DOE releases NJSLA assessment results for last school year

MONMOUTH COUNTY — The New Jersey Department of Education (DOE) released its School Performance Reports for the 2022-2023 school year earlier this month, spotlighting differences in student testing on the New Jersey Student Learning Assessment (NJSLA) in bordering county municipalities.

The NJSLA has three separate test sections for students, including English language arts (ELA), mathematics and science.

Each assessment is typically administered in computer-based format, although paper-based testing is available, according to the DOE’s website. ELA assessments focus on writing effectively when analyzing text, mathematics assessments focus on applying skills and concepts and understanding multi-step problems that require “abstract reasoning and modeling real-world problems, precision, perseverance and strategic use of tools” and science assessments examine students abilities in applying scientific concepts and practices within the domains of Earth and space, life and physical science.

WALL HIGH SCHOOL

WHS students’ grading for ELA, which pertains to those in all four grades, nine through 12, met the state’s threshold of 51.3%, with 55.6% of students meeting the requirement and an additional number of students meeting their set goal based on previous satisfactory performance.

In mathematics, the proficiency rate for WHS was 28.3% of students, a 10% decrease from the 2021-2022 school year. A total of 95% of WHS participated in the mathematics section, the lowest participant rating since the COVID-19 pandemic.

The mathematics section of the NJSLA tested the students’ proficiencies in Algebra I, Geometry and Algebra II, with Algebra II being the only subject that saw an increase in student-met expectations from the previous year; a 15% decrease in Algebra I, 6% decrease in Geometry and 5% increase in Algebra II.

The school’s science section was graded using four assessment levels for 11th grade, with levels 3 and 4 being dubbed proficient. Compared to the 2021-22 school year, 11th-graders in 2022-23 had 10% more testers in level 1, 6% less in level 2, 4% less in level 3 and 1% more in level 4.

The state also recorded the percentage of WHS 11th and 12th graders who were enrolled in Advanced Placement (AP) or International Baccalaureate (IB) courses, which offer undergraduate university-level curricula and examinations to high school students. Some 32.1% of both grades were in either AP or IB; the state’s average is 34.9%.

Eleventh and 12th grade dual-enrollment courses, which are offered by colleges for students to simultaneously earn high school and college credits, reached less than a quarter of the state’s average; 5.5% of students were in dual-enrollment compared to the state’s 24%.

WHS has a student enrollment of 920 students. There are seven schools in the district, totaling 3,212 students.

MANASQUAN HIGH SCHOOL

Manasquan High School (MHS) students’ grading for ELA, grades 9 through 12, exceeded the state’s threshold of 51%, with 61% of students meeting the requirement, an increase from about 54% the previous year.

MHS reported slight increases in the percentage of students taking both ELA and mathematics from 2021-22; a .3% in ELA and .7% in mathematics, the report states. The DOE reported an increase in mathematics proficiency in MHS students by 6.5%

In science testing, the report documents an increase in assessment result levels 2, 3 and 4 by 1%, 7% and 2% respectively, and a decrease in the amount of students in level 1–which is the least proficient level of testing results–by 10%.

MHS exceeded the state average of AP or IB class enrollment; 57.6% of both 11th and 12th graders were in the classes, surpassing the average by 22.7%.

The two grades also surpassed dual-enrollment courses averages; 24.6% of students were in dual-enrollment courses, .6% more than the state average.

MHS has a student enrollment of 936 students. There are two schools in the district including MHS, totaling 1,439 students.

BELMAR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Belmar Elementary School (BES) saw increased assessment proficiency in both ELA and mathematics as a school cumulatively, grades three through eight, which are the select grades the DOE provides such stats for. As a whole, the proficiency rate in BES rose 12.4% in ELA from 2021-22 and 9% in mathematics. 100% of students designated to participate in testing did so.

Grades five and eight were designated to participate in the NJSLA science assessment, both grades marking the conclusion of upper elementary and middle school, respectively. Grade five reported in assessment levels from the previous year a 3% decrease in level 1 students, 10% increase in level 2, 9% decrease in level 3 and 3% increase in level 4.

Grade eight reported a 5% increase in level 1, 13% decrease in level 2, 5% increase in level 3 and 2% increase in level 4 after having 0% of students scoring in level 4 for science in 2021-22.

BES is the only public school in the Borough of Belmar and has 423 total students.

BRADLEY BEACH ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Bradley Beach Elementary School (BBES) saw increased assessment proficiency in both ELA and mathematics as a school cumulatively, grades three through eight, which are the select grades the DOE provides such stats for. As a whole, the proficiency rate in BBES rose 19.9% in ELA from 2021-22 and 11.2% in mathematics. 100% of students designated to participate in testing did so.

Grades five and eight were designated to participate in the NJSLA science assessment, both grades marking the conclusion of upper elementary and middle school, respectively. Grade five reported in assessment levels from 2021-22 a 8% decrease in level 1 students, 10% increase in level 2, 3% increase in level 3 and 4% decrease in level 4. 0% of grade five students scored in level four for science in 2022-23.

