See Where Wayne Students Improved Most On 2024 State Assessments

WAYNE, NJ — Wayne students continued to perform above the state averages on the spring 2023-24 New Jersey Student Learning Assessments, as district officials noted during a recent school board meting.

Assistant Superintendent Donna Reichman and Wayne Hills High School assistant principal Dr. Ben Glaz summarized the district's overall progress on the NJSLA during a presentation at the Oct. 10 Board of Education meeting.

The assessments are administered every spring, and measure how well students meet state learning standards in English Language Arts (for students in grades 3 through 9); mathematics (for students in grades 3 through 8, and Grade 9 students taking Algebra 1, Algebra 2, or Geometry); and science (for students in grades 5, 8, and 11).

Students' performances are categorized into a specific proficiency level based on their individual results, to show how they performed compared to state standards. The ELA and math assessments have five levels, while the science assessment has four

In math, students performed particularly well in the eighth grade Algebra 1 assessment and the eleventh grade geometry assessment, where the district reported a significant decrease in the number of students deemed to be below proficiency level.

"You're always hoping that the majority of students are either meeting or exceeding (expectations)," Reichman explained.

These two grade levels also outpaced statewide averages for students meeting and exceeding expectations by a wider margin than other grade levels: Geometry results were 38.7 percent higher than the state average, and Algebra 1 results were 60.5 percent higher.

"We're very proud of them," she added during her presentation.

There was also a 5.7 percent increase in the number of seventh grade students who met or exceeded expectations on their test.

In English language arts, the presentation highlighted how third-grade students have made progress in recent years, after the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted learning for many. This spring, 63.8 percent of third-graders met or exceeded expectations on the NJSLA, compared to 51.8 percent in 2022 and 56.5 percent in 2023.

"There was a big dip during the pandemic, and you can see that we're making gains overall," Reichman said.

The district also reported significant gains in ninth-grade ELA, where 36.3 percent of students are exceeding expectations — a year-over-year improvement of 12.5 percent. Meanwhile, there were 9.9 percent fewer students who were categorized as not meeting or partially meeting proficiency standards, based on spring test results.

"That is a point of pride for the district," Reichman said.

The science test was administered for the first time in 2019, and the assessment changed in 2022, so results there have not changed as dramatically as some others.

"Since 2022, we've not seen a steady decline, we've been more stable," said Reichman.

You can view the entire presentation here.