N.J. Board of Education adopts tougher standards for 3rd, 4th grades

The test scores are broken down in three categories -- advanced proficient, proficient and partially proficient. State officials immediately cautioned that raising the bar could mean more students being found "partially proficient" when districts receive the results later this year.

"This doesn't mean students did poorer, it means we have a higher expectation," said state Education Commissioner Lucille Davy. "We believe very strongly this is the best path for us to follow in order to ensure students who get to high school are ready for the more rigorous work we are now asking of them."

Test scores are not calculated yet for the state's roughly 100,000 third-graders, and the same number of fourth-graders, who took the tests this spring. But a random sampling of about 32,000 exams in each grade were scored.

Some 24 percent fewer third-graders and 19 percent fewer fourth-graders reached the proficient level in language arts, according to the sampling. In math, almost 18 percent fewer third-graders, and 8 percent fewer fourth-graders, did so.

Davy said she expects the same percentages to hold statewide when test scores overall are calculated.

"This is the same thing that happened last year in the upper grades," she said. "This is really just a label. The label isn't what counts, it's how much of what the child was asked to demonstrate they've learned, they're able to do."

Last year, about 14 percent of third graders statewide were deemed partially proficient on the language arts test, and 13 percent scored the same on the math exam. Among fourth graders in the 2007-08 school year, 17 percent were partially proficient in reading and 15 percent in math.

The test was changed in several ways. It was given later in the school year -- late April and early May, instead of early March. It had more questions, and some different kinds of questions. On the language arts test, for example, where students are asked to read passages and give written answers, the passages were shorter, but there were more of them.

The idea was to better allow children to show what they have learned -- and to identify earlier, and more clearly, those students who might need more help.

"It gives schools a clearer indication at an earlier grade level that a child may need more help, in making sure the skills that are necessary are being developed," Davy said.

Davy said the passing grade of "proficient" at 50 percent may also be looked at in the future. She also said because of the way the test is scored, however, especially the open-ended written questions in language arts, few children score above an 80.

Standardized test scores are also used to determine whether schools are meeting standards under the federal No Child Left Behind law.

Davy said if fewer children are deemed proficient because of the raising of the required score, that will not hurt schools. She said schools will be able to do a "linking" with last year's test scores.

"The federal government will recognize the fact we raised the bar and will not penalize us or students or schools," she said.

Richard Bozza, executive director of the New Jersey Association of School Administrators, said his organization supports raising the bar for student achievement, but he questioned changing standards after the tests had been administered.

"I think what riles people is they find out what the difference is after the test has been given," Bozza said. "We have no problem with raising the standards. What we would like to know is what the changes are, what the thinking is behind them."

School districts also will have to be sure to communicate the new standards to parents so they understand why there may be a change in student performance on the exams, said Mike Yaple, a spokesperson for the New Jersey School Boards Association.