David Kilby, Managing Editor
CRANBURY — The Cranbury School administration recently gave its report analyzing students’ test score achievements and comparing the scores to last year’s and to other similar school districts in the state.
The purpose of the report, given to the Cranbury Board of Education on Nov. 1, was to view Cranbury School’s test results in literacy and mathematics through different lenses to ensure all Cranbury School students are achieving at their fullest potential and in accordance with No Child Left Behind legislation.
The benchmark assessments, or tests used to measure student achievement, were the Developmental Reading Assessment in grades kindergarten through grade five, Holistic Writing Samples for kindergarten through eighth grade, and Learnia for grades six through eight for the literacy category.
Learnia is a classroom assessment system that assesses student progress. The web-based system provides information about the strengths and weaknesses of individual students, alerting educators to any potential gap in student proficiency before standardized tests so educators can differentiate instruction as necessary.
In mathematics, the benchmark assessments were teacher-created tests for kindergarten through second grade, Learnia for kindergarten through eighth grade, chapter pre-tests and post-tests and project-based activities.
Scores are reported at grades three through eight in several different groups or categories such as total population, ethnicity, students with disabilities and economically disadvantaged.
According to the presentation, in 2011 in the third grade, 93 percent of students tested at Cranbury School were proficient in literacy, an 8 percent increase from 2010, and 96 percent were proficient in math, a 2 percent increase from 2010.
In the fourth grade this year, 84 percent were proficient in literacy, a 2 percent increase from 2010, and 99 percent were proficient in math, a 10 percent increase from last year.
In Cranbury School’s fifth grade this year, 88 percent were proficient in literacy, an 8 percent increase from last year, and 97 percent were proficient in math, a 3 percent increase from 2010.
In the sixth grade, 90 percent of Cranbury School students were proficient in literacy, which was the same as in 2010, and 93 percent of students were proficient in math, a 1 percent increase from last year.
Students in grade seven had 95 percent proficiency in literacy, which was the same as last year, and 91 percent proficiency in math, which was a 5 percent decrease from 2010.
Grade eight had 97 percent proficiency in literacy and math, which were both a 2 percent decrease from last year.
Cranbury’s eighth grade, however, was significantly more proficient than other districts in District Factor Group J, which is Cranbury’s DFG.
Other districts in DFG J averaged 57 percent in advanced proficiency for math, compared to Cranbury School’s 72 percent, and 43 percent in advanced proficiency for literacy, whereas Cranbury had 63 percent.
Other districts in DFG J averaged 81 percent proficiency in special education for literacy, compared to Cranbury’s 87 percent, and 56 percent proficiency in special education math, compared to Cranbury’s steady 87 percent.
The presentation said Cranbury School, overall, far exceeded state scores and standards, and said the school’s overall scores were comparable or above the average for DFG J, which is the highest DFG in the state when considering overall adult education level, occupation, unemployment rate, poverty level and median family income.
Cranbury School Vice Principal Michele Waldron said the students’ “growth over time is amazing.”
Ms. Waldron gave the presentation with Dr. Susan Genco, chief school administrator.
Dr. Genco added the growth of the students’ proficiency is “deliberate,” meaning the school has made lessons in achieving state standards “part of every day instruction.”
