Board presses district for targeted plan after NJSLA scores show many students below expectations

Rockaway Township Board of Education members on Tuesday reviewed the 2025 New Jersey Student Learning Assessments (NJSLA) results and directed district staff to return with a targeted, actionable improvement plan for students who are not meeting grade-level expectations.

Superintendent Richard Corbett and district leaders told the board that Rockaway Township’s overall scores were above the state average in several subjects, but that substantial percentages of students remain below proficiency in critical grades. “The NJSLA test measures student mastery in ELA, math and, in grades 5 and 8, science,” said Alfonso Gonella, the district’s director of curriculum and assessment, as he presented the results and recent district interventions. He said the district outperformed the state in overall math (66.2% versus the state’s 49.7%) and noted strong results in Algebra and Geometry courses, but he flagged specific grade-level shortfalls.

Why it matters: board members said the headline numbers do not answer the community’s primary question—what the district will do for the large share of students who are not meeting expectations. “We keep seeing the same statistics and presentations; I want specifics—what are the skills they’re missing and what interventions are we implementing?” said a board member identified in the discussion as Christy (Board member), who pressed staff for concrete steps rather than summary comparisons.

Key details from the presentation - Math: district-wide proficiency was reported at 66.2% (state 49.7%). Gonella highlighted that a notable share of students remain in the “near proficiency” bands (levels 1 and 2) and said those students are the main target for RTI (response to intervention). - Grade-level notes: Gonella said grade 7 math showed a weakness (about 35.6% proficiency) and that grade 8 math rebounded this year. He also pointed to strong pass rates in Algebra (91.1%) and Geometry (100%) for students taking those high-school-level assessments. - English language arts (ELA): the district reported gains in several grades, including a strong year in grade 6 (73.4% proficiency) and a rebound in grade 8 to 66.5% proficiency. - Science: grade 5 scored 38.7% proficiency (reported 8.6% above state) and grade 8 showed a year-over-year increase; Gonella said science testing has been moved earlier in the testing window to reduce student fatigue. - Multi-language learner (MLL) students: Gonella said MLL students averaged above 700 on the NJSLA scale for the first time under the current test, and praised work by the MLL supervisor and building teams.

Board reaction and next steps Board members repeatedly asked for an implementation-focused follow-up. “It’s important to see the students behind the percentages—cohort trajectories, the exact literacy and numeracy skills missing, and a plan showing who will provide the interventions and when,” Christy said. Corbett and Gonella answered that the district has already begun district-wide efforts—aligned curriculum across buildings, I-Ready benchmark and end-of-unit checks, “instructional rounds” to support classroom practices and an effort to standardize RTI procedures—and that additional staff and budget requests will be considered in the upcoming budget cycle.

Gonella told the board he will provide the requested detail at the next meeting: cohort-level trend charts, the specific skill gaps by grade, and a clearer view of RTI capacity and planned staffing. “Our big focus this year in all six schools is strengthening the RTI process, adding interventionists where possible and making interventions and progress monitoring consistent across buildings,” he said.

Context and constraints Gonella and other staff noted statewide operational issues—delays in state grant platforms and an upcoming shift to an adaptive NJSLA format—which limit how quickly some professional development and funded interventions can begin. Gonella and the board agreed to present a concrete academic improvement plan, focused particularly on the students in the middle bands who are near proficiency, at the November meeting.

The board directed staff to supply (a) cohort-tracking charts showing how groups of students progress from grade to grade, (b) a list of the exact skills the district will target in the short term, (c) capacity estimates for RTI services, and (d) a timeline for planned hires or reassignments tied to the budget calendar.

The presentation and the board’s request for a focused improvement plan follow several months of district work on curriculum alignment, instructional coaching and expanded intervention protocols; board members said they want the next report to move from analysis to specific, funded action items.