Jersey
posts modest gains in skills tests
National report card shows
strides in math, little progress in reading
Thursday, October 20, 2005 • BY JOHN MOONEY •
Star-Ledger Staff
Public schools in New Jersey and around
the nation received a mixed report card yesterday with the
release of the latest national test scores in math and
reading.
The results of the National Assessment of
Education Progress, dubbed as the "nation's report card,"
showed gains in math scores for fourth- and eighth-graders
in the state but little change in reading scores for the
same grade levels.
The results also showed some improvements
for minority and low-income students.
"It looks like we are starting to close
the achievement gap, and that's very encouraging," said
Lucille Davy, New Jersey's acting education
commissioner.
Still, for all the attention given to
improving literacy instruction, especially under the federal
No Child Left Behind Act, the overall numbers haven't
changed much since the tests were first given in
1990.
Sixty-eight percent of New Jersey's
fourth-graders and 80 percent of the eighth-graders recorded
scores at the basic level or higher in reading, figures that
are largely stagnant from previous tests. Less than 40
percent in both grades were rated "proficient" or
better.
The math scores were more encouraging. In
New Jersey, 86 percent of the fourth graders and 74 percent
of the eight-graders were at or above basic, both up
significantly from when the state first participated in the
test in 1990.
The mixed results mirrored the national
picture.
"It is very clear that educational system
is not making the same progress in literacy as we are in
mathematics," said John Stevens of the National Assessment
Governing Board, which oversees the NAEP exam and released
the scores during a news conference in Washington,
D.C.
State officials said yesterday that they
were especially pleased with the math scores, pointing out
that only Massachusetts did significantly better than New
Jersey. Another dozen states were within the same
statistical range.
"New Jersey continues to be one of the
highest performing states in the nation, and we should all
be very proud of our students and their teachers," said
acting Gov. Richard J. Codey in a statement.
But the NAEP scores have raised questions
about the state's own tests, because of the difference in
results. In the state tests, students are showing progress
in literacy but less so in math.
State officials stressed that the state
and national tests are significantly different, but conceded
the NAEP results may prompt a closer review of the state's
measures. NAEP tests are considered more rigorous than most
states' tests, including the tests in New Jersey.
"Some of it doesn't square with our
results, where this doesn't show much improvement (in
reading)," said Davy, the state commissioner. "That's
something we ought to try to take a look at."
Like many other education leaders, Davy
has pressed lately for improved math education, and
yesterday she did not back off that call.
"I think it always needs to be both," she
said. "Kids today need a high level of both reading and
mathematic skills ... Any given day there may be more focus
on one or the other, but there really needs to be
both."
The NAEP exam was taken last year in
nearly 300 New Jersey schools by about 10,700 randomly
selected students. Each section of the test is 90 minutes
long. Results are not broken out by schools or
districts.
The Robert Frost Elementary School in
East Brunswick was among the schools where a couple dozen
children took the NAEP test last winter.
Principal Patricia Wright said yesterday
that the time devoted to the tests is worthwhile to get a
snapshot of the state and nation, although there is limited
value for any individual school.
"It's another piece of data for all of us
to look at," said Wright, who earlier in the day was
celebrated as one of New Jersey's four Principals of the
Year.
"But as a principal, it still comes down
to what we're doing in our own school with our own students,
looking at data from the classroom and the state's
tests."
The entire report can be found online:
http://nationsreportcard.gov/
John Mooney covers education. He may be reached at
jmooney@starledger.com, or (973) 392-1548.
© 2005 The Star-Ledger. Used by NJ.com with
permission.
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