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Over the next few weeks, many Princeton Public Schools students will take tests to ascertain their mastery of various subjects and their readiness to move forward in the next school year. Standardized tests in recent years have evolved from what some parents saw as superfluous disruptions to more nuanced and valuable snapshots of learning. 

 

“The New Jersey Student Learning Assessments (NJSLA) are the only assessments that help us learn how all students are doing with our NJ Student Learning Standards,” said Dr. Kim Tew, Princeton Public Schools Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum.

 

In the last two years, there has been a gradual “culture change” among parents who have increasingly seen the value of assessments, said Dr. Tew. “Parents know that these assessments hold our district accountable and provide important data points to let us know if we are doing a good job.”

 

Meanwhile, there has also been an effort to make testing less stressful. “Parents, educators, and students have made suggestions. We listened to their feedback and made changes,” said Dr. Tew. Changes include infrastructure trials to test technology and computer readiness, plus more information about how test scores are used.

 

“We tell students to please just do your best and remember these are not tests you study for,” said Dr. Tew. She encouraged parents and students to remember the basics, such as getting a good night’s sleep and eating a healthy breakfast.

 

“Much of the spring testing is standardized but not necessarily high stakes,” said Dr. Tew, noting that while the aggregate data is helpful in evaluating student achievement, it does not impact individual students. 

 

“One other advantage to NJSLA testing is that students gain experience with standardized tests prior to taking the ACT or SAT, two tests commonly used in college admissions,” she added.

 

In the new testing environment, there are consequences when school districts fail to comply with regulations. If fewer than 90 percent of students participate in NJSLA testing, the New Jersey Department of Education places the district on an “action plan” for improvement, and district ratings decline.

 

PPS complies with both New Jersey State requirements and federal requirements. The federal government mandates annual testing in grades 3-8 and once in high school.

 

New Jersey has different requirements, including some course-specific testing. For instance, there are end-of-course tests for mathematics students in Algebra I, Algebra II, and Geometry.

 

In the 9th grade, there is a required English Language Arts (ELA) assessment. And finally, in order to graduate from high school in New Jersey, all students in 11th grade must take the NJ Graduation Proficiency Assessment (NJGPA).

 

With more plentiful and nuanced data, districts across the state are using test scores in sophisticated ways, parsing data and analyzing trends to make decisions about what’s working and isn’t. Among other things, PPS looks at scores to determine areas of strength and areas for growth in the curricula.

 

Once test results have been tabulated and trends analyzed, district administrators provide a presentation to the public at a Board of Education meeting in the fall.  PPS data, which is made public, is used by the New Jersey Department of Education and the U.S. Department of Education, and can also be accessed by private ranking operations that provide lists or rankings of “best schools.”

 

What tests are coming up?  The elementary level NJSLA for grades 3 through 5 will be administered April 29 to May 10 at Community Park and Littlebrook School. At Johnson Park and Riverside, the NJSLA tests will be administered May 6 to May 17.

 

At Princeton Middle School, the NJSLA happens between May 13 and May 21. At Princeton High School, testing occurs on May 20, 21, and 22. 

 

There are also some optional tests at Princeton High School, such as the Advanced Placement (AP) exams offered between May 6 - 17.

 

AP tests are provided by the College Board, an organization that charges a fee for each exam. Funds are available for students who need financial assistance. Students enrolled in AP courses are not required to take the exam. Some students, depending on their scores and where they will go to college, receive college credit for work they have done in high school.

 

PPS administrators echo the idea that PPS has worked hard over the last two years to make the spring testing season worthwhile and as stress-free as possible.

 

“Testing closes the learning cycle every year,” said Dr. Joy Barnes Johnson, Science Supervisor for Princeton Public Schools. “We use all of our resources to monitor how students are building their knowledge every quarter culminating with the spring testing season.”

 

“We work very hard to give our students and staff the tools for success,” added Dr. Barnes Johnson.

graphic showing standardized testing dates

 

 

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