Matawan-Aberdeen schools try new tests

From the Independent Newspaper

Matawan-Aberdeen schools try new tests
Tests will track progress of students in grades 3-8
BY ERIN O. STATTEL Staff Writer

ABERDEEN - The Board of Education has approved a new computerized student assessment program to be implemented in the Matawan-Aberdeen Regional School District this fall.

A unanimous vote at the June 30 board meeting will allow a $26,000 program, offered through Northwest Evaluation Assessment, to aid teachers with curriculum development.

"The tests will be administered four times throughout the school year to grades three through eight," explained Richard O'Malley, superintendent of schools. "For the first two weeks of school in September we will be administering the tests."

According to the Web site, the Northwest Evaluation Assessment (NWEA) is a nonprofit organization that partners with school districts and education agencies throughout the country.

The testing NWEA will provide is Measures of Academic Progress, or MAPs. According to the Web site, the assessments are computerized adaptive tests that accurately reflect the instructional level of each student and measure growth over time.

"I have been talking with Dr. O'Malley about exactly how the teacher will implement the assessment into the classroom, and the trend in education is toward differentiation of curriculum to meet children's needs," Board of Education President Patricia Demarest said last week.

"He explained that the results of the assessment will enable the teacher to quickly put the students in groups by the skills areas that they are ready to learn. Having the children already in groups ready to learn skills aligned to state testing should improve instruction by allowing for more time in targeted skill areas."

According to NWEA, the MAPs measure what students have learned during the course of the school year, identify where instruction is lacking, assess academic achievement over time, and place new students into the correct programs.

"I have been researching benchmark tests for a while now," O'Malley said. "I have seen it done elsewhere with success and I like it because it tests the individual on content, showing growth about each individual kid. " When asked if the newassessmentswere in response to the district's scores on other state tests, O'Malley said it was for a reference point.

"I want a good indication of where each kid is instead of us teaching to the test," O'Malley explained. "We need rigorous curriculum with the right instruction and then these tests will help us measure how it is affecting the students. It is like a circle and it shows growth."

Matawan-Aberdeen students' scores on state tests were a cause for concern when parents assembled at a spring Board of Educationmeeting. Since then, the district has made changes in personnel, emphasizing instruction and accountability.

"The NWEA MAPs will cover math and language arts only," O'Malley explained.

Math is one of the subjects that the district is focused on right now, said new Matawan Regional High School Principal Michelle Ruscavage in an interview in June.

"We want our middle school students to take higher-level math classes like an algebra course, so they are better prepared for precalculus and trigonometry," she said. "Hopefully, we can review our entire program curriculum to raise standards across the board."

O'Malley explained that the cost of the test, which will be $26,083 for the district, is approximately $13 a student and includes professional development and technology setup.

Demarest agreed on the efficiency of the tests, adding, "In addition, if a child is going to be taken out for additional help, the data will help determine exactly what skills should be focused on."