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Mount Olive juniors outperform state averages on NJGPA; district targets supports for special education students
Summary
Board received spring NJGPA results showing junior-year graduation readiness of 88% in ELA and 77% in math; district described ACCUPLACER competency pathway and curriculum adjustments intended to raise outcomes for students with IEPs and other subgroups.
Mount Olive Township School District officials presented spring NJGPA (state graduation assessment) results to the Board of Education and described steps to support students who did not meet graduation-readiness thresholds.
The district’s report, presented by Miss McDermott, said 88% of juniors were "graduation ready" in English language arts (ELA), compared with 80% statewide; 77% of juniors met the math graduation-ready standard compared with a state rate the presentation gave as 58%.
Miss McDermott described the ACCUPLACER competency pathway and other alternate routes for students who do not meet the NJGPA cut score: "We offer the ACCUPLACER assessment, which is a new process for us," she said, and the district is paying the exam fee and providing review sessions over the summer so students can enter their senior year with a clear plan.
The nut graf: While overall district percentages exceed state averages, McDermott told the board the district sees persistent gaps for students with individualized education programs (IEPs) and some racial and economic subgroups, and she outlined program and curriculum changes intended to address those gaps.
Key details from the presentation: - Graduation-ready rates: ELA 88% (district) vs. 80% (state); Math 77% (district) vs. 58% (state). - The district is using multiple pathways for demonstrating competency: NJGPA retakes, SAT/ACT/PSAT concordant scores, ACCUPLACER competency testing and portfolio appeals where eligible. - For special-education students, the district changed course sequencing so Algebra I will be offered in ninth grade and geometry in tenth grade, giving students exposure to the content assessed by the junior-year test. - Teachers will continue a second year of Conquer Math professional development for Algebra I and geometry; the district is aligning curriculum and assessments to new standards scheduled for implementation in September.
McDermott flagged subgroup differences: while race-based subgroup performance was similar in ELA, students identified as economically disadvantaged and students with IEPs scored worse on average; in math, Hispanic and Black subgroups trailed peers. She characterized recent increases in math readiness as promising — a roughly 10 percentage-point increase over the prior year — and emphasized ongoing curricular realignment and summer interventions.
Ending: The board thanked McDermott for the report and for initiatives to expand competency options and summer supports. The district said it will report NJSLA and other assessment results for lower grades in the fall when those data become available.
