Ocean Township board reviews spring 2025 ACCESS, NJGPA and AP results; approves routine business and asks administration to study stadium renaming

At its August meeting the Township of Ocean School District Board of Education heard a presentation on spring 2025 assessment results for English learners, the New Jersey Graduation Proficiency Assessment (NJGPA) and Advanced Placement (AP) exams, and voted to authorize the administration to investigate options to honor longtime coach George Conte.

The district’s assessment lead, Dr. Morgan, presented results for three major measures: ACCESS for English learners, the NJGPA taken by 11th graders, and AP exams taken by high‑school students. The presentation included counts, score bands and district strategies to support students who did not meet growth targets.

The results matter for graduation pathways, classroom placement and instructional planning. Board members asked for more detail on subgroup performance and on how the district will measure whether new interventions improve outcomes.

ACCESS for ELLs and multilingual supports

Dr. Morgan said the district administered ACCESS for ELLs to 292 students in grades K–12 in the spring 2025 administration. Scores ranged from a low of 1.1 to a high of 5.4; the presentation noted 4.5 is typically treated as the state’s exit threshold for language services. The slides and Dr. Morgan’s remarks emphasized a wide range of proficiency across the multilingual learner population and continued monitoring for students approaching exit criteria.

To support multilingual learners the district listed several strategies it has implemented or expanded: co‑teaching with ESL teachers and general education teachers across K–12, targeted pullout English development groups, a k–12 multilingual instructional coach, a district‑wide literacy summit, updated ESL curriculum aligned to the 2022 WIDA framework, and sheltered‑English instruction professional development for teachers. Dr. Morgan and superintendent Weldon said supervisors, principals and teachers will review intervention data on a six‑week cycle and that school leaders will increase in‑class supports and observations to ensure strategies are implemented.

Board members asked why older students show less growth. Dr. Morgan and other board members noted factors that can depress growth measures for older students, including interrupted schooling or recent arrival to the district; they emphasized that the ACCESS score is a measure of English language proficiency and may not directly map to classroom grades.

NJGPA results and graduation pathways

Dr. Morgan said 235 students took the NJGPA in English language arts and 233 took it in math during the spring 2025 administration. The NJGPA uses a scaled score range; the district presentation noted a cut score of 725 (on the 650–850 scale) to be reported as graduation‑ready in each content area. Students who do not meet the cut score can retake components, use approved substitute competency tests (for example SAT, ACT, AP exams or ACCUPLACER) or submit a state portfolio to demonstrate readiness.

The district reported 247 students graduated in 2025. Of those graduates, 57 met graduation requirements through substitute competency tests and 53 through the portfolio process; 12 students graduated under IEP alternative requirements. Dr. Morgan said no twelfth‑grade student was denied graduation solely because of failure to pass the NJGPA or another assessment during the reported cycle.

Board members asked whether the number of students using alternate pathways was typical; Dr. Morgan said the district began tracking the data last year and that this year’s counts were in line with the prior reporting. Board members also asked about accountability and student motivation for state assessments; trustees and staff discussed differences in younger versus older students’ language acquisition and noted the district is expanding pre‑AP courses and other supports intended to broaden access while improving readiness.

Advanced Placement participation and scores

Ocean Township High School reported 264 students took a total of 593 AP exams in 24 subject areas in May 2025. The district covers the full cost of each AP exam (stated in the presentation as $99 per exam) to remove financial barriers for families, and staff said the district requires students enrolled in AP courses to sit for the corresponding exam.

The presentation reported that 10% of AP exam scores were a 5, 40% were a 4, and 71% were a 3, 4 or 5. Dr. Morgan highlighted improvements in the share of students scoring 3 or higher compared with prior years and noted that the district tracks score distributions (1–5) and subgroup participation to identify equity gaps. The district reported 98 students received College Board AP Scholar recognitions in categories of Scholar, Scholar with Honor and Scholar with Distinction.

Board members and public commenters raised equity questions about AP access and outcomes. Trustees asked why white students take AP exams at higher rates than Hispanic or Black students and whether the district should expand dual‑credit offerings as an alternative for students who prefer that pathway. Dr. Morgan and other administrators said the district has added pre‑AP courses in ninth and tenth grades, expanded targeted instructional supports and is exploring ways to broaden participation.

Cost and exam‑taking policy

Board members discussed the district’s policy of paying exam fees and of requiring students enrolled in an AP course to take the exam. Dr. Morgan said the district piloted a program in which students could decline to take an exam if they paid for it themselves; only three students opted out in that pilot. The board agreed the budget and exam‑fee policy will be revisited during the upcoming budget cycle.

Public comment and other board discussion

Public commenters raised concerns about meeting notice and slide readability for parents, and about outstanding facility requests from a local youth football program (identified in public comment as Ocean United Dolphins). A public commenter also asked board members to explain recusals publicly when they abstain or recuse.

Routine motions and board actions

The board approved prior meeting minutes and a group of consent items listed as items 8.1–8.7; a separate motion to approve professional development (item 10.2) also passed. Later in the meeting the board voted to authorize the administration to investigate options for honoring and recognizing Coach George Conte, including the possibility of renaming the Northfield stadium or other memorial options; the motion directed the administration to report back with options and a timeline and the motion carried.

What’s next

Administrators said schedules and teacher assignments will be posted in the parent portal on Aug. 18 for middle and high school and Aug. 25 for elementary, and teachers will return in early September ahead of the start of the school year. Board members asked staff to provide further subgroup breakdowns and to continue tracking whether the district’s expanded interventions reduce the share of students not meeting growth targets.

Votes at a glance

- Motion to approve July meeting minutes (mover: Miss McGovern; second: not specified in transcript) — outcome: approved (roll call recorded in meeting). - Motion to approve items 8.1–8.7 (consent agenda) — outcome: approved (roll call recorded in meeting). - Motion to approve professional development item 10.2 — outcome: approved (roll call recorded in meeting). - Motion to authorize administration to investigate options to honor and recognize Coach George Conte, including renaming the Northfield stadium and other possibilities (mover: Miss Tallarico; second: not specified) — outcome: approved (motion carried; board instructed administration to return with options and timeline).