Weymouth Township

School District

District Assessment Report

2006- 2007

2nd NJPASS
3rd thru 7thth Grade NJASK
8th Grade GEPA

Reported to the Board of Education on October 18, 2007

Compiled by: Dr. Donna Van Horn, Chief School Administrator

INTRODUCTION: STATEWIDE TESTING PROGRAM

The State Board of Education adopted the Core Curriculum Content Standards (CCCS) in May 1996 to describe what all students should know and be able to do at the end of fourth grade, eighth grade and upon completion of a New Jersey public high school education. The New Jersey State Department of Education mandated the establishment and administration of statewide assessments to measure how students are progressing towards acquiring the knowledge and skills needed to graduate high school. The CCCS informed the development of three statewide assessments: the fourth grade Elementary School proficiency Assessment (ESPA), which was administered from 1997-2002; a new Grade Eight Proficiency Assessment (GEPA), which replaced the EWT in 1998; and a new High School proficiency Assessment (HSPA), which replaced the HSPT11 as the state’s graduation test for all students who enter the eleventh grade in the fall of 2001.

With the enactment of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB), New Jersey’s statewide assessment of elementary school children has undergone further change. Under the provisions of that act, every state is required to administer annual standards-based assessments of all children in grade 3 through grade eight. Federal expectation is that each state will provide tests that are grounded in that state’s content standards and that assess student’s critical thinking skills in three fundamental areas of learning: language arts literacy, mathematics, and science.

In response to the NCLB requirements and to New Jersey’s own expectation that children will be reading on grade level by the end of third grade, New Jersey has revised its elementary assessment to begin developing a comprehensive, multi-grade testing program. Beginning in May 2003, all third and fourth graders took the New Jersey Assessment of Skills and Knowledge (NJ ASK). All students in grades 5, 6 and 7 were added to the administration of the NJASK in Spring 2006. Students in grade 2 were administered the New Jersey Proficiency Assessments of State Standards (NJPASS), to provide consistency with the state testing program for grades 3-7.

The Grade Eight Proficiency Assessment (GEPA) is aligned with the Core Curriculum Content Standards. In March 1999, the GEPA was administered as an operational assessment to all eighth grade students in New Jersey and measures student knowledge and skill levels in language arts literacy and mathematics. In the March 2000 testing session, science was also included as an operational test. This report is based on 2004, 2005 and 2006 testing information received for all district students.

The NJASK and the GEPA are designed with a combination of multiple-choice questions, open-ended questions, and writing tasks. The tests measure student understanding beyond isolated facts and procedures.

Three proficiency levels have been established for each content area of the NJASK and GEPA: partially proficient, proficient, and advanced proficient. Students scoring in the partially proficient level are below the state’s expected minimum level of proficiency. As a result, instructional strategies for these students are developed after additional information is considered (e.g. classroom performance, teacher observations).

Grade 2 – NJPASS

The New Jersey Proficiency Assessment of State Standards (NJPASS) is aligned with the New Jersey Core Curriculum Content Standards. NJPASS will help identify students' strengths and weaknesses to target classroom instruction more effectively.

Reflects New Jersey Core Curriculum Content Standards
Criterion-referenced
Research-based
Authentic test environment—multiple-choice and open-ended questions

All test items were reviewed by New Jersey educators and field-tested in New Jersey schools
Language Arts:
Students respond to a writing prompt based on a picture; listen to a passage; and answer questions about what they have heard; and read several passages and answer questions about what they have read. Students also respond to a writing prompt based on a poem
Reading

Working with the Passage includes comprehending the passage, such as recognizing the main idea and supporting details, getting information, paraphrasing meaning, and recognizing organization of text and purpose of reading.
Analyzing the Passage includes analyzing and evaluating the passage by using skills such as asking questions, predicting meaning, developing opinions, drawing conclusions, and interpreting conventions of print.

Listening

Working with the Passage includes applying listening skills associated with passage comprehension, such as recognizing the main idea and supporting details, getting information, paraphrasing meaning, and recognizing organization of text and purpose for reading.
Analyzing the Passage includes analyzing and evaluating the passage by using skills such as asking questions, predicting meaning, developing opinions, drawing conclusions, and interpreting conventions of print.

Writing

Students' writing at all grades is evaluated based on content, development, and language conventions.

