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Parents and teachers press board over low test scores and use of I-Ready
Summary
Multiple public commenters at the Oct. 16 meeting urged the board to address low state test scores in South Toms River, criticized reliance on I-Ready and computer-based instruction at elementary levels, and asked how the district will avoid closures or drastic cuts come April/May.
Public comment at the Oct. 16 meeting included multiple parents and teachers raising concerns about low state test scores and the district's instructional programs.
Krista Whitaker (South Toms River) presented detailed grade-level proficiency numbers from published scores, saying 15.2% of third graders (7 of 46) in her school tested at grade level in ELA, 19.4% of fourth graders (12 of 62) and 25.5% of fifth graders (14 of 55). She told the board those figures imply serious gaps and criticized the district's use of I-Ready in elementary classrooms as an "enrichment" tool not appropriate as core instruction for students with IEPs. "I Ready is an enrichment program. It's not an education program," she said.
Teachers and union representatives pushed back on a simplistic reading of test numbers and described district data dives and targeted interventions. A 37-year teacher at High School North and former PLE instructor, Kim General Davis, defended inviting speakers from across the political spectrum to the PLE (political and legal education) class and said allegations that schools hosted political rallies were "false and hurtful." Toms River Education Association president Scott Campbell urged unity and contextualized statistics: "You can't argue with them, but they do need some context," he said, and praised educators' work closing learning gaps since the pandemic.
Board members and the superintendent said the district uses multiple assessments, not just I-Ready, and emphasized growth models and targeted supports. The superintendent noted a large growth model at South Thompson Elementary and told the public the district is "closing those gaps" in individual trajectories even when aggregate state percentages look weak.
