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Holmdel district assessment: strong overall proficiency, notable dip in grade 3 ELA; middle‑school math gains
Summary
Dr. Cascone presented the districtassessment report. Overall proficiency remains above state averages and peer districts, with a 13%–14% drop in third‑grade ELA noted as a targeted concern; middle-school math showed substantial gains and AP participation rose from roughly 227 to 366 students.
Dr. Cascone presented the Holmdel Township School Districtannual district assessment report, summarizing New Jersey Student Learning Assessment (NJSLA) results, subgroup outcomes and district initiatives to address gaps.
"One of those is in third grade ELA, where we did notice a 13% decrease or 14% decrease from last year," Dr. Cascone said, describing the most prominent area of decline. He emphasized that, despite the dip, third grade still exceeded the state average by roughly 17 percentage points and remains comparable to peer districts in the same District Factor Group (DFG I).
The presentation covered multiple subject areas and grades. In English language arts, district proficiency generally hovered around 80% across most grades; multilingual learners and students with disabilities scored lower (roughly 52% and 42%, respectively), prompting targeted supports. In mathematics, Cascone said overall proficiency sits near the low 70s, with the middle school grades showing important gains: "Grade 6 showed a 9% increase in proficiency since 20-21," he noted, and credited expanded supports including math labs and a dedicated K–12 supervisor.
Cascone explained cohort and course-placement effects that complicate year‑to‑year comparisons. He said some grade‑to‑grade drops reflect students being advanced into Algebra I in middle school (which can make standard grade-level comparisons look worse for the remaining students), not a sudden systemwide decline.
Science results under the Next Generation Science Standards showed district proficiency around 52%, well above the statewide average of about 25% after the state raised assessment expectations. The administration also reviewed ACCESS/WIDA data for multilingual learners (about 60 students districtwide) and Dynamic Learning Maps (DLM) alternate-assessment results for students with significant cognitive disabilities (10 students in the testing population, with roughly half at target/advanced in ELA/math).
Advanced Placement participation has increased notably over recent years (from roughly 227 students in 2019–20 to about 366 students in 2023–24), and the district reported that about 74% of AP exams scored 3 or higher. Cascone said a third‑party clearinghouse indicates roughly 85% of recent graduates complete college within four years, which he cited as one measure of college readiness in addition to AP and SAT outcomes.
Board members asked for follow-up breakdowns and cohort tracking, and administration agreed to provide additional analysis comparing cohorts and peer districts. The presentation concluded with administrators describing targeted interventions (reading program implementation, keyboarding/test-prep for younger grades, Rutgers literacy partnership and ongoing professional development).
The board did not vote on new policy tied directly to the report at this meeting; trustees directed administration to produce follow-up data as requested.