Mean Cluster Scores: NJPASS LANGUAGE ARTS

	Reading Skills		Listening Skills		Writing
	Working with the Passage	Analyzing the Passage	Working with the Passage	Analyzing the Passage	Content, Development, and Language Conventions	TOTAL
Possible Raw Score	16	10	4	4	8	42
Weymouth Twp Mean 2007	8.6	4.9	2.5	1.8	4.7	22.5

Scale Score Distribution: NJPASS LANGUAGE ARTS

Aggregate Grouping	% Partially Proficient	% Proficient	% Advanced Proficient
All Students 2007	45%	30%	25%

Mathematics:

Number Sense, Operations, and Properties—Students demonstrate an understanding of number sense, operations, and properties through comparing and performing operations on numbers.
Measurement—Students demonstrate the ability to describe and compare the measurable attributes of objects using the metric and customary systems of measurement.
Spatial Sense and Geometry—Students demonstrate spatial sense and geometry by investigating symmetry, perimeter, and common properties.
Data Analysis, Probability, and Discrete Mathematics—Students demonstrate the ability to determine the probability of events and to analyze and interpret data.
Patterns and Algebra—Students demonstrate the ability to recognize and generalize a variety of patterns and relationships, including those with numbers and shapes.

Mean Cluster Scores: NJPASS Mathematics

	Number Sense, Operations, and Properties	Measurement	Spatial Sense and Geometry	Data Analysis, Probability, and Discrete Mathematics	Patterns and Algebra	TOTAL
Possible Raw Score	14	6	6	7	7	40
Weymouth Twp Mean 2007	9.9	4.1	5.7	5.2	4.9	29.8

Scale Score Distribution: NJPASS Mathematics

Aggregate Grouping	% Partially Proficient	% Proficient	% Advanced Proficient
All Students 2007	15%	50%	35%

Grades 3 thru 7 Assessments of Skills and Knowledge – NJASK

The total NJASK scores are reported as scale scores with a range of 100 to 300. The scale score of 250 is the cut-off point between proficient students and advanced proficient students. The scale score of 200 is the cut-off point between proficient students and partially proficient students. A review of raw scores indicates WTS students scored consistently above state mean scores in all cluster areas. Compared with the statewide results, Weymouth Township students tended to have higher scores at the proficiency level. On a percentage basis, the district had considerably fewer students than the state at the partially proficient level.

NJASK Mathematics

The mathematics portion of the NJASK measures students’ abilities to solve problems by applying mathematical concepts. Items are grouped into four content clusters:

                        Cluster 1         Number Sense and Numerical Operations
                        Cluster 2         Geometry and Measurement
                        Cluster 3         Patterns and Algebra
                        Cluster 4         Data Analysis, Probability, and Discrete Math

3rd GRADE:
Mean Cluster Scores: NJASK Mathematics

	Number and Numerical Operations	Geometry & Measurement	Patterns & Algebra	Data Analysis, Probability, and discrete Mathematics	Problem Solving	TOTAL
Possible Raw Score	9.0	8.0	8.0	8.0	12.0	33.0
State Just Proficient Means*	4.0	3.2	3.2	2.6	3.0	13.0
Weymouth Twp Mean	7.0	5.9	6.2	4.7	7.9	23.8

* Just Proficient Means are the statewide raw score means for students whose scale score is 200

Scale Score Distribution: NJASK Mathematics

Aggregate Grouping	% Partially Proficient	% Proficient	% Advanced Proficient
All Students	0.0%	61.5%	38.5%
General Education Students	0.0%	61.5%	38.5%
Special Education Students	NA	NA	NA

4th GRADE:

Mean Cluster Scores: NJASK Mathematics

	Number and Numerical Operations	Geometry & Measurement	Patterns & Algebra	Data Analysis, Probability, and discrete Mathematics	Problem Solving	TOTAL
Possible Raw Score	13.0	10.0	10.0	10.0	23.0	43.0
State Just Proficient Mean	6.4	3.7	3.1	2.8	7.6	16.0
Weymouth Twp Mean	8.3	5.2	5.6	4.7	12.5	23.9

* Just Proficient Means are the statewide raw score means for students whose scale score is 200

Scale Score Distribution: NJASK Mathematics

Aggregate Grouping	% Partially Proficient	% Proficient	% Advanced Proficient
All Students	20.7%%	58.6%	20.7%
General Education Students	8.7%	73.9%	17.4%
Special Education Students	NA	NA	NA

5th GRADE:

