From the Board by Donald Peterson : Jamesburg school district — making progress

From the Board: Board president questions the accuracy of school report cards.

By: Donald Peterson
   As a member of the Board of Education for the past eight years, I, along with my fellow board members, have struggled with the question, "Do the results of the N.J. School Report Cards accurately reflect the current state of education in Jamesburg?"
   For example, if you take a cursory look at the results for the 2005-2006 school year, you might conclude that things are not going too well. While I can understand where you might reach that conclusion, I would suggest that such a perception is, if not, inaccurate, at least deserving of a more detailed look.
   First, let’s look at what the three assessments actually measure and how they are scored. The ASK 3 examines third-grade students in language arts and math proficiency, the ASK 4 and GEPA test fourth- and eighth-grade students in language arts, math and science. The results are normally reported out by the percent of the student population who achieve a grade of Partially Proficient, Proficient or Advanced Proficient in each area. For example, in math on the ASK 3, Jamesburg had 33.3 percent of our students in the advanced proficient category, 57.3 percent in the proficient range and 9.3 percent were partially proficient.
   What is often over looked by the media is the fact that the state breaks the results down even further into 13 subcategories. These subcategories include the following classifications: General Education, Students with Disabilities, Limited English Proficiency, Female, Male, Black, Hispanic, White, Economically Disadvantaged, Migrant, Other Race, American Indian/Alaskan Native and Asian & Pacific Islander. Of the 13 subcategories Jamesburg had students in 9 subgroups.
   A more detailed analysis of the data shows that there are three grades (partially proficient, proficient and advanced proficient) in nine subgroups for a total of 27 gradable areas in each discipline. The scores reported out for the 2005-2006 school year consisted of results for three grade levels (third, fourth and eighth), on a total of eight separate exams, in nine subcategories, for a total of 216 gradable areas.
   It is within these subcategories that the board and administration truly measure the progress of the district. As you can see in the accompanying table, the district realized positive growth in 56 percent of all areas tested, remained level or neutral in 12 percent of tested areas and experienced negative change in 31 percent of tested areas.
   While the results, to date, fall short of our intended goal (75 percent proficient for all students), the results do indicate that we are making progress. With a sustained effort from our students, parents, staff, administration and board I know that we can and will achieve our goal.
   Another factor that deserves consideration is sampling size. In a district where the average grade level consists of 55 to 60 students, one must be aware that the relatively small sample size could have a tremendous impact on district results. Ten percent of 60 students is six, whereas 10 percent of 400 students is 40. There is the reason that most statistical analyses require minimum sampling sizes.
   I have heard it said that if you torture numbers long enough they will confess to anything. Yes, if you look hard enough, I’m sure you can find something negative in the results of the 2005-2006 Report Card. In the same token, I know you can find positive results. I guess it all depends on your perspective — is your glass half full or half empty?
   I’m a realist; I know we have much work ahead of us. But I’m also very optimistic because I know that Jamesburg’s glass is not only half full — but it is spilling over! Embrace the challenge, celebrate the successes and together our community will remain great.
Donald Peterson is the president of the Jamesburg Board of Education.