With Test Scores and Organization, Superintendent Looks to Advance Hoboken Schools

Among the things Dr. Mark Toback has done in his first year as superintendent of schools in Hoboken, is start organizing and documenting.

With the help of test scores, school research and better integration of services in the high school, the new superintendent said he plans to give more attention to individual student performance to make sure that no students "fall through the cracks."

Teachers will be required to fill out detailed report cards that span beyond simple A, B or C's, but rate students performance on particular facets of subjects.

One such things his research has pointed out is low scores in high school math and a decrease in test scores compared to the state average when the students reach fifth grade.

During a recent sit-down interview in his office, Toback explained his system of tests and new-and-improved report cards that keep an eye on all students.

The district's main goal is to improve math proficiency at Hoboken High School, which has been defined as a priority because of results from a state wide test. More than 50 percent of the students didn't pass the math test on the first try, Toback said, which he called "an unacceptably high number." In response, the superintendent has added remedial teaching classes to make sure all high schoolers will get to the appropriate level. Even if it means pulling students out of electives. "It's not a popular thing to do," Toback said. 

"Many students need different services," Toback said. Because there was nobody in charge of integrating student services at the high school, the position of supervisor of student support services has been created.

Part of that includes increasing parent involvement, Toback said. During Tuesday night's Board of Education Meeting the superintendent said that parents could expect in-depth information about the school district and its performance in the newsletter on Wednesday.

Under Toback, the high school has also seen an increase in remedial classes in language and math. In years prior, Toback said, there were eight classes—"very few," he said. This year, however, the high school is offering 16 remedial classes to combat what seems to be the high school's biggest problem: proficiency in math.

Another finding in Toback's test scores—on the table in his office lie the organized charts and findings of the tests—is that after fifth grade, test scores and proficiency drops in relation to the state average.

By taking a closer look at these issues with tests, Toback said, the school district will be able to act accordingly.

"At that grade level things slow down," Toback said, "why is that?"

Toback said that it's recent that the school district is aware of these issues. "We want to be responsive," he said.

Besides improving every current student's performance, Toback also wants to attract more students to the Hoboken public schools.

While in the 2006/07 school year the district had roughly 2,200 students, enrollment has dropped by about 400 students. Currently there are roughly 1,800 children in the Hoboken public schools.

"There are a lot of benefits in Hoboken schools," Toback said. To show this to parents across the city, Toback has boosted the district's recruitment efforts.

While he acknowledges that "there are options out there"—Hoboken's three charter schools or local Catholic schools and county schools to name a few—he said he has been working to increase enrollment.

"(We) let the students be the spokesmen of the district," Toback said.

Toback said also that he hopes that consistency will help the schools improve. After such high turnover and many different administrators in the recent years, "one consistent model over multiple years will make a difference," Toback said.

And Toback seems to have the patience to wait it out. "It starts small," he said. "By word of mouth." Over time, that word of mouth is supposed to attract the many young, urban families who are having children in Hoboken, who currently prefer to send their children to charter or private schools.