Most New Jersey Schools Make Adequate Yearly Progress

Most New Jersey Schools Make
Adequate Yearly Progress

Three-fourths of New Jersey’s 2,430 public schools met the Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) standards under the federal No Child Left Behind Act, the state Department of Education recently announced.

In New Jersey, 74.6 percent of the state’s 2,430 schools met AYP standards after students were tested in math and language arts in grades 3 to 8, and 11.

For each test at each grade level, there is a benchmark that represents the percentage of the total student body and of each subgroup that must score as “proficient” for the school to make AYP. For instance, in the 11th Grade, 79 percent of students must be proficient in language arts and 64 percent must be proficient in math.

Scores are reported for the total student body, as well as for several subgroups of students, such as limited English proficient, special education, economically disadvantaged and various racial/ethic categories. In addition, for most of the subgroups, at least 95 percent of students must participate in the assessments.

Schools are rated on 40 indicators that reflect the number of tests; the number of grade levels at which the tests are administered; the number of student subgroups at each of those grade levels; and the student participation rate. A school that does not make AYP in just one of the 40 indicators is deemed as not making adequate yearly progress.

As a result of this year’s testing, 517 schools did not make AYP for two or more years in a row. They have been identified as “Schools In Need of Improvement” and will begin a series of corrective actions, according to the Department of Education's report.

On the federal level, the National School Boards Association is supporting the No Child Left Behind Improvements Act of 2007. The legislation would ensure that tests are valid and reliable for all students, particularly those with disabilities or not English proficient; it would eliminate overbroad negative labeling of schools; and it would increase reporting accuracy.