Anyone who has met me is well aware of how proud I am to have been born and raised in The Bronx. But just about ten years ago, my wife and I had to decide where our children were going to grow up and the Boogie Down did not make the cut. Instead, through some strange serendipity, we wound up over 350 miles away from our old apartment and landed in Monroe County, the core of what is considered Greater Rochester. Not long after that, I founded Chariot Learning, at which point I learned something profound yet previously hidden from me:
Monroe County has some amazing schools!
In fact, Monroe County has many amazing schools, districts, and educational communities. Whether you favor public, private, or parochial options, you’re spoiled for choices in the Greater Rochester area. The strong commitment to academic success shared by so many families here proved a perfect match for Chariot Learning and vice versa. After a few successful years, we were ready to open an office with room for tutoring, classes, practice tests, and events. I looked at many spaces, but fought for my first choice, a terrific space at the well-known intersection of Clover and Monroe:
This space couldn’t be more convenient for most of our students. However, it was only recently–when the Top 50 Upstate New York school districts with best 2017 SAT scores rankings were released–that I realized how perfect our placement really is.
Before turning to those rankings, let’s consider the geography of Monroe County. The Chariot Learning office is on the Brighton side of Clover St, but crossing the street brings you to Pittsford. If you drive due south on Clover, you’ll arrive in Honeoye Falls.
Why is this relevant? Consider the top three school districts in all of Upstate New York, ranked by average SAT scores in 2017:
1: Pittsford Central School District
Number of test takers: 260
Total average score: 1252
Average EBRW/Math: 624 / 629
2: Brighton Central School District
Number of test takers: 207
Total average score: 1244
Average EBRW/Math: 628 / 616
3: Honeoye Falls-Lima Central School District
Number of test takers: 130
Total average score: 1238
Average EBRW/Math: 614 / 623
Obviously, credit for these remarkable results accrues first and foremost to the students who earned them, supported by caring and committed family, teachers, and faculty. The highest test scores generally derive from a lifetime of diligence, not a few months of training. But I’d be remiss if I didn’t at least point out our positioning in this nexus of noteworthy test scores. We’re privileged to work with many students from these schools and so many others from Monroe, Ontario, Livingston, Onondaga, and Madison Counties.
Congratulations to all our friends, families, and colleagues in Pittsford, Brighton, and HFL as well as the other Upstate New York communities recognized in this year’s Top 50 SAT rankings. We at Chariot Learning are proud to contribute to this culture of academic success. And, on a personal note, choosing to raise my children in one of these fabulous districts was one of the smartest choices I’ve ever made!
Hi Mike, great post and I really enjoy the Chariot Learning Blog!
Question on the data: I looked up the #1 school, Pittsford’s NYState BEDS data (a few years old now), and they have 450-500 students enrolled per grade. https://data.nysed.gov/enrollment.php?year=2016&instid=800000050008
If only 260 are taking the SAT, what has happened to the rest of the count? Are they taking the ACT?
Anthony V,
Rochester NY
Hi Anthony, thanks for the comment and compliment.
That discrepancy between the number of students per grade and the number of reported SAT test takers seems glaring. Here are two factors that may contribute to the difference:
1. Many Pittsford students do, in my experience, take the ACT. However, I don’t expect that half the class skips the SAT entirely.
2. This data set may only include seniors. Many students in that district earn their best test scores by the end of 11th grade.
Your question is so interesting that I’m going to chase down a more definitive answer. Stay tuned!