NEW JERSEY SCHOOL BOARDS ASSOCIATION SEEKS MAJOR CHANGES IN STATE TESTING PROGRAM

TRENTON, February 16, 2000—The New Jersey School Boards Association called on the state to make major changes in how it tests student progress toward educational standards.

Speaking at a hearing before the State Board of Education, Peter Calvo, who chaired an NJSBA study into the state testing process, called for ten changes in the testing program, including—

• The elimination of the current state-developed fourth grade test,
• Its replacement with a commercially prepared test, and
• A limit on the amount of time devoted to test administration.

Calvo is a member of the Glassboro Board of Education.  Calvo co-chaired a committee that conducted a four-month study for the Association into New Jersey’s testing program. The study resulted from local school board concerns about the state-developed Elementary School Proficiency Assessment (ESPA) for fourth graders and the Grade Eight Proficiency Assessment. The study committee heard testimony from teachers and school officials, and consulted with other state-level education groups, state department of education officials, and testing experts.

The State Board of Education is currently finalizing administrative code to govern standards and assessment in the state’s public schools. A final vote on the code is scheduled for April 5.

A COPY OF CALVO’S TESTIMONY IS PRINTED BELOW:

Good afternoon. I am Peter Calvo, president of the Glassboro Board of Education in Gloucester County. I am also the co-chairperson of the New Jersey School Boards Association Ad Hoc Committee on Assessment of New Jersey Core Curriculum Content Standards. Our committee was charged with reviewing current assessment practices and developing recommendations for a comprehensive Association policy on the assessment of student achievement of the state's Core Curriculum Content Standards. Our final report offers recommendations for refinements in the state's assessment system that will promote the best possible education for New Jersey's students. It was approved by the NJSBA Board of Directors on January 7, 2000, and mailed to Commissioner Hespe and all State Board members on January 26.

NJSBA is making ten recommendations on the state-testing program. These recommendations are divided into three subject areas: Assessment Instruments; Test Administration; and Evaluation. Among our recommendations were:

• New Jersey should replace the state-developed 4^th-grade test with a nationally norm-referenced test to measure progress in language arts, math and science. Our committee also recommended that the assessment of the other elements be measured in the 5^th grade through a state-developed test. Testimony presented to our committee indicated that the current test does not give educators the adequate information necessary to assess individual student performance that will ensure that educational needs are being met. We believe that a balance between a nationally norm-referenced standardized test and the New Jersey assessment instrument would provide quick, valid and reliable information to help teachers pinpoint students’ individual needs. It will also allow districts, parents and the public to compare our students’ achievement nationally and globally.
  
• New Jersey should return results of the 4^th/5^th-grade, 8^th-grade and high school tests to school districts within eight weeks of their administration. Our committee recommended that the state return test results within eight weeks of their administration, but no later than June 1. This expedited turnaround will allow for earlier and more meaningful remediation for the students, better scheduling of fall classes with more appropriate placement of the students, as well as opportunities during the summer for professional development for staff in improved instructional strategies.

• New Jersey should limit test administration. Our committee called for limiting administration time for all state tests to no more than two hours per day and 10 hours per grade level. According to our report, the state’s full assessment schedule will amount to 7 percent of the standard school year. This means that the current assessments exceed the SAT, PSAT or even most professional licensing exams (for example, State Bar or CPA exams) in total testing time. NJSBA does not believe that physical endurance is a skill requirement of the state's curriculum standards.

• New Jersey should align the curriculum standards with state-required continuing education for teachers. Our committee called for redevelopment of the state Department of Education’s regional teacher training academies as a way to align the curriculum standards with the state’s newly required continuing education for teachers. The greatest effect on student performance comes through the effectiveness of the individual classroom teacher. The revitalization of the regional academies would allow the development and sharing of innovative teaching methods in direct response to the needs of students as identified by the new tests.

• New Jersey should replace the "absolute standard" for district-wide performance on the exams. Our committee calls for the elimination of the absolute standard for districts (85 percent of students determined "proficient" or "advanced proficient"). The absolute standard should be replaced with a model based on the improved annual progress in each proficiency level at each grade level in which statewide assessments are administered. Absolute district scores do not appropriately focus on the achievement of individual students or take into account achievement of students in earlier years in school.

We respectfully ask that you review the entire report and incorporate these changes into the administrative code on Standards and Assessment.

The proposed code will fundamentally change the way we provide education in New Jersey. NJSBA, which supports the concept of Core Curriculum Content Standards, nonetheless, opposes the removal of local control over graduation requirements and the mandating of structured learning experiences, such as career counseling in kindergarten or job shadowing in middle school.

On June 16, we commended the Department of Education for acknowledging local school boards' concerns by eliminating from the proposed code provisions calling for annotated diplomas for special education students and mandatory school-to-career programming. We are confident that the State Board of Education will also be as sensitive to the concerns of local school boards following a similar experience with the state testing program.

Thank you.