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Freehold Township staff proposes single-day reading and math NJSLA tests with early dismissal
Summary
District staff proposed administering reading and math NJSLA assessments as a single 150-minute unit in one day with early student dismissal so staff retain contractual prep and lunch time; board members raised concerns about instructional loss, student fatigue and labor implications and asked for final feedback before the June 9 agenda.
District staff told the Freehold Township School District Board that reading and math portions of the NJSLA are a single 150-minute unit with no natural break and suggested administering them in one day next year and making that day an early dismissal for students so staff can receive their full contractual prep and lunch periods.
"We are considering changing reading and math to be administered in 1 day, which is 150 minutes," said the district staff member reporting to the board, adding that the current split across two days was an artificial pacing that sometimes left students feeling rushed on the second day.
The staff described the operational rationale: compressing testing to five total testing days (instead of the current seven) and moving the related-arts and lunch periods so students finish with limited traditional classroom time on test days. The staff also said it would ask that those single testing days be early dismissals so staff could remain on site after student dismissal to receive their contracted 86 minutes for prep and lunch.
Board members questioned several implications. One member said converting to single-day testing would reduce students' classroom time, another pressed whether shortening the student day would affect professional prep time, and others raised concerns about student fatigue and fairness when start times vary across classes. The board discussed possible calendar amendments if the change is adopted.
District staff said it would collect final feedback from building administrators and staff and will place the proposal on the June 9 agenda for formal consideration. No vote was taken at the May meeting.
The proposal also prompted operational scheduling items: the staff said the district will notify retirees and families of venue changes for upcoming events (retiree recognition and eighth-grade awards) after resolving a sound-system issue at Barcola and moving those events to West Freehold School.
