Standards & Accountability

In New Jersey Analysis, Tests Get High Marks, Standards Low Ones

By Kathleen Kennedy Manzo — January 10, 2001 3 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

New Jersey’s assessments in language arts and math are a standout in comparison with other states’ tests, but its academic standards in those subjects lack clarity and specificity and provide insufficient guidance for improving instruction, a recent independent analysis concludes.

“New Jersey’s tests are quite challenging and comprehensive. They are the type of assessments that states ought to be striving for,” said Matthew Gandal, the vice president of Achieve, the Cambridge, Mass.-based nonprofit organization that evaluated the state’s system of standards and assessments. “The [assessments] have the capacity to drive improvements in teaching and learning, but the standards don’t communicate well enough what should be expected of students.”

While the standards are straightforward and jargon-free, according to the report, some lack a clear progression from grade to grade, and others are either too demanding or not rigorous enough for the intended grade level.

The mathematics standards for grade 8, for example, require that students “develop, understand, and apply a variety of strategies for determining perimeter, area, surface area, angle measurement, and volume.” While students are supposed to continue to master those skills through grade 12, the standards, in Achieve’s view, do not indicate the level of sophistication or growth of skills that is expected. Moreover, perimeter should be mastered before grade 8, the report says.

Time for Revision

State officials requested the study, which looked at the quality, rigor, and alignment of the standards and assessments in language arts and mathematics, in anticipation of a state school board mandated revision of the standards in those areas this spring. The Washington-based Council of Chief State School Officers will review the state’s standards in social studies and science later this year.

“We are ready to update our standards, and we think the Achieve recommendations will greatly influence the various standards committees,” said Jay Doolan, the director of the office of standards and professional development for the state education department. “We wanted some outside feedback, and the Achieve process ... will provide us with specific information about where we should head in the next five years.”

The organization, which was set up by the nation’s governors and business leaders to assist states in creating world-class standards and testing programs aligned to them, recommends that the New Jersey standards provide more detail for teachers and parents about what students should know and be able to do. The guidelines, the report says, also should provide more sample problems to illustrate the level of complexity students should achieve in reading, writing, and math.

After revising the standards, the report suggests, state officials should make sure the next set of tests aligns with the expectations.

Early Reading, Middle Math

To help students meet the standards, New Jersey should consider launching an early-reading initiative and focus more attention on middle-grades mathematics, the report says.

When the state released its first set of standards five years ago, officials chose to issue more general guidelines for various grades with the intention of allowing districts to craft more detailed frameworks for meeting them. Once the standards are revised, however, they will likely be more specific while still allowing for local variations.

Achieve has conducted similar analyses in other states as part of its benchmarking initiative, which evaluates how the standards and assessments measure up to those of other high- performing states and nations. The initiative also examines how the states measure the knowledge and skills laid out in their standards.

In addition to New Jersey, states that have contracted with Achieve to conduct such analyses are Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, and Pennsylvania. (“Minnesota’s Learning Standards Receive Mixed Review,” Dec. 6, 2000.)

A version of this article appeared in the January 10, 2001 edition of Education Week as In New Jersey Analysis, Tests Get High Marks, Standards Low Ones

Events

This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Recruitment & Retention Webinar
Substitute Teacher Staffing Simplified: 5 Strategies for Success
Struggling to find quality substitute teachers? Join our webinar to learn key strategies to keep your classrooms covered and students learning.
Content provided by Kelly Education
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Artificial Intelligence Webinar
AI in Education: Empowering Educators to Tap into the Promise and Steer Clear of Peril
Explore the transformative potential of AI in education and learn how to harness its power to improve student outcomes.
Content provided by Panorama Education
English Learners Webinar Family and Community Engagement: Best Practices for English Learners
Strengthening the bond between schools and families is key to the success of English learners. Learn how to enhance family engagement and support student achievement.

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Standards & Accountability What the Research Says More than 1 in 4 Schools Targeted for Improvement, Survey Finds
The new federal findings show schools also continue to struggle with absenteeism.
2 min read
Vector illustration of diverse children, students climbing up on a top of a stack of staggered books.
iStock/Getty
Standards & Accountability Opinion What’s Wrong With Online Credit Recovery? This Teacher Will Tell You
The “whatever it takes” approach to increasing graduation rates ends up deflating the value of a diploma.
5 min read
Image shows a multi-tailed arrow hitting the bullseye of a target.
DigitalVision Vectors/Getty
Standards & Accountability Why a Judge Stopped Texas from Issuing A-F School Ratings
Districts argued the new metric would make it appear as if schools have worsened—even though outcomes have actually improved in many cases.
2 min read
Laura BakerEducation Week via Canva  (1)
Canva
Standards & Accountability Why These Districts Are Suing to Stop Release of A-F School Ratings
A change in how schools will be graded has prompted legal action from about a dozen school districts in Texas.
4 min read
Handwritten red letter grades cover a blue illustration of a classic brick school building.
Laura Baker, Canva