Mean Cluster Scores: NJASK Mathematics

	Number and Numerical Operations	Geometry & Measurement	Patterns & Algebra	Data Analysis, Probability, and discrete Mathematics	Problem Solving
Possible Raw Score	10.0	9.0	10.0	10.0	25.0
State Just Proficient Mean*	4.6	5.3	4.8	3.3	10.1
Weymouth Twp Mean	6.3	6.1	6.5	6.2	14.2

* Just Proficient Means are the statewide raw score means for students whose scale score is 200

Scale Score Distribution: NJASK Mathematics

Aggregate Grouping	% Partially Proficient	% Proficient	% Advanced Proficient
All Students	16.1%	61.3%	22.6%
General Education Students	3.8%	69.2%	26.9%
Special Education Students	80.0%	20.0%	0.0%

6th GRADE:

Mean Cluster Scores: NJASK Mathematics

	Number and Numerical Operations	Geometry & Measurement	Patterns & Algebra	Data Analysis, Probability, and discrete Mathematics	Problem Solving
Possible Raw Score	9.0	10.0	10.0	10.0	21.0
State Just Proficient Mean*	4.2	4.6	3.3	3.9	6.1
Weymouth Twp Mean	5.5	5.2	4.9	6.4	9.7

* Just Proficient Means are the statewide raw score means for students whose scale score is 200

Scale Score Distribution: NJASK Mathematics

Aggregate Grouping	% Partially Proficient	% Proficient	% Advanced Proficient
All Students	2.8%	88.9%	8.3%
General Education Students	3.0%	87.9%	9.1%
Special Education Students	0.0%	100.0%	0.0%

7th GRADE:

Mean Cluster Scores: NJASK Mathematics

	Number and Numerical Operations	Geometry & Measurement	Patterns & Algebra	Data Analysis, Probability, and discrete Mathematics	Problem Solving
Possible Raw Score	10.0	9.0	10.0	10.0	36.0
State Just Proficient Mean*	3.5	3.2	3.8	3.5	12.0
Weymouth Twp Mean	4.9	3.7	4.0	3.4	13.6

* Just Proficient Means are the statewide raw score means for students whose scale score is 200

Scale Score Distribution: NJASK Mathematics

Aggregate Grouping	% Partially Proficient	% Proficient	% Advanced Proficient
All Students	44.4%	48.1%	7.4%
General Education Students	36.4%	54.5%	9.1%
Special Education Students	80.0%	20.0%	0.0%

NJASK - Language Arts Literacy

The Language Arts/Literacy section of the test measures student’s achievements in reading and writing. It assesses knowledge and skills in two content clusters, each with two subclusters:

Cluster 1 Writing

Writing about Pictures
Writing about Poems

Cluster 2 Reading

Working with Text
Analyzing Text
Reading First

3rd Grade:
Mean Cluster Scores: NJASK Language Arts

	Writing	Writing about Pictures	Writing about Poems	Reading	Working With Text	Analyzing Text	Total
Possible Raw Score	20.0	10.0	10.0	20.0	8.0	12.0	40.0
State Just Proficient Mean*	7.6	3.9	3.7	9.4	4.9	4.5	17.0
Weymouth Twp Mean	8.5	4.3	4.2	12.9	6.6	6.3	21.4

* Just Proficient Means are the statewide raw score means for students whose scale score is 200

Scale Score Distribution: NJASK Language Arts

Aggregate Grouping	% Partially Proficient	% Proficient	% Advanced Proficient
All Students	11.5%	88.5%	0.0%
General Education Students	11.5%	88.5%	0.0%
Special Education Students	NA	NA	NA

4th Grade:

Mean Cluster Scores: NJASK Language Arts

	Writing	Writing about Pictures	Writing about Poems	Reading	Working With Text	Analyzing Text	Total
Possible Raw Score	20.0	10.0	10.0	23.0	7.0	16.0	43.0
State Just Proficient Mean*	8.6	4.7	3.9	9.4	3.8	5.6	18.0
Weymouth Twp Mean	9.5	5.4	4.1	12.3	5.2	7.0	21.8

* Just Proficient Means are the statewide raw score means for students whose scale score is 200

Scale Score Distribution: NJASK Language Arts

Aggregate Grouping	% Partially Proficient	% Proficient	% Advanced Proficient
All Students	17.4%	78.3%	4.3%
General Education Students	17.4%	78.3%	4.3%
Special Education Students	NA	NA	NA

* Just Proficient Means are the statewide raw score means for students whose scale score is 200

