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Moorestown reports strong results on new NJ graduation proficiency test; district outlines multilingual learner supports
Summary
District administrators told the board Moorestown’s 11th-graders largely met the New Jersey graduation proficiency assessment this year and described program expansions and supports for multilingual learners ahead of the 2025–26 school year.
Moorestown Township Public School District administrators reported to the board at its August 2025 meeting that most 11th‑grade students reached the state’s New Jersey graduation proficiency assessment (NJ GPA) benchmarks and outlined changes to multilingual learner programming.
"This year, we are currently awaiting guidance from the state regarding the graduation requirements for the class of 2026 and beyond," said Dr. Benton, the district administrator who presented the assessment data.
Why it matters: the NJ GPA is one of the pathways students may use to meet graduation requirements. The district said high pass rates reduce the number of students who must rely on alternative pathways such as SAT scores or portfolio appeals.
District figures presented for the cohort who were 11th graders this year (the class of 2026) showed 294 students tested in English language arts and 293 in mathematics. The district said students must meet a cut score of 725 or higher in both ELA and math to be considered graduation‑ready. Moorestown reported that 95 percent of those students met the ELA requirement and 88.4 percent met the math requirement; by comparison the district cited statewide averages of about 80 percent (ELA) and 58 percent (math).
The board heard a three‑year trend comparison showing Moorestown’s ELA performance remained well above the state average and that targeted interventions — including summer programs and focused standard‑level instruction — helped students who were just below proficiency. The district said it runs a summer intervention program ahead of the summer administration of the test so some students can retake and pass, and that portfolios started early in the school year are typically submitted in January or February when required. Over the last four years the district reported a 100 percent completion rate among students who pursued the graduation portfolio route.
Administrators also reviewed subgroup performance and cautioned that subgroups in Moorestown are small in number; for example, African American students represented about 4 percent of the tested cohort, so single‑student changes can affect percentage calculations. The district said it concentrates supports on students who fall just below proficiency bands.
On multilingual learners, the district reported growth in enrollment since 2014 and described supervisory and program changes intended to better align early language acquisition and literacy work. The district said it reorganized supervisory responsibility so K–3 foundational language acquisition aligns with early literacy instruction, and grades 4–12 supervision focuses on content‑area language acquisition and supports.
District figures: 66 students were identified as being "in program" for multilingual learner services; that group’s average WIDA ACCESS score was reported as 3.49 this year (overall district average 3.46). The district said it exited nine students from the program this year and exited 26 students the previous year. Administrators described uses of Title III funds for after‑school tutoring, parent engagement nights and supplemental literacy and communication resources, and said they are adding building signage and other classroom supports to help conversational language acquisition and inclusion.
State testing vendor change and next steps: the district said the state announced on Aug. 13 and updated on Aug. 22 that a new vendor, Cambium, will replace Pearson and that adaptive forms of the NJSLA and the New Jersey graduation proficiency assessment will require field testing in 2025. District testing and technology coordinators will attend state training sessions; the district said it will communicate annually to parents about assessments and will provide more information after state training and guidance are received.
The presentation was given during the board’s regular August meeting; administrators said they will continue to monitor detailed subgroup trends and work to move students into higher proficiency bands through targeted interventions and instruction.
