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Glen Rock presents 2024 NJSLA results; superintendent cautions against rankings
Summary
District leaders presented 2022–2024 New Jersey Student Learning Assessment (NJSLA) results, noted areas of growth and remaining gaps in middle‑school science and eighth‑grade math, and emphasized limits of cross‑district rankings and cohort comparisons.
Glen Rock Public School District officials presented 2022 and 2024 New Jersey Student Learning Assessment (NJSLA) results at the June 9 Board of Education meeting, highlighting improvement in several grades while cautioning against comparing different cohorts or relying on external rankings.
The presentation, prepared and delivered by district staff, compared Glen Rock scores to other Bergen County districts and to historically grouped “I” and “J” district factor groups. Superintendent Doctor Charleston said the district’s primary focus remains local student progress rather than outside lists: “I don't I don't believe or follow, rankings,” he said, adding that district teachers, administrators and families produced the results.
District staff warned that direct comparisons across years can be misleading because the students tested in 2022 are not the same individuals tested in 2024; staff also explained the district’s recent changes to math progressions and to the elementary science curriculum as context for score shifts. The district reported notable growth in algebra 1 proficiency between 2022 and 2024 and said elementary math scores remain strong. Officials singled out eighth‑grade science and the district’s newly introduced middle‑school math track as areas needing continued attention.
Presenters described methodology and caveats. The district used the NJSLA data and publicly released school performance reports to construct six comparative bars per grade (Glen Rock 2022, Glen Rock 2024, Bergen County 2022, Bergen County 2024, aggregated I districts, aggregated J districts). Staff noted the state last updated District Factor Groups in 2004 and that the groupings used for comparison may be outdated. The presentation also noted curriculum changes including adoption of the OpenSciEd science curriculum and continued use of the Everyday Math program in elementary grades.
Board members asked questions about cohort comparison and timing of curriculum effects. A board member asked whether the dip observed in some middle grades would “mesh out in 2 more years” as students complete the newer math progression; staff replied that some improvement is a delayed effect as cohorts move through subsequent grades and that algebra and geometry scores already show upward trends. Presenters cautioned about small sample sizes in some advanced high‑school courses (for example, algebra 2 proficiency figures reflect a small number of students) and recommended interpreting those figures with sample size in mind.
The presentation included a reminder that NJSLA reporting is state‑mandated and that full datasets are publicly available on the state site and in school performance reports. Superintendent Charleston and staff thanked teachers and administrators for work that they said produced the district’s results.
The report was informational; board members acknowledged the presentation and expressed appreciation. The board did not record a formal vote on the presentation itself; administrators said the material would remain part of the public record and district communications.
