EAST BRUNSWICK – The state Department of Education has released its statewide results of the New Jersey Student Learning Assessment, showing Hatikvah International Academy Charter School outperformed all of its resident school districts and is among the top scorers in New Jersey.
The test results also showed that Hatikvah students in grades 3-8 did not appear to experience learning loss during the pandemic, while many school districts in New Jersey reported significant drops. In fact, Hatikvah students performed better in 2022 on the assessment as compared to 2019, according to a press release.
Students across the state took the tests, created by Pearson Assessments, between April and June of last school year.
Dr. Marcia Grayson, director of the grades K-8 charter school, said Hatikvah relied on its teachers in grades K-2 to help prepare students for the assessment, as they enter third grade, ensuring they meet all state learning standards.
“We are so proud of the hard work of our teachers, our leadership team teacher supervisors, and all of the efforts of parents to support their children at home,” Grayson said. “Our students’ entire educational lives will be made easier by what they learn at Hatikvah and their ability to have great high school and college experiences, as well as careers, because of a Hatikvah education.”
Among all charter schools in New Jersey, Hatikvah students scored second best in English Language Arts and third highest in Math in terms of proficiency. Hatikvah students also scored considerably higher than students from the 31 resident school districts where Hatikvah students live, according to the press release.
In 2022, Hatikvah students scored an 89.7% proficiency on the English Language Arts section of the New Jersey Student Learning Assessment (NJSLA), compared to the state average of 48.9%. and the weighted average of all Hatikvah sending school districts of 55.5%. (Weighted scores are adjusted based on the number of Hatikvah students from each resident school district to make a fair comparison.) Meanwhile, the average “passing rate” among all charter schools in New Jersey was 44.5%, according to the press release.
Hatikvah students were also successful in the Math section, scoring 77.7% proficiency. That is compared to the average passing rate of 45.1% among the resident school districts, a 34.5% state average and 25.3% among the state’s charter schools, according to the press release.
For students in grades 7-8, the state administered an Algebra I test for high school proficiency. Hatikvah students scored a 100% passing rate, compared with 49.4% of sending school districts, 67.5% of the state average and 51.6% of charter schools, according to the press release.
There was similar success for Hatikvah students in eighth grade, scoring 100% proficiency in high school-level Geometry. That is compared with 94.8% of sending school districts, 76.6% of the state average and 78% of New Jersey’s charter schools, according to the press release.
Grayson noted the Algebra I and Geometry scores were compared only to 7th and 8th grade students whose resident districts offer these courses in middle grades. Even if a school district may offer the class, she noted, New Jersey does not report the data if student pools are too small. Hatikvah is offering 7th grade Algebra data and 8th grade Geometry data for informational purposes.
Hatikvah, a tuition-free charter school at 7 Lexington Ave. in East Brunswick, provides in-depth study of Modern Hebrew as part of a child-centered curriculum for its 600 students. The school hosts children from all cultures, religions and ethnicities, working together as one community while maintaining individual identities and pride. Learn more at hatikvahcharterschool.org