5th Grade:
Mean Cluster Scores: NJASK Language Arts

	Writing	Reading	Working With Text	Analyzing Text
Possible Raw Score	5.0	36.0	16.0	20.0
State Just Proficient Mean*	2.3	14.7	7.3	7.4
Weymouth Twp Mean	2.3	20.3	10.2	10.0

* Just Proficient Means are the statewide raw score means for students whose scale score is 200

Scale Score Distribution: NJASK Language Arts

Aggregate Grouping	% Partially Proficient	% Proficient	% Advanced Proficient
All Students	16.1%	74.2%	9.7%
General Education Students	7.7%	80.8%	11.5%
Special Education Students	60.0%	40.0%	0.0%

* Just Proficient Means are the statewide raw score means for students whose scale score is 200

6th Grade:

Mean Cluster Scores: NJASK Language Arts

	Writing	Reading	Working With Text	Analyzing Text
Possible Raw Score	12.0	36.0	15.0	21.0
State Just Proficient Mean*	5.1	15.9	6.3	9.7
Weymouth Twp Mean	5.4	20.0	8.6	11.4

* Just Proficient Means are the statewide raw score means for students whose scale score is 200

Scale Score Distribution: NJASK Language Arts

Aggregate Grouping	% Partially Proficient	% Proficient	% Advanced Proficient
All Students	8.3%	86.1%	5.6%
General Education Students	9.1%	84.8%	6.1%
Special Education Students	0.0%	100.0%	0.0%

* Just Proficient Means are the statewide raw score means for students whose scale score is 200

7th Grade:

Mean Cluster Scores: NJASK Language Arts

	Writing	Reading	Working With Text	Analyzing Text
Possible Raw Score	12.0	36.0	13.0	23.0
State Just Proficient Mean*	4.8	15.2	6.9	8.3
Weymouth Twp Mean	4.7	18.3	8.6	9.7

* Just Proficient Means are the statewide raw score means for students whose scale score is 200

Scale Score Distribution: NJASK Language Arts

Aggregate Grouping	% Partially Proficient	% Proficient	% Advanced Proficient
All Students	18.5%	77.8%	3.7%
General Education Students	4.5%	90.9%	4.5%
Special Education Students	80.0%	20.0%	0.0%

* Just Proficient Means are the statewide raw score means for students whose scale score is 200

Grade Eight Proficiency Assessment - GEPA

The total GEPA scores are reported as scale scores with a range of 100 to 300. The scale score of 250 is the cut-off point between proficient students and advanced proficient students. The scale score of 200 is the cut-off point between proficient students and partially proficient students. A review of raw scores indicates UTS students scored consistently above both state mean scores and district factor group mean scores in all cluster areas. Compared with the statewide results, Union Township students tended to have higher scores at the proficiency level. On a percentage basis, the district had considerably fewer students than the state at the partially proficient level.

GEPA Mathematics

The mathematics portion of the GEPA measures students’ abilities to solve problems by applying mathematical concepts. Items are grouped into six content clusters:

                        Cluster 1         Number Sense, Concepts, and Applications
                        Cluster 2         Spatial Sense and Geometry
                        Cluster 3         Data Analysis, Probability, and Discrete Mathematics
                        Cluster 4         Patterns, Functions, and Algebra
                        Cluster 5       Knowledge
                        Cluster 6         Problem Solving Skills

4 Year Analysis : GEPA Mathematics

YEAR		% Partially Proficient	% Proficient	% Advanced Proficient
2007	WTS	16.7	66.7	16.7
2007	STATE	Not Yet Available	Not Yet Available	Not Yet Available
2006	WTS	29.0	45.2	25.8
2006	STATE	35.5	43.6	20.9
2005	WTS	34.5	44.8	20.7
2005	STATE	68.4	26.8	4.8
2004	WTS	33.3	37.5	29.2
2004	STATE	38.3	41.7	20.0

GEPA - Language Arts Literacy

The Language Arts/Literacy component of the GEPA consists of four clusters:

                        Cluster 1                     Writing
                        Cluster 2                     Reading
                        Cluster 3                     Interpreting Text
                        Cluster 4                     Analyzing / Critiquing Text

3 Year Analysis : GEPA Language Arts Literacy

YEAR		% Partially Proficient	% Proficient	% Advanced Proficient
2007	WTS	27.8	50.0	22.2
2007	STATE	Not Yet Available	Not Yet Available	Not Yet Available
2006	WTS	22.6	67.7	9.7
2006	STATE	25.7	65.7	8.5
2005	WTS	27.6	65.5	6.9
2005	STATE	56.8	42.5	1.5
2004	WTS	32.0	56.0	12.0
2004	STATE	28.3	66.3	5.5

GEPA – Science

This section measures students’ knowledge and skills in five clusters:

                        Cluster 1                     Life Science
                        Cluster 2                     Physical Science
                        Cluster 3                     Earth Science
                        Cluster 4                     Cognitive Skills
                        Cluster 5                     Process Skills
It contains both multiple-choice and open-ended items. The open-ended items require students to respond to a question as well as explain their answer.

