LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION commending P.S. 172 Beacon School of Excellence
upon the occasion of its designation for special recognition

WHEREAS, P.S. 172 Beacon School of Excellence has been judged to be
particularly effective in meeting local, State, and national educational
goals; it has also displayed the qualities of excellence necessary to
prepare young people for the challenges of the 21st Century; and
WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and in full accord with its long-
standing traditions, this Legislative Body is justly proud to commend
P.S. 172 Beacon School of Excellence upon the occasion of its desig-
nation for special recognition; and
WHEREAS, P.S. 172 Beacon School of Excellence is located in Brooklyn,
New York and is one of 23 elementary schools in New York City Geographic
District No.15; it is a public school that serves 542 students in grades
Pre-K through K-5; and
WHEREAS, P.S. 172 Beacon School of Excellence made Adequate Yearly
Progress (AYP) in 2009; under the No Child Left Behind policy, a school
makes Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) if it achieves the minimum levels
of improvement determined by the State of New York in terms of student
performance and other accountability measures; and
WHEREAS, In 2007, P.S. 172 Beacon School of Excellence had 12 students
for every full-time equivalent teacher; the New York average is 13
students per full-time equivalent teacher; and
WHEREAS, Perfection may seem a quixotic goal in New York City, where
children enter school from every imaginable background and ability
level; but on the tests, P.S. 172, also called the Beacon School of
Excellence, is coming close -- even though 80 percent of its students
are poor enough to qualify for free lunch, nearly a quarter receive
special education services, and many among its predominately Hispanic
population do not speak English at home; and
WHEREAS, In 2009, the 580-student primary school topped the city with
its fourth grade math scores, with all students passing, all but one
with a mark of "advanced," or Level 4; in English, all but one of 75
fourth graders passed, earning a Level 3 or 4, placing it among the
city's top dozen schools; and
WHEREAS, On average, at schools with the same poverty rate, only 66
percent of the students pass the English test and 29 percent score at an
advanced level in math, according to a NEW YORK TIMES analysis of
Department of Education statistics; and though it is less well known,
P.S. 172 regularly outperforms its neighbors in Park Slope and Carroll
Gardens, where parents raise hundreds of thousands a year for extra
aides and enrichment; and
WHEREAS, Ably led by Principal Jack Spatola, P.S. 172 Beacon School of
Excellence continues to prosper today and well into the future; and
WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body to recognize and
commend those institutions of commitment and high achievement whose
purpose and endeavors prove a dedication to the pursuit of excellence in
the education of the youth of this noble Empire State; now, therefore,
be it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
commend P.S. 172 Beacon School of Excellence upon the occasion of its
designation for special recognition; and be it further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be tran-
smitted to Jack Spatola, Principal, P.S. 172 Beacon School of Excel-
lence.