Evaluation methods flawed, school officials say.
By: Matt Chiappardi
HIGHTSTOWN Three of the schools in the East Windsor Regional district are part of the 25 percent of New Jersey public schools that were deemed "in need of improvement" by a progress report on No Child Left Behind law compliance the state released last week.
But school officials were quick to point out that the designation is a result of what they said are inequities in the state’s evaluation methods, and a handful of students classified as either with disabilities or with limited English proficiency who did not pass standardized tests.
"We don’t see it as a big deal," said Superintendent Ron Bolandi.
Mr. Bolandi went on to note that all students take the same test regardless of their special education classification, a method he said is not the best way to evaluate a school.
"You can’t test kids who are cognitively impaired with the same test you give everyone else," he said.
"It’s criminal that these poor kids are taking this test … you don’t have to be a rocket scientist to understand that."
Assistant Superintendent Michael Dzwonar added, "We’ve had such incredible growth, it’s hard for us to be painted by this broad brush."
According to federal Department of Education regulations released in April, students with disabilities can be given an alternative assessment starting next school year.
Hightstown High School, Melvin H. Kreps Middle School and Perry L. Drew Elementary School did not meet federal No Child Left Behind standards, with the high school making the state’s "schools in need of improvement" list five years running.
The state Department of Education released the Adequate Yearly Progress Reports Aug. 16, to comply with accountability provisions in the federal No Child Left Behind Act signed by President George W. Bush in 2002.
Each year, the state administers a battery of standardized tests to students from the third through the 11th grades. Those scores are then broken down into the racial designations used by the U.S. Census Bureau, and into three other categories: students with disabilities, students with limited English proficiency, and economically disadvantaged students, said state DOE spokesman Rich Vespucci.
In order for a school to be considered adequate under the federal law, a certain percentage of students depending on grade level must pass the tests in mathematics and language arts. If even one population group fails, the entire school is put onto the SINI list.
In all three district schools on the list, enough students passed the tests for the school’s general population to be considered adequate.
But they landed on the SINI list because not enough Hispanic students, students with disabilities or students with limited English proficiency passed.
Because the racial designations are separate from the three other categories the state uses to evaluate students, some of the students’ designations overlap.
"It’s very few kids," said Mr. Bolandi.
"Philosophically, (No Child Left Behind) is an excellent law, but the way it’s being implemented is ridiculous," he added.
Hightstown High School has been on the SINI list five years in a row now. The DOE compels schools that are labeled "Year 5 Status" to create a restructuring plan in order to continue to receive Title I federal aid money. Since the high school does not get Title I funds, Mr. Bolandi said this is not an issue.
Kreps School is in "Year 3 Status" and does receive Title I funding. It now must offer supplemental tutoring services for students using 20 percent of that federal aid, according to state DOE guidelines.
Assistant Superintendent Dzwonar said that Kreps already has been in compliance with that requirement for the past two years.
Drew School is only in "Year 1 Status" and thus receives only a warning from the state.
Assistant Superintendent Dzwonar said he plans to give a presentation to the Board of Education to articulate his interpretation of the report’s results at its next meeting, on Monday. The meeting is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. in the Hightstown High School cafeteria.

