SAT Participation Rate Below State Average Due to OCC Enrollment, Super Says

Participation in the SAT college admission test among Toms River high school students is below the state average, according to a recently released report.

None of Toms River's three high schools met the statewide 80 percent SAT participation target set by the state Department of Education. Superintendent of Schools Frank Roselli said that is because many students choose to enroll in Ocean County College, an economical educational option that does not require SAT scores for admission.

"If, because of the economy, our kids can't afford to go to four-year schools, they're saving their time and money by going to OCC. I don't think that's something people should look down on," Roselli said. 

At High School South, 60 percent of students took the SATs; 66 percent of High School East students took the test; and at High School North, 71 percent participated, according to data in the state's new School Performance Report.

The guide replaces the long-used School Report Cards as part of national common core standards and places extra emphasis on student achievement in college and beyond secondary school.

"A significant number of our graduates go to OCC. We've developed a great relationship with OCC," Roselli said.

Toms River Regional's relationship with the college includes an enrollment process allowing OCC-bound students the opportunity to take the ACCUPLACER test rather than the SAT, which could explain the shortfall, according to Roselli.

Once students have completed a two-year degree at OCC, the institution's relationship with Kean University allows them to complete a four-year degree in Toms River, or they could enroll elsewhere.

Though traditional SAT participation was lower in Toms River high schools, the number of students taking the PSAT test exceeded the state goal of 60 percent.

All Toms River high schools lagged in the college and career readiness category. High School South was in the 40th percentile compared with the state and 25th among its peers; High School East was in the 56th percentile compared with the state and 50th among its peers; and High School North was in the 55th percentile among both the state and its peers.

The college and career readiness category measures "the degree to which students are demonstrating behaviors that are indicative of future attendance and/or success in college and careers."

For high schools, this includes measures of participation in college readiness tests such as the SAT or PSAT and in rigorous coursework as defined by participation in AP courses in English, math, social studies and science, according to the report.

The report data also shows that Toms River's three high schools perform about average or lag behind similar schools in academics. But Roselli said that appears to be because the new modeling does away with district factor groups, large groupings of school districts that were supposed to have had similar socioeconomic traits. 

For comparison purposes, the new reporting uses "peer schools," which are said to be specific schools which have similar academic programs as well as demographics.

"I need to study more the peer group we're put in and are now being compared to," Roselli said. "You're going to see the the districts we're compared to from a socioeconomic standpoint are far more advanced than we are."

Data released last week by the state was a measure of the 2011-12 school year and shows that high schools East and South met all of their academic achievement targets, while High School North met 90 percent of its targets. 

"From all the work we did this year, we don't have the test results back," Roselli said. 

The district has implemented programs to improve test scores, including those at the elementary and middle school levels, which have not been reflected in the recently released reports. 

"We haven't seen the payoff from all that work," Roselli said, though he noted that the district "continues to be above state average."

HSPA scores at the high schools were similar: at High School South, 94 percent of students were ranked proficient in language arts and 84 percent were proficient in math; at High School East, 93 percent were proficient in language arts and 84 percent were proficient in math; and at High School North students scored 94.8 in language arts and 85.6 in math.

At the three schools, 12 percent at High School South, 17 percent at High School East and 14 percent at High School North took at least one Advanced Placement test in English, math, social studies or science, short of the statewide goal of 35 percent.

The state data also shows, as a percentage, how many graduates of both high schools actually enrolled in college within 16 months of graduating, according to the National Student Clearinghouse, which collects data from 95 percent of colleges nationwide.

At High School South, 35 percent enrolled, and at both High School East and High School North 39 percent enrolled. All schools well well above the state target of a 75 percent graduation rate.

The complete reports for all schools in the Toms River Regional district can be found online here.