While most special education students take citywide math and reading tests, the auditors found, their scores are not used to assess the effectiveness of the program.

Students in the program have done better on citywide math and reading tests than other students in the same schools and districts.

"The scores were not at an acceptable level," he said, referring to the performance of P.S. 176's students in citywide math and reading tests.

First the students must reach the 80th percentile on the citywide math and reading tests.

Other schools take into account samples of the child's work, the child's vocabulary, interviews, report cards and, for older children, scores on citywide math and reading tests.

The Bloomberg campaign had announced only that it was introducing one commercial based on new test scores showing gains in English and math citywide.

THE performance scale uses citywide math and reading tests to measure public schools in New York City.

P.S. 236 has ranked in the top 3 percent in reading and math citywide for the last two decades, said its principal, Irving Rahinsky.

P.S. 203, has ranked in the top 10 percent in reading and math citywide.

The students at Intermediate School 78 have ranked within the top 12 percent in reading and math citywide for at least 15 years.