Note On State Assessment Tests In Manasquan

The New Jersey Department of Education mandates that, every year, by October 1, each school district must provide parents or guardians certain information on state assessments.

Superintendent Frank Kasyan took a moment to focus on the relevancy of NJSLA testing as well as the state graduation requirements:

• NJSLA is aligned to the state’s current academic standards that are guiding what and how your children are taught in class. In addition to providing an overall score in both subjects, the test also shows how well your child is performing in comparison to peers in his or her grade level, school and district, as well as useful information about your children’s strengths and areas for improvement.
• NJSLA is not meant to provide a complete picture of student achievement, but when combined with other measures, including teacher reports and student grades, it provides important information about your child’s progress. The staff utilizes this information as it plans for each year.
• The NJSLA reports break down each subject tested into different categories of skills and show how well your child performed in each. This helps you and your child’s teacher understand where your child is doing well and where he or she needs more support. You can use this information to guide a discussion with your child’s teacher(s) about additional supports or challenges needed in class and other ways to support your child at home. The teachers and principals use this information to improve classroom instruction and provide more effective and targeted support and professional development. They can also identify where your child has mastered content so the staff can provide more challenging work to continue to keep him or her engaged and making progress.
• These tests serve as an ‘academic checkup.’ Although they are only one measure of your child’s progress, the scores on the NJSLA test can be compared from one year to the next. The test is a useful tool to determine your child’s performance and the level of progress and readiness for the next grade.