summer Search New York City participants Ashley Gonzales, Kyabell Glass, Annell Ovalles, Laurin Ellis, Marjorie Abreu, Kassandra Cardona, Alex Williams, Nikarly Santiago, Erika Marte, Kattery Guzman and Tiga Anderson meet with AT&T New York President Hal Lenox (fifth from left) and Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr. (seventh from left) at a Summer Search reception held at the Bronx School for Law, Government and Justice May 4.

 

 

DANGEROUS DELAYS IN WOMEN’S HEALTH CARE AT SOME CITY HOSPITALS

City Comptroller John C. Liu uncovered dangerously long waits for women in need of mammograms at some City hospitals, according to an audit released today.

The audit examined the ability of nine HHC hospitals to provide two types of mammograms: screening and diagnostic. Screening mammograms are initial checks for cancer, usually for women age 40 and older. Diagnostic mammograms however are more urgent and are scheduled when a
lump or other potential sign of cancer is found.

At some City hospitals women had to wait more than three weeks for the  next available diagnostic mammogram appointment.  At Elmhurst Hospital in Queens, patients faced a wait of 50 working days.

“For years, City policy has emphasized the need for women to get mammograms. Unfortunately, significant shortfalls and lapses at City hospitals have undercut that intent and worse yet placed women in jeopardy,” Comptroller Liu said.  “The HHC has performed admirably in the wake of private hospital closures, and shrinking budgets and reimbursements. This audit nonetheless uncovers problems that require attention and resources so that women’s lives and health are not put at risk.”

LONGEST WAITS FOR A DIAGNOSTIC MAMMOGRAM
50 working days  Elmhurst Hospital  Queens

28 working days  Woodhull Hospital  Brooklyn

21 working days  Kings County Hospital  Brooklyn

20 working days  Gouverneur Hospital  Manhattan

17 working days  Bellevue Hospital  Manhattan

“For a woman who is worried she might have breast cancer, a 50-day wait for a diagnostic mammogram can be agonizing and could delay urgently-needed treatment,” said Lois Uttley, co-founder of Raising Women’s Voices for the Health Care We Need, a national initiative based in Manhattan. “Many of the women who depend on HHC facilities are uninsured and cannot afford to go somewhere else for a mammogram.”

“The real danger and focus of greatest urgency needs to be on women who present with a suspicious finding and don't receive a diagnostic mammogram immediately.  This is where lives can potentially be saved,” said Alice Yaker, Executive Director, of SHARE: Self-help for Women with Breast or Ovarian Cancer, a survivor-led 35-year-old breast and ovarian cancer organization.  “While controversies about efficacy surround the screening of healthy women, there is no controversy about the need for a diagnostic mammogram in a woman who presents with a lump in her breast, for example.  This requires our urgent attention, budget cuts and hospital closings notwithstanding."

The HHC currently has no guideline on how quickly a woman with potential breast cancer symptoms should receive a diagnostic mammogram appointment.  It does have a guideline of 14 days for a screening mammogram.  Nevertheless, patients at three HHC facilities had to wait more than one month for a screening mammogram appointment.

LONGEST WAITS FOR A SCREENING MAMMOGRAM

148 calendar days  Elmhurst Hospital  Queens

49 calendar days  Queens Hospital  Queens

41 calendar days  Woodhull Hospital  Brooklyn

Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death after lung cancer and in 94% of cases is diagnosed in women ages 40 years and older, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).  Early detection through breast cancer screening saves lives, reducing the risk of death by 17 to 30 percent the CDC has determined.

Long waits for a mammogram carry an added patient risk because the longer the wait, the higher the odds they will miss their appointment, according to the National Institutes for Health.  Auditors noted a high number of missed mammogram appointments at Elmhurst Hospital, where the waits were the longest.

Officials at Queens Hospital and Elmhurst Hospital said that several hospital closures in recent years and budget cuts have left them overwhelmed and unable to meet the HHC’s 14-day guideline.   In addition to having the longest waits, Elmhurst Hospital also conducted the most mammograms: 11,425.  Queens Hospital performed 10,544 mammograms, the second highest of HHC facilities.

The remainder of the nine HHC hospitals in the audit did offer prompt mammogram appointments during Fiscal Year 2009.  The audit also determined that HHC radiologists read and interpreted mammogram exam results in a timely manner.

