How Did West Orange Students Score On NJ Exams? See Latest School Data

WEST ORANGE, NJ — West Orange public school students are “meeting or exceeding expectations” in several learning categories, although test scores are lagging behind the state average in other areas, administrators recently reported.

Eveny de Mendez, the district’s assistant superintendent of curriculum and instruction, gave a presentation about the latest round of state assessments at the board of education meeting on Nov. 11.

The presentation covered New Jersey Student Learning Assessment (NJSLA) and Dynamic Learning Map scores for 2024.

The following NJSLA data compares West Orange’s average to the state average (with percentages of students who “met or exceeded” expectations):

MATH GRADES 3 TO 5

• West Orange – Grade 3 (63.1%); Grade 4 (53.6%); Grade 5 (56.3%)
• State – Grade 3 (47.5%); Grade 4 (44.9%); Grade 5 (40.2%)

MATH GRADES 6 TO 8

• West Orange – Grade 6 (41.3%); Grade 7 (30.6%); Grade 8 (21.7 %)
• State – Grade 6 (36.2 %); Grade 7 (37.5 %); Grade 8 (19.5 %)

MATH (ALGEBRA, GEOMETRY)

• West Orange – Algebra I (35%); Algebra II (33.3%); Geometry (72 %)
• State – Algebra I (39.5 %); Algebra II (58.9 %); Geometry (49 %)

ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS (ELA) GRADES 3 TO 5

• West Orange – Grade 3 (59.1%); Grade 4 (65.1%); Grade 5 (65.5 %)
• State – Grade 3 (43.6 %); Grade 4 (50.8 %); Grade 5 (52.2 %)

ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS (ELA) GRADES 6 TO 9

• West Orange – Grade 6 (66.3%); Grade 7 (53.5%); Grade 8 (59.6 %); Grade 9 (60.3 %)
• State – Grade 6 (53.2%); Grade 7 (54%); Grade 8 (52.9 %); Grade 9 (58 %)

SCIENCE

• West Orange – Grade 5 (41.2%); Grade 8 (27.7%); Grade 11 (26.5 %)
• State – Grade 5 (27.6%); Grade 8 (18.8%); Grade 11 (28.1 %)

De Mendez pointed out several bright spots in the data, saying that West Orange is consistently outperforming the state in math grades 3 to 5. However, the district’s Grade 6 to 8 math results are “currently below expectations” – a challenge that other districts across the state and nation are also experiencing.

Some board members followed up with questions after the presentation, including Dia Bryant.

“I’ll be generous and say that the math results are sobering and they leave me with quite a few questions about the path forward,” Bryant commented.

Watch footage from the Nov. 11 meeting below (video is cued to the presentation).

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