But does anyone actually care about standardized tests? Graduation rates are at all-time highs. So are grades. So why care at all?
Here’s the thing: standardized test scores are not only our most detailed view of how students are doing now, they’re our best predictor of students’ future success - in school and beyond.
And it’s not just one test telling us bad news. NJ’s national NAEP slide confirms our declining NJSLA state results, and local districts’ NJ NWEA MAP assessments display disturbing trends. Three different college readiness assessments, including the SAT, the ACT, and our own NJ graduation assessment, all show tens of thousands of NJ graduating seniors aren’t ready for college. Colleges may ignore test results during the admissions process, but they don’t trust high school grades and diplomas when it comes to actual coursework. The first thing colleges do is give a placement test to all their freshmen! That test helps identify who requires remedial classes, which half of NJ college students need.
So ignoring state test results starting in elementary school only delays facing the truth. The best thing we can do is give NJ teachers, administrators, and parents real-time data about how students are performing. The new NJSLA-A is an opportunity for our state leadership to deliver results in a timeframe that’s actually useful for students.
Every month we wait for a score report is a month we harm students through inaction. Superintendents want this data. Teachers want this data. Families want this data. It’s no joke.