Grade eight reported a 19% decrease in level 1, 4% decrease in level 2, 11% increase in level 3 and 3% increase in level 4 after having 0% of students scoring in level 4 for science in 2021-22.

BBES is the only public school in the Borough of Bradley Beach and has 235 total students.

H.W. MOUNTZ SCHOOL

H.W. Mountz School (HWMS), in Spring Lake, saw increased assessment proficiency in ELA and a decrease in mathematics as a school cumulatively, grades three through eight. As a whole, the proficiency rate in HWMS rose 1.6% in ELA from 2021-22 and decreased 4.9% in mathematics. 100% of students designated to participate in testing did so in ELA and 99% of students participated in mathematics.

Grades five and eight were designated to participate in the NJSLA science assessment, both grades marking the conclusion of upper elementary and middle school, respectively. Grade five reported in assessment levels compared to 2021-22 a 15% decrease in level 1 students, 9% increase in level 2, 27% increase in level 3 and 2% decrease in level 4.

Grade eight reported a 2% decrease in level 2, 9% increase in level 3 and 9% decrease in level 4. 0% of grade eight students scored in level 1 for science in both the 2021-22 and 2022-23 school years.

HWMS is the only public school in Spring Lake Borough and has 152 total students.

SEA GIRT ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Sea Girt School (SGES) saw decreased assessment proficiency in ELA and mathematics as a school cumulatively, grades three through eight. As a whole, the proficiency rate in HWMS dropped 1% in ELA and mathematics from 2021-22. 98.9% of students designated to participate in testing did so in both subjects.

Grades five and eight were designated to participate in the NJSLA science assessment, both grades marking the conclusion of upper elementary and middle school, respectively. Grade five reported in assessment levels compared to 2021-22 a 12% decrease in level 2 students, 6% increase in level 3 and 5% increase in level 4. No students scored in level 1 for the NJSLA science section in both the 2021-22 and 2022-23 school years.

Grade eight reported a 7% decrease in level 1, 28% decrease in level 2 and 36% increase in level 3. 0% of grade eight students scored in level 4 for science in both the 2021-22 and 2022-23 school years.

SGES is the only public school in the borough of Sea Girt and has 136 total students.

SPRING LAKE HEIGHTS SCHOOL

Spring Lake Heights School (SLHS) reported increased assessment proficiency in both ELA and mathematics as a school cumulatively, grades three through eight. As a whole, the proficiency rate in SLHS rose 1.1% in ELA and 10.8% in mathematics from 2021-22. 98% of students designated to participate in testing did so in both subjects.

Grades five and eight were designated to participate in the NJSLA science assessment, both grades marking the conclusion of upper elementary and middle school, respectively. Grade five reported in assessment levels compared to 2021-22 a 9% decrease in level 1 students, 1% increase in level 2, 8% increase in level 3 and 1% increase in level 4.

Grade eight reported a 3% increase in level 1, 5% decrease in level 2, no change in percentage of level 3 students and 2% increase in level 4.

SLHS is the only public school in the borough of Spring Lake Heights and has 303 total students.

BRIELLE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Brielle Elementary School (BRES) reported decreased assessment proficiency in both ELA and mathematics as a school cumulatively for grades three through eight. The rates in BRES dropped 5.7% in ELA and 5.2% in mathematics from 2021-22. 99.7% of students designated to participate in ELA testing; 100% of students tested in mathematics.

Grades five and eight were designated to participate in the NJSLA science assessment, both grades marking the conclusion of upper elementary and middle school, respectively. Grade five reported in assessment levels compared to 2021-22 a 1% decrease in level 1 students, 6% decrease in level 2, 16% increase in level 3 and 9% decrease in level 4.

Grade eight reported a 5% decrease in level 1, 7% decrease in level 2, 11% increase in percentage of level 3 students and no change in level 4.

BRES is the only public school in the borough of Brielle and has 491 total students.

AVON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Avon Elementary School (AES) reported increased assessment proficiency in ELA and decreased proficiency in mathematics for grades three through eight. The proficiency rate in AES increased 5.8% in ELA and decreased 3.2% in mathematics from 2021-22. 98.5% of students participated in ELA and mathematics testing; 100% of students in both subjects in 2021-22.

Grades five and eight were designated to participate in the NJSLA science assessment, both grades marking the conclusion of upper elementary and middle school, respectively. There were no statistics reported from the DOE for grade five students’ assessment levels for the 2022-23 school year. In 2021-22, 13% of students scored in level 1, 40% scored in level 2, 33% in level 3 and 13% in level 4.

AES is the only public school in the borough of Avon-By-The-Sea and has 123 total students.

For more information on school districts’ test scores on the NJSLA, visit rc.doe.state.nj.us.

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