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N.J. sees small statewide gains in ELA and math; science and achievement gaps remain
Summary
State education officials reported modest recovery in English language arts and math proficiency on the 2024 statewide assessments, highlighted a $50 million federal literacy grant over five years and a large tutoring initiative, and stressed persistent achievement gaps—especially in science and among historically underserved student groups.
New Jersey Department of Education officials said Tuesday that statewide student performance on the 2024 New Jersey Student Learning Assessments showed modest gains in English language arts and mathematics but remained below pre‑pandemic levels, while science proficiency lagged behind both subjects.
Dr. Jordan Shipp, who led the department presentation to the State Board of Education, said the three main takeaways from the spring 2024 administration are that ELA and math performance continue to increase, science results remain low relative to ELA and mathematics, and achievement gaps between higher‑performing and lower‑performing student groups remain significant. “Student performance in ELA and mathematics continue to increase though the performance is still below pre‑pandemic results,” Shipp said.
The department connected those results to several statewide initiatives. New Jersey was awarded a $50 million Comprehensive Literacy State Development (CLSD) grant from the U.S. Department of Education to be distributed over five years; the department said that grant will fund competitive, targeted programs across birth‑to‑grade‑12 literacy priorities. Officials described the award as staggered installment funding the state will request and draw down annually as work progresses.
Separately, the department noted a large high‑impact tutoring initiative (described in the presentation as a $52 million effort) that previously awarded roughly $41 million in a first round to 243 local education agencies. Presenters said the tutoring grants have served more than 60,000 students across nearly 300 grantees and that districts may use the funds for tutoring in ELA, mathematics or both depending on local need.
Department data presented by assessment director John Bozzani showed different grade‑level patterns: some grades (for example, grade 9 in ELA) posted notable gains, while several middle‑grade cohorts remained below 2019 proficiency levels. Bozzani and other presenters emphasized that participation rules for certain high‑level math end‑of‑course assessments (geometry, algebra 2) changed in 2022 and that those participation shifts affect direct year‑to‑year comparisons for math proficiency.
Board members pressed department staff on grant timing and durability; officials said federal awards are typically released in installments and the department expects to draw down funds over the five‑year grant period. Several board members and staff also focused on the persistent achievement gaps identified in the presentation. The department highlighted ongoing work with the Rutgers Policy Lab to identify “promising practices” in districts where gaps are narrowing and said a newly created Office of Learning Equity and Academic Recovery will be staffed and active in early 2025 to coordinate data‑driven strategies and supports.
Officials said the CLSD grant and the department’s RAPID and RAPID‑Plus literacy professional learning programs are intended to expand evidence‑based literacy instruction and early screening and to help districts target interventions that reduce opportunity and achievement gaps.
What’s next: the department said it will continue reporting grantee outcomes and that districts receiving competitive grants will be expected to demonstrate how programs align to evidence‑based practices and local needs.