3 Year Analysis : GEPA Science

YEAR		% Partially Proficient	% Proficient	% Advanced Proficient
2007	WTS	5.6	55.6	38.9
2007	STATE	Not Yet Available	Not Yet Available	Not Yet Available
2006	WTS	6.5	67.7	25.8
2006	STATE	13.4	62.3	24.2
2005	WTS	6.9	62.1	31.0
2005	STATE	53.2	41.8	4.9
2004	WTS	0.0	68.0	32.0
2004	STATE	25.3	53.6	21.1

SUMMARY:

Interventions/Recommendations

While the overall performance for WTS students continues to improve, and WTS continues to make “Adequate Yearly Progress” toward the NCLB standards, the students scoring within the partially proficient range continue to be a concern. The graduating eighth grade students are brought to the attention of appropriate high school staff members such as language arts, math and science teachers, and guidance counselors. Student performance is monitored in order to ensure that appropriate assistance is provided so that each individual student can become proficient in all subject areas, prior to taking the HSPA. After analyzing test results and reviewing current practices, the following list includes on-going interventions currently in place and continued recommendations that can be identified to support the district’s continued growth in meeting the Core Curriculum Content Standards:

To address student performance in Language Arts, teachers in the primary grades have received basic in-service in the Phonics First instructional program. Mrs. Fullmer will participate in the level two training in order to serve as an in-house trainer to support the other instructional staff. This program addresses student skill deficits in phonemic awareness and skill acquisition.
Focus students throughout the year on developing rubrics in both reading and writing to assess the effectiveness of responses to both teacher and student generated questions. Continue to apply the New Jersey Department of Education general rubrics in both reading and writing.
Support and encourage all teachers in all content areas to become teachers of reading and writing. Daily experiences with reading and writing should occur in all classes. All content area teachers should use the New Jersey Department of Education rubrics for assignments.
Provide class time for students to master and demonstrate application of the five steps of the writing process: prewriting, drafting, revising, editing and proofreading and publishing for all writing assignments.
Encourage students to acquire vocabulary through concept related instruction.
Students should discuss reading and writing activities in focused cooperative learning groups.
Content area teachers should construct open-ended and written responses that reflect the organization and structure of the GEPA and incorporate these activities into their specific content areas.
Teachers will continue to integrate GEPA questions throughout the curriculum from grade six through eight. These may come in the form of anticipatory sets, journal entries, homework questions, small group discussion, or lesson closure. These questions will encompass all of the styles of questions (multiple-choice and open-ended) as well all of the cluster areas.
Over the course of the year, teachers will integrate the GEPA format in their assessment, helping students gain a familiarity with the layout and the time constraint, which is important if students are to begin to gain a feeling of confidence

Along with dialogue, calculator use will be monitored carefully, in order that students will begin to develop a self-awareness of appropriate times to use the calculator (problem solving) and times when estimation and mental math would better serve the student’s needs.
Teachers will utilize software and other technology that, parallel to the curriculum, can provide students an opportunity to independently build their skills in weak areas and see a visual (or perhaps, virtual) representation of many of the concepts that are part of the Core Curriculum Content Standards.
Formal instructional time to cover Study Skills has been implemented in Sixth through Eighth. Two instructional periods of 45 minutes are scheduled per week throughout the entire school year. Teachers have been provided with appropriate instructional materials.
Students scoring in the “Partially Proficient” range are provided Basic Skills Improvement classes and brought to the attention of all academic teachers. Students scoring in the lower end of the “Proficient” range are also offered BSI instruction, as the schedule allows.
Test Prep and Writing Across the Curriculum will continue as part of the core curriculum in each subject area.

Weymouth Township

School District

District Assessment Report

2006- 2007

Compiled by: Dr. Donna Van Horn, Chief School Administrator

TOTAL

TOTAL

TOTAL

TOTAL

NJASK - Language Arts Literacy

GEPA - Language Arts Literacy

GEPA – Science