Don’t Ignore the Score

Surprised by how your kid did on the NJSLA? Read below on what to do now and sign up to join our efforts to improve public schools in NJ.

Parent Actions

    • Your child did not master last year’s math and/or reading skills. They started this year behind.

    • Talk to your child’s teacher about a game plan to catch up.

    • Consider finding a tutor. Tutoring is proven to be the most effective intervention, and NJ has earmarked funds for FREE tutoring through schools. Ask your principal.

    • Congratulations! Your child successfully mastered last year’s grade level – and may in fact be ahead.

    • If so, your child may be bored in school and spending a lot of seat time not learning.

    • Talk to your child’s teacher to make sure your child is being challenged to maximize their potential beyond grade-level skills.

  • Whether the state test results results come at the end of this school year or next, you should speak to your child's current teacher and ask them the following:

    • How do these scores compare to my child’s daily classroom performance and other measures of their progress, including their report card grades and benchmark tests during the year?

    • What specific strengths and weaknesses do you see in the results?

    •  How will these results change your instruction for my child?

    • What are the next skills my child needs to master to be successful?

    • What is one specific thing I can do at home to support their development?

Testing Misconceptions

    • Grades are important, but they vary from class to class. Some grades include behavior, participation and extra credit.

    • The NJSLA test lets you know how your child is performing against grade level AND his peers across the state.

    • A strong score on the NJSLA shows your kid has mastered skills that are ALSO on the SAT and ACT, which are used for college admissions.

    • Unfortunately, that rarely happens. Math and reading skills from each grade level build off one another.

    • Kids who are behind actually fall further behind. 

    • That's why you need to take action today.

    • We know test anxiety is real for some students.  But you still can't just rely on their report card.

    • Ask your teachers for how your student performed on this year's formative assessments -- shorter tests that are given throughout the year.

    • Formative assessments align well with grade-level expectations so you can gauge how your student is performing.

    • Wrong.  New Jersey is late every year in giving parents last year’s test results. There’s no excuse for it. Many states get these results back in June.  And similar tests like the SAT and ACT come back in a matter of days.

    • Because NJ parents don't get state scores back in the fall, students who should spend the summer working on missing skills don’t even realize they need help.

    • Contact your district and state representatives to demand test scores be released earlier.