The Hicksville School District has been identified as one of 16 on Long Island that are in need of accountability improvements, according to a report from the state Department of Education.
The Fork Lake Elementary School was flagged by the state for subpar academic performance, with the state report saying the school needed additional targeted support and improvement, classifying it as an ATSI school. Any district with a school designated in the report by the state is also listed as a “target district.”
“We are committed to our students’ academic improvement and are confident that the measures implemented in the 2025-2026 school year will strengthen future academic performance,” Hicksville Superintendent Theodore Fulton said in a statement. “Our School Comprehensive Education Planning team is focused on implementing ourplancreated last school year as all target districts are required. The plan is designed to make lesson content more accessible to students and to address academic and linguistic demands through teacher professional development and after-school tutoring for students at Fork Lane Elementary School.”
As part of its plan, thedistrict said the four priority areas for its goals are student achievement and experience in and out of the classroom, family and community engagement, a supportive professional environment and operations and facilities.
The state is federally required to identify schools with the lowest academic performance, looking at factors includingstudent academic achievement, progress of English language learners, attendance, and graduation rates for high schools.
There were 375 schools statewide classified as TSI, ATSI or CSI, the three strongest designations, under the state Department of Education’s 2025-26 accountability list, including 23 on Long Island. The designations are based primarily on data from the 2024-25 school year, except for graduation rates, which were taken from 2023-24.
ATSI schools are given their designation as TSI schools for multiple years. TSI schools are identified based on low accountability performance, the state says.
Schools that are identified as CSI, ATSI, or TSI can exit their support models and transition to LSI in the second school year after initial identification or any school year thereafter, according to the state.
“Accountability is a powerful catalyst for meaningful change and stronger outcomes for students,” state Department of Education Commissioner Betty Rosa said in a statement in February. “By aligning each school with a tailored support model, we can meet communities where they are and work in partnership to drive lasting improvement.”
The Hempstead School District was the only other one identified in the report within Nassau County. There were 14 Suffolk County school districts identified as target districts.
Source: LI Press
