Recent NJGPA score decline shows the need to look into current practices.
-Written by a non-politically connected Educator in the Community
In April 2024, U.S. News and World Report released their public high school rankings for the 2022-23 school year, which BHCW summarized and TAPInto published again recently. In the rankings, Governor Livingston High School (GLHS) ranked 90th, a ten-place decrease from the prior year. While the 90th-place ranking is in the top quarter of all 426 public high schools across New Jersey, GLHS rank was behind nearby districts such as Chatham (21st), Summit (29th), Westfield (40th), New Providence (41st), Madison (52nd), and Scotch Plains-Fanwood (70th), while GLHS is ranked ahead of Cranford (94th), Springfield/Jonathan Dayton (#121), and Clark/ALJ (#173).
A little background:
- The U.S. News and World Reports rankings are based on various factors including standardized test scores to assess math, science, and reading proficiency; college readiness; underserved student performance; college curriculum breadth; and graduation rates. Therefore, any decline in test scores and/or scores released lower than neighboring districts can negatively affect Berkeley Heights Public Schools (BHPS) rankings.
- The “NJGPA” referred to below is the New Jersey Growth Proficiency Assessment, a state-mandated test in Mathematics (Algebra 1 and Geometry standards) and English Language Arts (Grade 10 standards) that Grade 11 students must take in March of their junior year to demonstrate high school graduation readiness. The passing score is a 725 on a scale from 650 to 850. If students do not pass the first time, there are various other pathways to graduation, such as taking the NJGPA again in fall of their senior year, qualifying PSAT/SAT/ACT/Accuplacer scores, or a portfolio work appeal.
At the August 15th, 2024 Board of Education (BOE) meeting, Acting Superintendent and GLHS Principal Robert Nixon presented that while 95% and 82% of GLHS juniors passed the NJGPA in English Language Arts and Mathematics, respectively, in spring 2023 (graduating Class of 2024), this number fell to 89% and 73% of GLHS juniors to pass the NJGPA in English Language Arts and Mathematics, respectively, in spring 2024 (graduating Class of 2025). Although this latest sample may be a one-off, and hopefully is, this 89%/73% is lower than other neighboring districts, especially in math.
The key takeaway to the above data is that more than one-quarter (27%) of our current GLHS senior class testing “not graduation ready” in mathematics is not good.
To help address this issue, seniors who did not yet reach proficiency on the NJGPA are enrolled in an English and Math Strategies Applications (EMStA) course in Semester 1. EMStA is also applied to students in junior year in their Semester 1 in need of support based on their prior testing scores (such as NJSLA or PSAT and performance in year-long course) and for freshman and sophomores for Semester 2. However, this extra math course is just one solution compared to broader issues affecting BHPS proficiencies the last several years.
In order for not only our GLHS rankings to improve but most importantly for our Berkeley Heights and Mountainside students to be engaged in a more effective learning environment, here is what this administration and Board of Education can do (or continue to do) for improvement to support stronger NJGPA scores and beyond:
- Consistent grading procedures between schools and departments.
- Consistent qualifications for students to become enrolled in Honors and AP classes (with both Columbia Middle School and Mountainside’s Deerfield School).
- Consistent assessments between teachers of the same class.
- Collaboration between teachers from different schools (for example, Columbia Middle School math teachers with GLHS math teachers; Grade 5 teachers between Mountain Park-Hughes).
- Ensure alignment with CollegeBoard (for Advanced Placement courses) and New Jersey Student Learning Standards (NJSLS) for all courses.
- Putting back midterms at GLHS: Starting in the 2015-16 school year, GLHS decided to eliminate the four-day midterm cycle in late January in favor of more instructional time and in-part due to an expansion of state testing called PARCC at the time (which is now NJSLA). At very minimum, midterm assessments within a one or two 56-minute class period, which would be less disruptive to the overall schedule in January, could be implemented depending on the department.
- Time for teachers to work together: In a prior article, a hypothetical 2025-26 BHPS calendar was created to not only add for additional holidays, such as DiWali and Lunar New Year, but also expanded professional development. This calendar allowed for up to five (5) student early dismissal professional development days to allow for workshops, training by administrators, and teacher collaboration.
The goal is to get BHPS schools and their students to achieve in all areas their full potential. In addition to EMStA, these strategies, some of which have already been implemented, could be beneficial to not only the rankings of GLHS/BHPS but also the skills and overall achievement of our students.
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