We address a false binary between grades and test scores in a viral NYT op-ed.

The first guest post in our “Summer School” Series brings perspective from two longtime community college professors on how grade inflation leads to lower skills, remediation courses, and frustrated college students.

The Long Term Trends Report from NAEP shows the urgent need for action now. Here’s what New Jersey can do to buck a nationwide downward slide.

What we can learn from UC public university professors publicly calling for a return to using SAT and ACT scores in the admissions process.

When we started Wake Up Call NJ, we established three principles to build our awareness efforts around: (1) Shine a bright spotlight on the truth; (2) Do not point fingers; and (3) Do not fixate on “silver bullet” solutions.

 A NJ teacher, a student and a parent sit down for an end-of-school-year conversation about student performance. This isn’t the beginning of a joke.

A recent study shows parents pick and pick and choose whichever information confirms their mental image of their own student’s talent and their own school’s high academic standards. All that matters is getting the A grade. Once you’ve slapped on that Honor Roll bumper sticker, who cares if test scores show their child can’t multiply single digits or put fractions in order? 

It’s a classic sitcom plot. The kid with main character energy gets a poor grade on their report card and hatches an increasingly harebrained scheme to avoid sharing the truth with their parents. 

“We’re not getting the bang for the buck that we need.”

Our jaws hit the floor when we heard this admission from Governor Sherrill.

Sometimes the best way to figure out the way forward is to take a glimpse back. 

Which of these scenarios do you find the least plausible?

1. You place an order at Jersey Mike’s and are told “your lunch will be ready in 3-4 weeks.” 

2. A teenager takes their driving test in February and finds out in July if they passed. 

3. A 4th-grader completes their NJSLA math exam in April and learns the results in October.

We’ve all seen the cliché of politicians kissing babies to look like nice guys. So it’s adding insult to injury that too many of our elected leaders across the country aren’t looking out for our kids.