Current third-grade reading and math scores rank it first in the city and second in the state.

There were even declines in third-grade reading, which Dr. Crew has made a centerpiece of his administration.

But the school's high rank in third-grade reading - it placed fifth in the state, adjusting for poverty and foreign languages - may be most attributable to its "test sophistication program."

Of 38 high-performing schools for third-grade reading in the county, only 4 listed more than 10 percent of the pupils as eligible for free lunches.

At Uriah Hill School in Peekskill, a top performer for third-grade reading, there were about 17 pupils for each staff member.

Parents will learn as early as this week whether their children passed the third-grade reading and math tests that will be the basis for promotion.

The scores, coupled with the Chancellor's mandate on third-grade reading, led the school and hundreds of others across the city to step up their training of students.

But even the raw scores showed New York City's gains lagging behind the rest of the state except in the bottom tier of third-grade reading.

While statewide test scores last year for third-grade reading show that schools in the Dallas area are outperforming those in other regions of the country, serious gaps remain.

Scores for third-grade reading almost doubled last year, with 48 percent of the students reading at grade level compared with 25 percent in 1996.