This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Health & Fitness

ASK Not About ASK Tests!

The schools administration honored students for their ASK test performance. Was that done to direct attention away from the district's abysmal performance on the 2011 ASK Language Arts tests?

For those who may be unaware, the Woodbridge School District’s NJ ASK (Assessment of Skills and Knowledge) tests results have come under investigation by state authorities.  The reason for the state’s concern is there appears to be a disproportionately high number of eraser marks on tests in certain grades at certain schools, which has given rise to concerns of cheating.

To allay public concern on this issue, the superintendent of schools commissioned Dr. Libreran, a former NJ Commissioner of Education, to conduct an independent examination of the testing at three elementary schools where concerns of possible cheating have been raised.  The findings from that review were presented to the BOE and public at the October 20 school board meeting.  In short, Dr. Libreran’s review of the matter did not find proof of cheating but did suggest there is room to reevaluate testing methodology within certain schools.

For anyone wishing to view Dr. Libreran’s presentation, please go to the BOE website

Find out what's happening in Woodbridgewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The status of the state’s investigation is unclear at this point in time.  However, unless the state finds wrongdoing in its investigation, the entire matter might slowly fade from public interest.  Fortunately, I do not believe David Pinkowitz, a former BOE candidate, will allow that to happen, as can be noted at his blog.

While the question of test cheating remains a matter for further scrutiny, it is mystifying there has been no real discussion or outcry that two eighth grade classes at Avenel Middle School and Woodbridge Middle School and all 6th and 7th grades failed to meet the state’s minimum test score standards for the latest Language Arts testing. The situation on the number of elementary schools failing the ASK Language Arts tests are: 3rd grade at 9 schools; 4th grade at 12 schools; and 5th grade at 13 schools according to district documents.

Find out what's happening in Woodbridgewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

For those who watched or may watch the broadcast of the Oct. 20 BOE meeting, it is clear the district administration through Assistant Superintendent Lois Rotella, was delighted to honor a select number of students for their commendable and noteworthy performance on the ASK test.  But was that done, in part, to direct attention away from the district’s abysmal overall performance on the 2011 ASK Language Arts tests?  

No wonder Ms. Rotella bristled when questioned later in the meeting about the number of schools that failed the 2011 ASK Language Arts test.  When pressed to answer what the district was doing to correct this unacceptable situation, Ms. Rotella made several comments, including one remark that is especially noteworthy and worrisome: “…unlike the bedbug problem, we don’t have money to throw into this…”

One may certainly wonder that if the district doesn’t have money to throw into ensuring every school, including the four Title 1 schools, can pass the State’s minimum test score requirements, why the district is in the education business and what they are doing with the more than $180 million they get annually from the taxpayers of this township.

If test cheating is going on, as may be suggested by the recent ASK test scores, the district seems to be failing at their reason for existing in the first place.   

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?