PARCC Results: A Closer Look At How Ocean City High School Fared In State Testing

Ocean City, NJ -- On Tuesday, Patch reported that 19.4 percent of the students at Ocean City High School are "not yet meeting expectations" in the English/Language section of the state’s Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) tests, according to results released last week.

Out of a list of 371 high schools in New Jersey, Ocean City ranked No. 241.

The PARCC tests have been a source of controversy for more than a year. David Hespe, New Jersey’s commissioner of education, said last year that more than half of New Jersey’s kids are not ready for college based on the results of the tests, and many parents have opted to not have their children take the tests.

Earlier this year, the state reinforced the testing as the center of the Common Core Curriculum, and make it count more toward graduation.

It appears this would have some impact at Ocean City High School, where participation lags as students get older, and results drop. All numbers are related only to the English/Language results released by the State Department of Education last week.

At the junior level, which is the highest grade measured, more than half of the 308 students registered to take the test didn’t even take it. There were only 141 valid scores, with a mean score of 717, the lowest of the three high school grades measured.

Only 13.5 percent of students who took the test met expectations, while 31.9 percent didn’t. Another 26.2 percent were approaching expectations, but only 2.1 percent exceeded them.

Students first coming into high school fared much better, with 44.1 percent of freshmen meeting expectations, and only 8.4 percent not. Another 5.3 percent exceeded expectations, and 25.6 percent were approaching expectations.

A bigger percentage of students at this level took the test, too. Out of 299 registered freshmen, 227 took the test, with a mean score of 746.

There is a big dip from freshmen to sophomores in terms of meeting expectations, with 25.8 percent meeting expectations, while 17.9 percent didn’t.

Another 9.9 percent exceeded expectations, and 27.8 percent were approaching expectations.

Out of 320 registered students, 252 took the test, with a mean score of 737.

To view results for all schools in all grades throughout the state, visit nj.gov.

Patch file photo