West Milford district reports mixed NJSLA results, outlines new math/ELA programs and supports
Get AI-powered insights, summaries, and transcripts
Subscribe
Summary
At its Oct. 14 board workshop, district leaders presented results from state assessments, described this fall’s Cambium field test, and outlined curriculum and professional-development changes including wider use of Eureka Math Squared, i-Ready, Wonders and a 3‑D science pilot.
West Milford Township Public School District administrators on Oct. 14 presented the district's most recent state-assessment results, described a fall field test of the new Cambium NJSLA platform and outlined curriculum and staffing steps intended to raise student proficiency.
District administration introduced the presentation and said the full slide deck would be posted to the district website and was available in BoardDocs. Dan (staff member) told the board: "The full presentation is available in board docs." K-8 testing staff then reviewed cohort and program analyses, areas of growth and continuing challenges.
Why it matters: the NJSLA results and related diagnostic tools drive classroom instruction, staffing, parent supports and some graduation-readiness conversations at the high school level. The board heard that the vendor for NJSLA has changed (from Pearson to Cambium), that the fall field test is scheduled for late October–November and that the spring testing window will open in April and run through May 31.
Findings and immediate implications
- Field test and vendor change: Presenters said Cambium will host NJSLA going forward and that the fall field test is intended to exercise login, accommodations and the platform interface; "we do not get data from this test when it's finished," the K-8 testing coordinator said, adding the field test is to ensure staff and students are comfortable with the system for spring testing.
- Performance trends: Administrators highlighted steady growth in early elementary grades and at several middle-school math courses after curriculum realignment. Presenters pointed to particular strength in middle-school algebra and geometry and positive cohort growth in grades 3'4; they identified weaker performance in the district's ninth-grade cohort last year as an area of concern.
- Programs and professional development: The district is in year 3 of Eureka Math Squared implementation in elementary grades, is expanding use of i-Ready (including the MyPath upgrade), and is in year 2 of Wonders for ELA. The district is piloting a "Knowing Science" 3-D assessment product aligned to Next Generation Science Standards to better align classroom practice with the state's science expectations.
- Equity and special education focus: Administrators emphasized work to ensure students in special education settings receive access to grade-level content, including changes prompted by an audit of special-education services and by expanded co-teaching supports and diagnostic tools.
- High school assessment context: Presenters explained the distinction between NJSLA and the New Jersey Graduation Proficiency Assessment (NJGPA), and noted NJGPA-eligible replacement scores (PSAT, SAT, ACT, Accuplacer) are separate from NJSLA results for graduation pathways.
Steps the district will take
- Post the full presentation on the district website for public review and provide follow-up data on specific cohort slides on request.
- Continue targeted professional development (Conquer Math trainings, grade‑level PLCs) and maintain support for teachers who change grade levels or are newly hired.
- Use Lincoln (benchmark) science assessments and pilot 3-D items to increase students' familiarity with the state's assessment format for science.
Quotes and attribution
- "The full presentation is available in board docs," Dan (staff member) said when the board began the session.
- On field testing: the K-8 testing coordinator said, "we do not get data from this test when it's finished," describing the purpose of the fall Cambium field test as platform and accommodation verification.
Meeting context and next steps
The presentation was a condensed version of a longer slide deck. District leaders said additional, high-school-specific reports (NJGPA, AP, SAT, and other college-readiness measures) will be presented to the board in a separate session. Administrators asked board members to direct any follow-up questions to testing staff or to schedule them for committee meetings.
Ending
District leaders described the current period as early in a multi-year implementation of new curricula and diagnostic tools and told the board they expected scores to improve as instruction, professional development and tools reach a maintenance phase. "If you're buying stock in West Milford, now is the time," the superintendent said during closing remarks, characterizing the district's multi-year effort to raise student achievement.