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District reports gains on AP, SAT and state tests; board asks how to close remaining gaps
Summary
Toms River presented AP participation and SAT results and a district NJSLA report that showed overall proficiency rising from 42% to 45% and a notable ninth-grade ELA gain (41% to 57%); board members requested school-level breakdowns and pressed staff on resources for low-performing pockets.
Toms River Regional School District staff presented a set of student-assessment results that showed modest districtwide gains and significant grade-level improvements in places, while board members pressed for more detail on persistent pockets of low performance.
John Green, the district presenter on advanced-placement and SAT results, said the district administered 1,499 AP exams to 715 students across its three high schools and reported a slight increase in participation and a 2024 rate of roughly 69.3% of students earning scores of 3 or higher. On SAT reporting for the class of 2024, Green said 447 students were counted as test-takers in the district’s three-year trend and that the district three-year average score for evidence-based reading and math was 1,065, a level slightly above state and national averages as presented.
Rich Fosnock, who delivered the district’s New Jersey Student Learning Assessment (NJSLA) presentation, said the districtwide proficiency rate rose from 42% to 45% overall. Fosnock highlighted a strong jump in ninth-grade ELA proficiency, which the presentation showed rising from 41% to 57% (a 15.6 percentage-point gain), and other pockets of growth in both math and science at specific grade levels and schools.
Board members asked how those state scores align with local assessments and how the district plans to address schools and grade levels with low proficiency. Fosnock said local assessments are tracking closely with NJSLA results and emphasized continued focus on core instruction, multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS), and targeted interventions. Several board members urged more granular school-level reporting and noted that growth in some buildings indicates progress even when overall proficiency remains below state averages.
No formal policy changes or votes were taken; staff said they will provide school-level data and continue the district’s work to address gaps.
