The New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE) recently announced the 2007 statewide standardized tests scoring results. The outcome shows overall improvement and significant gains in some areas. According to Education Commissioner Lucille E. Davy, there have been noteworthy improvements especially at the elementary school level.
Students at School No. 3 in Little Falls and Beatrice Gilmore Elementary School in West Paterson achieved high scores at the third and fourth grade levels. For instance, fourth grade language results at School No. 3 showed that 81.2 percent of test takers received proficient status, with 12.9 percent achieving advanced proficient status and only 5.9 percent with partially proficient status. In math, 54.5 percent of students achieved proficient scores, 31.7 percent received advanced proficient marks and only 13.9 percent were labeled partially proficient.
In West Paterson, almost 84 percent of fourth grade students at Beatrice Gilmore Elementary School scored at or above proficiency in language. In math, nearly 93 percent of students scored at or above proficiency. Charles Olbon Elementary School results were slightly more varied at 23.3 percent partially proficient, 56.7 percent proficient and 20 percent advanced proficient in language. More than 83 percent of students achieved proficient status or above in math. Totowa numbers were consistent with these results. At Washington Park Elementary School, almost 82 percent of fourth graders scored at or above proficiency in language and almost 77 percent achieved proficient status or above in math.
At the sixth grade level, School No. 1 in Little Falls achieved proficiency or advanced proficiency in language and math at about 75 percent. Memorial Middle School in West Paterson had almost 78 percent of test takers score at or above proficiency in language and almost 74 percent at or above proficiency in math. Totowa’s Washington Park sixth graders scored at or above proficiency in language at 73.3 percent and in math at 77.3 percent. The state average for sixth grade math was 79 percent at or above proficiency, a figure up more than eight percent from the previous year.
Passaic Valley High School students showed standings of 8.1 percent partially proficient, 71.4 percent proficient and 20.5 percent advanced proficient in language. Math results were more varied at 20.1 percent, 63.3 percent and 16.6 percent respectively. The state average for proficiency or above in language was 85.3 percent. The math average was 73.4 percent. Both scores have risen steadily since 2002.
“In general, we see continued strong performance by New Jersey students,” said Davy in a press release from the NJDOE. “While there is still much to be done, the fact that these scores are moving in the right direction is very good news.”
The scoring scale for all grade tests is 100 to 300. Achieving a score of 200 designates proficiency with a score of 250 signifying advanced proficiency in either language or math. Little Falls, West Paterson and Totowa received proficient or advanced proficient status at about 70 to 90 percent in most cases.
For more information and additional specific percentages, visit www.state.nj.us/education/news/2008/0206ast.htm.