Audit Recommendations:

§  Create a guideline for the number of days in which women will receive diagnostic mammogram appointments

§  Ensure all facilities provide screening mammogram appointments within 14 days
§  Ensure all facilities send patients reminders of scheduled appointments

HHC Response:

§  HHC is reviewing the creation of a performance standard for offering diagnostic mammograms appointments with a target date of September 2011  

§  HHC is currently reviewing its 14-day performance standard for offering screening mammogram appointments and seeking to improve the wait time where it is able

§  HHC facilities are individually reviewing their ability to place appointment reminder calls to patients with a target date of June 2011

Comptroller Liu credited Deputy Comptroller for Audit H. Tina Kim and the Audit Bureau for presenting the findings.  The full report is available at http://comptroller.nyc.gov/audits.

Spring Festival of the Arts, May 15th on South Riverdale Avenue!

The South Riverdale Avenue Merchants Association is celebrating spring and our community with its first annual Arts Festival. 

The event, First Annual Spring Festival of the Arts, will take place on Sunday, May 15, 2011 from 11 am to 4 pm along South Riverdale Avenue from 235th Street to 238th Street and down 238th Street. 

The Day will include:

• Art displays from Derfner Museum (at Hebrew Home), Elisa Contemporary Art, Riverdale Artists Association, local schools and Riverdale Neighborhood House
• Live music performances by the PS 24 glee club, Jazz Trio featuring Eric Alexander on sax, Joe Farnsworth on drums, and David Croce, and Riverdale Rising Stars (others to be confirmed)
• Readings and Story time by top Children book authors including Maryrose Wood at the Page Turner
• Special children's activities including a clown, face painter, art projects by Melissa Bulman and Hudson River Arts Workshop and  a Scavenger Hunt
• Pet Parade at Popcorn Pawz, Product Display at Salon Zoe, Flower Display at John's Botany Bay and More.
• Food
• Shopping and so much more.

We'll also have the Bronx Culture Trolley making stops to and from the festival to other local locations. Schedule available at www.krvcdc.org.

 

 

Senator Reverend Ruben Diaz’s May 15th Rally to Protect Marriage

New York State Senator Reverend Ruben Diaz (D-Bronx) released the following statement about his May 15th Bronx Rally to protect New York State’s traditional marriage laws:

"It's wonderful to know that thousands of New Yorkers plan to attend the May 15th Rally in The Bronx to oppose legislation to redefine marriage in New York State.

Everyone should realize that we're not hiring Ricky Martin or Elton John or Rosie Perez to attract people to our event. There won't be any paid superstars or celebrities to draw crowds. Whoever joins us will do so because they support traditional marriage.

It's important to know that whoever comes to this rally will be there because they support the growing movement in New York to protect marriage and to oppose proposals to redefine the definition of marriage to include homosexual marriage.

I'd also like to clarify some loathsome accusations about our May 15th Rally coinciding with the New York AIDS Walk. Our Rally for Traditional Marriage will include thousands of New Yorkers who support AIDS programs and AIDS victims.  No one has the right to accuse people who attend our rally of opposing AIDS victims or programs that help AIDS victims and their families.

It is also essential to correct disgraceful lies that are being made about me and my ongoing support for AIDS programs. Each year that I have served as New York State Senator, I have allocated $100,000 from my member item funds to Bronx AIDS services in the South Bronx.  I will continue to support the war against AIDS, and I will vote to increase funds against AIDS.

As the President of the New York Hispanic Clergy Organization, my fellow ministers and I have been and will remain committed to caring for AIDS victims and for their families.  Any statements to the contrary are lies.

Also, I will continue to encourage people to participate in the March Against AIDS.  AIDS is a terrible plague and those who commit themselves to join the war against AIDS are certainly part of this noble cause. However, it has to be made clear that everyone who participates in the March Against AIDS is not necessarily in support of gay marriage. There is a huge difference between the March Against AIDS and our Rally. One has nothing to do with the other."

 

Senator Rivera, Community Members Celebrate 33rd SenateDistrict Office Opening

   Senator Gustavo Rivera (D, WF-Bronx) will be joined by community members to celebrate the official opening of the 33rd Senate District Office tomorrow, Wednesday, May 4, 2011. This office was selected due to its location in a central and accessible area of Senate District 33, on Grand Concourse in the Fordham Road area. 

   Wednesday, May 4, 2011 at 6:00PM

   2432 Grand Concourse, Bronx NY – Suite 506

   The phone number for the office will be 718-933-2034.