Medford Lakes presents NJSLA results and plans curriculum review to address grade gaps

Principal Brianna Chapin presented the district's September NJSLA results and recognized students of the month before answering board and public questions about academic performance. Chapin said district scores are “mostly 1 or 2 in the categories” and noted the small size of the special-education subgroup as a limitation on year-to-year comparison. "We can look into" trend data for special education, she said.

Why it matters: Board members and public commenters pressed for comparisons with neighboring Lenape-area districts and for more detail on which schools or programs are outperforming Medford Lakes. Chapin said the county did not provide district names tied to performance data but that the district will offer professional development and work sessions aimed at bridging the learning gap between 3rd and 5th grade.

Details: Kathryn McNeil asked whether the district could provide comparisons to other Lenape-area districts and whether any outperforming districts staffed dedicated science teachers. Chapin said the district does not share other districts’ figures and that a county professional development day occurred in Burlington City; she recommended future work sessions to review where curriculum standards do not align across grades. Dana Schultz asked directly if the district intends to look at gaps between standards; Superintendent Dr. Anthony V. Dent said the district plans to review the curriculum to identify misalignment. "We plan to look at the curriculum and where they do not line up," Dr. Dent said.

What’s next: The board did not take formal action on the assessments at this meeting but approved follow-up items across curriculum and coordinated activities that could support the work (professional development, field trips, and the Nursing Service Plan). The district indicated it will schedule future work sessions to examine grade-to-grade alignment and to consider targeted professional development.