Schools
Ramsey Students Outperform Peers On Most State Exams
Two grade levels in three subject areas got grades slightly below those of their counterparts in neighboring districts
Most Ramsey students outperformed their peers on state exams in 2012, but a few grade levels did not, and educators in the borough say they are looking into why.
During a presentation to the Board of Education last month, Ramsey’s administrators and subject supervisors revealed the results of the 2012 state exams.
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Ramsey’s scores are compared to statewide test results, and to scores at nearby districts that have a similar socioeconomic make-up. In general, Ramsey is ahead of the other schools in this district factor group (DFG).
In most cases, the percentage of Ramsey students who tested at a proficient or higher level was more than the DFG percentage. However, in fourth grade language arts, sixth grade math and fourth grade science, that was not the case.
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English Supervisor Dr. Emily Moore said the district is now processing the results to see how it can help bump up results in those grade levels and subject areas.
“We are looking at the data in different ways and looking at our curriculum to try to make sense of this,” she said.
The district also examines Ramsey’s proficiency levels over a five-year period. Though she said the past dip seen in many of the results was in response to changes in the exam and students and teachers getting used to them, the patterns found over the past five years can be “very helpful.”
Moore and Math Supervisor Thomas Santulli also pointed out that most grade levels have consistently outperformed their counterparts in the DFG over the past five years.
The 2012 eighth grade class produced “particularly excellent” results on the Language Arts portion of the test, Moore said. Nearly 100% of the class is proficient – only about five students are not, she said.
Results on the high school HSPA exam have been consistently higher in Ramsey than in the surrounding districts.
Overall, Santulli said test results show that “by the time they graduate, our students are indeed college and career ready.”
Below are tables showing Ramsey’s results compared with those in the DFG and in the state, which consistently scores significantly lower than Ramsey. And, check the district website for the full presentation on Ramsey’s results.
Language Arts
NJ ASK – Total Percent Proficient
Grade Three
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
Ramsey
98.6
91.8
85.3
89.4
91.0
DFG
94.2
79.3
75.9
78.9
82.2
State
86.0
62.7
59.7
63.0
66.7
Grade Four
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
Ramsey
96.3
86.3
75.5
86.8
74.4
DFG
92.4
80.2
77.2
81.4
76.2
State
82.6
63.0
59.7
63.7
58.5
Grade Five
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
Ramsey
77.4
85.0
81.6
86.7
85.7
DFG
77.9
82.7
80.2
80.2
80.3
State
59.9
65.8
63.3
60.9
62.1
Grade Six
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
Ramsey
81.0
87.8
86.2
88.3
86.7
DFG
76.5
85.3
82.7
82.5
82.7
State
57.2
69.8
65.5
66.7
64.5
Grade Seven
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
Ramsey
92.3
90.4
87.5
84.0
84.9
DFG
87.0
87.2
86.5
82.3
80.5
State
70.4
71.9
69.5
63.3
61.0
Grade Eight
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
Ramsey
97.7
97.6
96.3
95.1
98.2
DFG
93.5
94.1
94.3
93.8
94.0
State
81.1
82.0
82.9
82.2
82.2
HSPA
Grade Eleven
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
Ramsey
98.1
97.1
98.7
99.1
97.9
DFG
93.7
94.4
96.2
96.5
97.4
State
82.8
83.6
87.1
89.6
91.5
Math
NJ ASK – Total Percent Proficient
Grade Three
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
Ramsey
96.8
95.7
95.7
97.0
95.0
DFG
95.0
87.8
90.0
90.9
91.1
State
86.7
75.2
78.1
78.9
78.4
Grade Four
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
Ramsey
94.2
82.3
98.0
96.5
91.1
DFG
93.9
86.2
89.1
90.7
90.3
State
84.8
73.0
77.2
79.3
77.4
Grade Five
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
Ramsey
78.1
86.8
96.7
96.5
95.1
DFG
88.8
90.0
91.3
91.9
93.2
State
76.5
77.3
79.0
80.6
83.2
Grade Six
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
Ramsey
81.4
82.3
83.4
93.8
89.9
DFG
86.4
85.8
86.3
88.9
91.0
State
72.0
70.9
72.1
77.3
78.8
Grade Seven
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
Ramsey
80.4
78.4
78.1
79.4
85.7
DFG
80.2
82.0
82.2
82.6
80.8
State
64.3
66.3
64.6
65.7
63.2
Grade Eight
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
Ramsey
88.3
90.6
88.6
88.1
89.6
DFG
83.6
85.6
83.9
86.3
87.1
State
67.4
71.2
69.0
71.5
71.7
HSPA
Grade Eleven
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
Ramsey
95.8
91.6
97.2
93.2
93.8
DFG
90.0
88.4
89.7
88.9
91.1
State
74.8
72.7
75.0
75.2
79.3
Science
NJ ASK – Total Percent Proficient
Grade Four
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
Ramsey
97.8
98.2
99.1
97.8
96.6
DFG
94.8
97.3
98.3
96.9
97.4
State
85.0
90.1
93.5
90.0
91.3
Grade Eight
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
Ramsey
97.7
96.9
95.3
94.8
97.1
DFG
94.8
94.7
94.4
93.4
94.4
State
84.0
84.2
83.3
81.2
81.9
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