Glen Ridge presents testing results, plans for adaptive NJ assessments and targeted interventions

Principal John Lawler and Dr. Keisha Harris presented the Glen Ridge district testing report, saying local students continue to outperform state averages while identifying specific grade bands and skills needing targeted intervention.

"Ridgewood Avenue School continues to perform above the state average," Dr. Keisha Harris said, noting gains in grades 3 and 4 for reading comprehension and written responses and a "slight dip" in sixth-grade extended writing and evidence citation that the school plans to address by increasing students' writing stamina and analytical depth.

Lawler reviewed results for the NJSLA (New Jersey Student Learning Assessments) across middle grades and described the district's plans for the statewide NJ GPA (graduation proficiency assessment) administered in 11th grade. He said the district historically achieves near-100% graduation readiness and outlined the retake pathway and portfolio option used for the few students who do not initially meet the requirement.

Presenters highlighted math strengths at grade 3 (number sense) and noted continued challenges with fractions and multistep problems in grades 4 and 5 and with ratios and early algebraic work in grade 6. For science, Lawler called out a recurring concern at grade 8 (cited in presentation as about 29% proficient) and said the district believes the reading load of the science items depresses results; they plan more scientific inquiry and hands-on experiments to support retention from grade 5 to grade 8.

The board heard that the district will begin a field test of the state's new adaptive assessments with vendor Cambium (district presentation corrected vendor name from an earlier transcript reference). The field test begins the day after the meeting and presents logistical constraints: a short administration window, limited state guidance, and no release of field-test results, meaning local administrators will need to compare and interpret adaptive scores cautiously when final cut scores and scales are set by the state.

District staff also reviewed college-entrance testing trends and course-taking: more students currently elect the SAT than the ACT, and AP participation has grown. The district reported planning for 336 students to take 956 AP exams in May 2026, and leaders characterized the AP program as intentionally inclusive across arts and STEM.

Presenters described assessment infrastructure and next steps: broader use of the LinkIt platform to analyze benchmarks and student-level histories, implementation of online DIBELS for early-reading fluency (funded by a grant), and continued Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) to target interventions. Administrators stressed the operational work of rostering, device readiness and proctoring for digital tests.

Board members asked about comparability between the prior fixed-form tests and the new adaptive format, and whether reading-heavy item design explained the science dip; administrators said staff have reviewed test content where possible, will continue to use benchmark data to triangulate results, and will report back with further analysis.

District leaders asked the board for continued support while staff "build the plane as we fly it" during the vendor transition and field testing. They said they will analyze spring results in the context of the vendor change and the state's final scoring decisions.

Ending: The board followed the presentation with member questions and then moved on to other agenda items; no formal board actions were taken directly on testing policy at this meeting.