I have two daughters, one went to ARE k-5 and the other k-3. As a certified teacher myself, I am rather picky about the experiences my children have. I have to say that the teachers we have had (9 total) have been pretty darn terrific. Vestal has a bit of a reputation for hiring young teachers to
... Read more save money, but the kids in this neighborhood are a pleasure to work with. I have always found our teachers responsive to my concerns. I have also volunteered in the school and very impressed by what I see. The teachers are caring, enthusiastic and hard working. PTO runs a very well organized program of volunteerism which includes after school activities. This is a superior school, with superior test scores to prove it! Read less
Posted by a parent on 08/18/09
I just moved to the area one year ago, taking my son from a private Montessori school into a public school system for the first time. I was worried but have been very pleased with African Road Elementary. His teacher is extraordinary--as a parent who helped to staff 'centers' once a week, I got to
... Read more watch her in action and was consistenly impressed. She worked hard to tailor her teaching to my son's special skills and need for more challenging work. She communicates effectively with parents through notes home and even by e-mail. The principal, Ms. Mitchell, and secretary, Ms. Ellis, are also fantastic--helpful, concerned about the kids, cheerful under stress, on top of things--I really couldn't be happier. Now, I'm just hoping for another super teacher next year. Read less
Posted by a parent on 06/17/09
My daughter has had an excellent experience thus far at ARE. She has had absolutely outstanding teachers and has flourished as a result. That said, I know there are definitely some teachers there who should not be teaching - I just have not had the 'pleasure' of encountering them. I find my own ability
... Read more to get involved as a parent limited by the school, PTA, and other parents - many activities are scheduled during work hours and they frequently do not provide enough advance notice for me to make arrangements to participate. I also find many parents up in arms and making a lot of noise about things that they really know little about -jumping to conclusions and making assumptions without doing research. They seem to be in attack mode - no wonder some people feel the principal is unresponsive! I can't really blame her! Read less
Posted by a parent on 08/16/07
African Road Elementary has poor leadership. The more veteran teachers are very rigid and stuck in their ways and the newer teachers with prompting, are headed in that direction. Very little opportunities for parent involvement in classrooms. Principal and teachers seem almost afraid of parent involvement.
... Read more Students are smart, coming from an educated community, so test scores will always be good. 'Us against them' (teachers/parents) attitude can be felt across the board. Overall not progressive in their thinking, which is somewhat surprising since there seem to be quite a few younger teachers. Read less
Posted by a parent on 08/10/07
Having had several kids in and through ARE I am very pleased at the quality of education, which is why the students are there. Parental involvement is lacking at the PTA level. A few parents seem to want to substitute their educational opinions for the teachers. I have found the principal to be open,
... Read more very kind and interested in each child. I have never had one of my, or more importantly my child's , concerns ignored, however small or large. Extra curricular activities are parent run and therefore inconsistent yet excellent. The community is loaded with activities for all levels and interests. In school opportunities are appropriate and supported. Student gov't is a long standing positive, highly sought after student positions that directs creative community service opportunities for the students.The size of the school creates a close environment. The school secretary knows each child (over 300) by name. A real gem! Read less
Posted by a parent on 08/09/07
Teacher quality is inconsistent. High teacher turnover and many inexperienced (and experienced) teachers in the building who lack motivation to go the extra distance for their students. Communication home is lacking, as is teacher limitation of parent involvement. Most likely coming from the principal,
... Read more whose methods and thinking regarding school-home collaboration is very outdated. Student body is bright on the whole, so testing scores are consistently on the high side. But those statistics are misleading for parents moving their families into the district for this school. Very limited parent involvement into the classroom, at parties, etc. is allowed and there are no creative projects at the school, such as science fairs, 100BookChallenge, grants for art and innovation. Field trips are uneventful and sparse. It has been a very disappointing experience overall. Read less
Posted by a parent on 03/27/07
Not impressed with principal. This school needs an injection of new people!
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Posted by a parent on 12/03/05
Not open to parent involvement. Not very informative to parents. A sort of 'us against them' scenario. Principal is not honest...Good reputation for Vestal High, I don't think the reputation carries over to African Road Elem. The principal seems to think that parents are ignorant and exaggeratng when
... Read more it comes to student related issues. Yet, the school is still not bad. It needs to be more progressive, though. Read less
Posted by a parent on 10/31/05
Teachers are often insensitive to childrens' feelings. Extra ciricular activities are costly and sparce. Special education is inadequate. mild bullying is common and not addressed. This school needs a lot of improvements!
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* In 2008-2009 New York used the New York State Assessments to test students in grades 3 through 8 in English language arts and math, in grades 4 and 8 in science and in grades 5 and 8 in social studies. The tests are standards-based, which means they measure how well students are mastering specific skills defined for each grade by the state of New York. The goal is for 90% of students to meet or exceed grade-level standards on the tests.
Student enrollment:
300
Students per teacher:
14
Full-time teachers:
22
Number of classrooms:
17
{PROGRAMS_TAB_CONTENT}
Advanced Placement
AP classes are college-level classes offered at the high school level. Once a student completes an AP class and passes a final comprehensive examination conducted by the College Board, the student earns college credit for the course. AP classes are specific and not to be confused with other higher-level classes such as honors classes.
Before/After School
"Extended day" programs where the school day is extended before and after school to accommodate working parents. These programs should not be confused with common after school clubs or athletic activities.
Gifted and Talented
A school system may identify 10% to 15% or more of its student population as gifted and talented. A brief description of each area of giftedness or talent as defined by the Office of Gifted and Talented:
general intellectual ability or talent - high intelligence test score (usually two standard deviations above the mean), and high levels of vocabulary, memory, abstract work knowledge and abstract reasoning;
specific academic aptitude or talent in one area such as mathematics or language arts;
creative and productive thinking, the ability to produce new ideas;
leadership ability, the ability to direct individuals or groups to a common decision or action;
visual and performing arts, special talents in visual art, music, dance, drama, or other related studies;
psychomotor ability, such as practical, spatial, mechanical, and physical skills.
Vocation/Technical Curriculum
Vocational and/or technical courses offered within a comprehensive school, usually a senior high school.
Special Education Classes
A school or program within a school that provides services and training to students with moderate to severe mental and/or physical disabilities.
Adult Education Classes
Programs offering GED or equivalent courses for adults within regular schools, whether classes are held during evening or daytime schedules.
English as Second Language
English language classes for students whose first language is not English.
Homes for sale near African Road Elementary School
Vestal schools — African Road Elementary School is located at 600 S Benita Blvd, Vestal NY 13850. 600 S Benita Blvd is in the 13850 ZIP code in Vestal, NY The school district for African Road Elementary School is the Vestal Ctl School District. African Road Elementary School is a Public school that serves grade levels K - 5.
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Test Score Ratings
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not provided by the state Department of Education, which may have their own rating systems.
