State testing results are in

JAMESBURG- Borough students’ scores up

By: Nick D’Amore
   JAMESBURG — The results of the 2001 Elementary School Proficiency Assessment and the Grade Eight Proficiency Assessment show success in district fourth- and eighth-graders in language arts and science, but still some trouble with mathematics skills.
   But, Jamesburg Schools Superintendent Richard Ballard said some of the improved performance areas still fall below the state mandated levels.
   "We’re disappointed with the scores in several areas," he said, citing math, especially.
   He said third- and seventh-graders will take the Terra Nova tests this year to prepare them for this year’s ESPA and GEPA.
   "It’s more like ESPA and GEPA, so we can get away from the shock. Then, we will also be able to track children using apples and apples," he said.
   There were several areas in which Mr. Ballard said he was pleased with the way district students performed.
   Fourth-graders who scored proficient or advanced proficient improved by 32.2 points from 2000 in the language arts section of ESPA in 2001.
   "We met the standard on the section, but we want to get it higher. We don’t expect to be at the top, but we don’t expect to be at the bottom, either," said Mr. Ballard.
   For both the ESPA and GEPA exams, advanced proficient students score between 250 and 300, proficient students score between 200 and 249, and partially proficient students score between 100 and 199.
   The number of the students that scored proficient or advanced proficient on the section totaled 80.2 percent, which falls below the state average of 85.3 percent.
   Of those students, 8.2 percent scored in the advanced proficient range, below the 10.6 percent state average. Also, 72.1 percent of students scored proficient, also below the state average of 74.7 percent. The percentage of students falling into the partially proficient range was above the state average, with 19.7 percent. The state average is 14.7 percent.
   In math, district students did not fare as well, scoring below the state mandated numbers, though the scores of those in the proficient or advanced proficient range went up 2.9 percent from 2000.
   "The teachers are aware of our concerns. If we can bring it up in the next three or four years in a row, our hard work will show an improvement," said Mr. Ballard.
   In the math section of the ESPA, 68.9 percent of students scored proficient or advanced proficient, below the state average of 71.3 percent.
   Of those, 19.7 percent scored in the advanced proficient range, below the state average of 24.6 percent. However, the number of proficient students, 49.2 percent, was higher than the state average of 46.7 percent. But, the number of partially proficient students was also higher, with 31.1 percent of district students scoring in that range, compared to 28.7 percent of students statewide.
   "There will be more concentration on testing tools and on the skills the students need to demonstrate. Then, we can work to improve our areas of weakness," said Mr. Ballard.
   Another bright spot was science, with which Mr. Ballard was "very pleased."
   In that section, 91.8 percent of students scored proficient or advanced proficient, higher than the state average of 90.5 percent.
   Of those students, 36.1 percent scored in the advanced proficient range, falling below the state average of 41.1 percent. However, the 55.7 percent of proficient fourth-graders was higher than the 49.4 percent of fourth-graders throughout the state. Also, 8.2 percent of district fourth-graders were partially proficient, compared with the state average of 9.5 percent.
   Eighth-graders taking the GEPA had similar results, with improvements in language arts and science, but with trouble in the math section.
   Mr. Ballard said there was an 8 percent improvement in the language arts section of those who scored proficient or advanced proficient, with 83 percent passing. That exceeds the state average of 82.2 percent.
   Of those students, 4.3 percent were advanced proficient, lower than the state average of 8.3 percent. However, there were 78.7 percent that scored proficient, above the state average of 73.9 percent. The partially proficient students totaled 17 percent, slightly below the state average of 17.8 percent.
   In math, however, Mr. Ballard said the scores of proficient or advanced proficient were "alarming," with a 7-point drop in the district scores, compared to 2000.
   "Of all the testing, this is our greatest concern. This was the only one we went down in, in all the rest we made gains. That’s important," he said.
   In the math section, 61.7 percent of district eighth-graders scored proficient or advanced proficient, falling far below the 70.1 percent state average.
   Of those students, 14.9 percent were advanced proficient, below the state average of 21.7 percent. Proficient students totaled 46.8 percent, also below the state average of 48.3 percent. Partially proficient students, 38.3 percent, exceeded the state average of 29.9 percent.
   However, in science the numbers showed overall success in the district, with 91.5 percent scoring proficient or advanced proficient in the section, compared to 81.5 percent in the state.
   "That means that, in our district, only three students did not meet the standards. We’re very pleased with that," Mr. Ballard.
   Of those students, 21.3 percent were advanced proficient, slightly below the state average of 22 percent. However, 70.2 percent of students were proficient, far above the state average of 59.5 percent. The number of partially proficient students, 8.5 percent, was also far below the state average of 18.5 percent.
   Mr. Ballard said the dilemma of having a small district is that the number of students that come into the district from other ones can alter the numbers.
   He said those statements have been made by several districts, but have "fallen on deaf ears."
   He said in a survey the district conducted last year, 92 percent of students that had been in the district for second and third grade had met the ESPA standards. For the GEPA, 90 percent of students that had been in the district for fifth through seventh grade passed.
   "If a child attends school regularly for two years prior to the test, 90 percent will pass in Jamesburg," said Mr. Ballard.
   "The students that aren’t passing, haven’t been in our schools," he said.