NJ ASK test scores for Jefferson students in grades 3-8 during the 2010-2011 school year have been released, and while district officials are not completely happy with the scores, they are more unhappy with the federal law that mandates requirements for these tests.
No Child Left Behind (NCLB) mandates that all students be held to the same standards for the test, according to Joseph Kraemer, Jefferson’s assistant superintendent. This is the case even though there are other state laws that mandate that students with learning disabilities be treated on a more personal level.
‘We have one act demanding we have individual education plans for students with learning disabilities, and another federal law demanding these same students be tested and expected to have the same results as general education students,” Kraemer said. “This makes no sense, and we are set up to fail in 2014 when levels need to be attained under NCLB.”
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Kraemer noted that many districts in the state have seen a plateau, and that in most cases, Jefferson is on par with or better than the state average.
“I have to say, I’m not happy with the state-wide test,” Kraemer said.
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Apparently, the Obama administration is in agreement. According to a NY Times report, Obama said he will grant states the right to seek waivers from key parts of the law, including the 2014 deadline for proficiency. The report said that Obama would like to see states work toward measuring academic growth regardless of the student’s starting performance level.
Full results of Jefferson’s NJ ASK scores can be viewed on the district's website.
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