Westinghouse Academics

Analyzing the school reports from the 2023 New York City Department of Education and the New York State Regents Exams reports provides valuable insights into Westinghouse's academic performance. In 2023, the school was positioned at 1069th in the state rankings, with a testing percentile of 12.9. Comparing this to its standing right after the 2014 NYU and Poly merger, Westinghouse was ranked 1067th, with a testing percentile of 13.7. Over the decade following the merger, there has been a slight decline in rankings. Going back to the initial data collection in 2005, Westinghouse held the 868th spot with a testing percentile of 7.2%. While the ranking has seen a notable drop, the significant increase in the testing percentage over the years is worth noting. During the same decade, NYU Tandon made remarkable strides, catapulting to an impressive 36th ranking in 2022 among the top engineering schools in the U.S. That's a 30-spot leap from its starting point at 66 in 2014 according to the U.S. News and World Report rankings.

While Westinghouse's decline in ranking can be attributed to various factors, one significant contributor is diminished funding. According to the NYC Chancellor's Office 2019-20 School Year Financial Transparency Report, Westinghouse received significantly less funding than neighboring high schools in the same district. In 2020, per pupil expenditures at Westinghouse were reported at $24,189.58, while counterparts in the area received $26,234.77 per pupil—a notable difference of over $2000 per student.
This funding disparity has cascading effects, ranging from inadequate staffing arrangements that could hinder a teacher's accountability towards their students to insufficient resources for student learning, including essential tools like computers, testing services, and tutoring. Additionally, budget constraints likely forced the school to cut extracurricular programs beyond STEM, profoundly impacting student engagement and overall school culture.
Addressing these challenges prompts questions about the efficacy of simply increasing funding. Would additional resources alone suffice, or do deeper structural changes need to occur?

It's easy to throw money at an issue in hopes of fixing it, but will that bring back Westinghouse's rankings? While increased funding could offer Westinghouse opportunities to enhance its educational environment, there's a crucial question that looms: Will the current administration utilize these funds effectively and meaningfully for the students' benefit?

From the verified and official data I've gathered, it's evident that underfunding is a significant challenge at the school. However, it's important to recognize that financial resources alone do not determine a school's success. A multitude of factors make or break schools, including the teachers' efforts and overall school culture and environment. There are underlying internal issues at Westinghouse that contribute to both its low testing scores and inadequate funding.

Identifying and addressing these undisclosed internal challenges is pivotal to turning the tide and reversing Westinghouse's ranking decline over recent years. Simply infusing more money into the system won't create change; there needs to be a strategic overhaul focusing on the root causes of the decline. So, what changes could be made, and how can they positively transform the school's trajectory? Could forging a more robust partnership with NYU, beyond the existing articulation agreement, provide Westinghouse students with the support they need to thrive?