Did County Schools Pass the Test?

As spring brings daffodils, it’s also the time when New Jersey students are assessed against uniform educational benchmarks through standardized testing. 
History
Most readers may remember stressful weeks set aside for this type of testing, filling in answer bubbles, using the proper lead pencil, indicating true or false responses. Teachers were just as intent on having their students perform as well as possible, since results were a reflection of their pedagogical (of, relating to, or befitting a teacher or education) prowess. 
The “No Child Left Behind” project, a program initiated by President George W. Bush in 2001, is among the more well-known of these endeavors, although before that timeframe, and now well after, standardized tests of core curricula, under many names and approaches, periodically blossom like flowers in the spring.
In New Jersey, the PARCC (Partnership of Readiness for College and Careers) standardized testing, in effect since 2014-2015, has made room for the NJSLA (New Jersey Student Learning Assessments), initiated for 2018-2019. It emphasizes problem-solving rather than multiple-choice responses. 
The raw data results of the NJSLA (http://bit.ly/36GsyFo) were made public early this month. The state then takes these results and announces its studied and refined analysis of the data in January, with school rankings.  
New Jersey is considered among the most exacting and high performing in the nation, and within this environment, many Cape May County school districts have, in the past, registered test scores that rank above the median measured against other New Jersey counties. 
Is the Process Inequitable?
While most agree that standardized testing is one measure – a good measure – of student, teacher, and administrator accomplishments, many in the educational community, and parents, believe the tests can be misleading, and produce unfair perceptions. 
Wildwood Superintendent J. Kenyon Kummings has given testimony to state Department of Education officials (NJDOE), elaborating on his perspective that standardized assessments disrupt the educational environment and provide inequitable outcomes related to economic well-being and racial and ethnic diversity. 
The Wildwood School District reflects a high percentage of children learning English as a second language, and children on reduced cost or free lunch programs, reflecting families whose income is at or below the poverty line.
In a statement provided to the Herald, Kumming said, in his opinion, “We have had high stakes testing since the adoption of No Child Left Behind. These assessments have been researched extensively, and have been found to consistently do one thing, identify the household income level of the student being tested. 
“We respect the assessments, as they are a part of our accountability systems, but have yet to see their results be of any benefit instructionally for our students. In response, our district has created its own robust data system that allows us to program instruction in a timely and effective manner, allowing us to educate our students from their starting point.”
Lighthouse Districts Use Assessments to Evaluate Performance
Two schools in the county have been named “Lighthouse District” schools among less than 20 in the state. Their success in improving performance, including on standardized assessments, can serve as best practice examples for other schools grappling with similar issues.
Regarding state testing, the “Lighthouse” designation for Cape May City Elementary and Ocean City School District is illustrative, and not meant as exclusive or comprehensive, as to how two disparate county schools are meeting the challenges of these testing parameters. 
Working with pre-kindergarten to sixth grade children, Cape May City Elementary School Principal Zachary Palombo, who has been in that position since Sept. 1, is proud of the Lighthouse District designation the school won in 2017 – the first year it was offered by NJDOE.  
According to information on the NJDOE website, Lighthouse Districts serve as beacons of success for public education, and are recognized for making tremendous academic gains, for demonstrating that all schools can excel and that all students can achieve. 
When the NJDOE launched the Lighthouse District initiative in 2017, the goal was to share successful best practices. As a result of conversations with educators, families and students throughout the state, the NJDOE believed there should be a greater focus on growth rather than proficiency alone through standardized testing.
Several Factors Can Influence Results
Palombo commented that “our Lighthouse recognition means we are delivering appropriate curricula and meeting growth expectations.” Palombo also notes that his district is a bit unusual, since “86 of my students out of 146 are from Coast Guard families, and can be expected to transition about every three years.
“Like most schools in the county and, in fact, throughout the state and nation, we also have a portion of our student population disadvantaged economically. Often, when students come to our school, they say it’s harder than where they came from. 
“New Jersey education is second to none, and the standardized testing, while not the only measure, is a good measure of how well, not only the students, but our teachers are on the right track and our educational goals are being delivered as we hope to.” 
Palombo agrees that demographic and socio-economic factors can influence testing results, and that it is difficult to compare one district or one school to another based on the tests or other parameters. 
In fall 2019, Ocean City School District joined the group of 10 others named as 2019 Lighthouse Districts, the only district so designated this year in Cape May County, with none from neighboring Cumberland or Atlantic counties. 
Curt Nath, director of academic services, Ocean City School District, said, “Accountability measures constantly seem to be changing, but for our district, the focus is always on the students, and that they all succeed when they graduate, and go on to either college or direct to their career. NJSLA sets the bar for standards and expectations, and then it is up to us to deliver the skills that each of our students needs to thrive.” 
To contact Camille Sailer, email csailer@cmcherald.com.