The results were evaluated in comparison to the state averages.
PARCC scores are in at the Shamong Township School District, and the results were evaluated by Director of Curriculum and Instruction Laura Hoffman at this week’s board of education meeting.
The presentation was organized in a way that followed the scores from each grade over the past three years, as a means of gaining perspective on if the teaching methods were working throughout the years — as opposed to making assumptions based off of one year.
Hoffman first discussed the math scores for third-graders, stating that in 2015 there was a 43 percent passing rate, compared to the state average of a 45 percent passing rate. Therefore, the target scores were not met in 2015. However, in 2018, 60 percent of students passed, while the state average was 53 percent. In addition to the 17 percent increase over the years, there has also been an increase from three advanced students to 14 advanced students in third grade.
From the start of PARCC testing in 2015, eighth-graders’ scores have grown by 26 percent, and they went from having zero advanced students to eight advanced students.
For algebra, there has been an increase from six advanced students to 10, going from a 97 percent passing rate to a 100 percent passing rate since 2015.
In total, the math scores for the state average are at 728 and the Shamong Township School District averages at 754 when students leave the district. For algebra, the state average is 746, and the district average is 802.
For English Language Arts, third-graders had a 45 percent passing rate in 2015, while the state was 43 percent. In 2018, they reached a 53 percent passing rate and the state average was 52 percent. There has been an increase from zero advanced students in 2015 to seven advanced students in 2018.
The eighth-graders started with a 66 percent passing rate in 2015, while the state average was 52 percent, and in 2018 the eighth-graders have grown to achieve a 78 percent rate, compared to the state average of 60 percent. There has also been an increase of advanced students, growing from 13 to 35.
Overall, the state average of PARCC scores for ELA is 759, and the Shamong Township School District scores average at 777.
In other news:
- New teaching staff members were introduced at the meeting, including Nicole Brewin, speech pathologist at IMS; Katie DiCarlo, seventh-grade science teacher at IMMS; Sabrina Futty, seventh-grade language arts teacher at IMMS; Olivia Johnson, social worker on the Child Study Team; and Salvatore Petetti, fifth-grade language arts teacher at IMMS.
- Superintendent Christine Vespe is working with the tech crew to set up a district Facebook page, along with creating an app to provide access to all social media platforms, to provide information instantaneously, to share security alerts and to improve communication with the community.
- Vespe has been invited to a professional development session for the state to speak about school safety initiatives and preparedness methods in the Shamong Township School District. She was invited by Frank Borelli, director of professional development in New Jersey, and Ben Castillo, director of the state Department of Education’s Office of School Preparedness and Emergency Planning.
The next Board of Education meeting will take place on Oct. 16 at 7 p.m. at Indian Mills Memorial School.
