Ridgewood NJ, New Jersey Assembly (ACR215) overwhelmingly passes. The bill is a major step in overturning the requirement to pass the PARCC test to graduate high school in New Jersey.
In a 67-3 vote,(67 Yeas; 3 Nays;2 Abstain; 8 Not Voting) the Assembly yesterday approved a joint resolution that would stop the state from requiring students to pass the PARCC tests for Algebra I and for 10th grade language arts to graduate. The requirement is in effect for the Class of 2021.
Local Assembly members Robert Auth (R-39) and Holly Schepisi (R-39) who voted YES along with 65 others!
Voting “No”: Asm. Anthony Bucco-R-25); Erik Peterson (R-23); and Jay Webber (R-26). Abstaining: Jon Bramnick (R-21); Gregory McGuckin (R-10).
Not Voting Michael Carroll (R-25); Joseph Egan (D-17); Reed Gusciora (D-15); Declan O’Scanlon (R-13); Eliana Pintor-Marin (D-29); Kevin Rooney (R-40); David Russo (R-40); David Wolfe (R-10.)
The Assembly has long been the center of PARCC dissent, the Senate has not taken any action President Steve Sweeney has yet to even post the companion resolution ( SCR132) in committee. Sweeney has said he is not opposed to PARCC and raised the question about what would replace it.
New Jersey lawmakers took a first step toward blocking the state Department of Education from requiring high-school students to pass the PARCC test in order to earn a diploma.
The Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers is currently among an array of graduation requirements, but qualifying scores on alternative exams such as the SAT or ACT are being phased out. Starting with the Class of 2021 — currently in the eighth grade — students will have to pass the PARCC’s Algebra 1 and 10th-grade English tests.
Only about half of students are doing that so far in the PARCC’s first two years of use.
“I do not believe it was ever the intent of this Legislature to make PARCC a graduation requirement,” said Assemblywoman Mila Jasey, D-Essex.
“Most states have stopped using it altogether. The decision of state Board of Ed to make PARCC a graduation requirement was, in my view, designed to thwart the opt-out movement,” Jasey said.
Read More: Putting PARCC in reverse, NJ lawmakers look to block graduation requirement | https://nj1015.com/putting-parcc-in-reverse-nj-lawmakers-look-to-block-graduation-requirement/?trackback=tsmclip
Ridgewood NJ, like many of you we have been concerned over the State of New Jersey’s sustainability . The tax base in New Jersey has been under precipitous decline since Jon Corzine. Soon there will be no one here left to pay all the taxes .
In 2017, New Jersey voters will elect a new governor to succeed Chris Christie. So far many of the potentials are same old same old from ,Murphy (Corzine2.0) to our Lt .Gov.
One of the people vying for the Republican Joe Rullo you can find him on Facebook ; Rullo for Governor 2017. He is running a very Trump inspired unorthodox campaign relying heavily on social media .
Basically we went to his website and let him speak for himself ; “As Governor I will reduce property taxes, repeal the $.23 gas tax, dissolve the transportation SLUSH fund, Veto all tax increases, cut billions in political earmarked jobs and contracts, eliminate state income taxes on pensions for retirees and add 1 billion in new revenue sources to further lower taxes. I Will dissolve the Transportation Trust Fund and consolidate all highway authorities eliminating redundant high level management positions, eliminate high cost earmark & specialty contracts tied to contributors.. It will produce millions in savings with shared services and purchases.
I will eliminate tolls and repeal the gas tax with the savings from the new efficient transparent highway entity. I will also eliminate 1.3 billion in pension fees to NYC politically connected brokerage houses and replace with licensed brokers in the state investors division to pay towards pension payment.
Superintendents and business administrators need to be reduced drastically. Instead of having one superintendent and business administrator per school district, we need to cut the number to one per county. By consolidating superintendents & business administrators, we can save $50 million per year by eliminating superintendents alone. And will work to also eliminate municipal tax assessors to one per county. I will fire hundreds of high-salary patronage jobs like indicted Port Authority’s David Wildstein, as an example, saving hundreds of millions of dollars to cut taxes.
Second Amendment Stance
First – I will appoint 2A justices. Governor Christie just appointed a liberal Democrat. Silence from everyone?
Second. I will elect Republicans to control both houses instead of running for President.
Third. I will appoint Pro 2A/ Carry Conceal NJ AG for the obvious reasons.
Fourth. I will exhaust executive process and test courts. And like I have more than proven will work with expert 2A resources to reach the goal of Carry Conceal without justifiable need in NJ. Most importantly, I will present the argument of the change in times with domestic terrorist, shooters, and gangs all carrying illegally regardless of the law – leaving the law abiding sitting ducks.
Veterans
I want to make NJ the capital of where veterans can count on love, respect, and the care a hero deserves. I want NJ to be the model of how veterans should be treated.
As Governor I pledge:
To fight to eliminate state income taxes on all veterans pension regardless of age.
Transition NJ hospitals to accept VA health benefits.
Hire unemployed veterans to protect NJ against terrorist & domestic shooters.
Create a cabinet position, “No Veteran Left Behind”.
Our US Senator Booker visits prisons to advocate for cheaper phone calls for prisoners, but has not visited a NJ VA hospital. I will fight for the heroes who gave us our happiness and freedom.
Education:
Since the start of No Child Left Behind and continued under Race to the Top, NJ parents and students have been saddled with the Common Core Standards. Parents feel like they can’t help their children with their homework because it is something they have never learned before and the children are left floundering in schools with too many children and not enough teachers to explain things to them. The State then decided to force the PARCC (Partnership for Readiness for College and Careers) test on our children. This has resulted in schools and teachers focusing their teaching efforts, not on learning, but on test results. This is wrong and only hurts our children who deserve a comprehensive learning program not a regimen of tests.
As Governor I will end PARCC testing completely and direct the Department of Education to draw up new, independent education standards that will return NJ to the top of the best educated Students in the Country.
Students come out of High School and don’t know how to balance a checkbook, write a resume or know anything about personal credit. Common Core needs to become Common Sense. Teachers need to be allowed to teach and not recite facts mandated from Washington, or some Corporation making money from our tax dollars. We need to provide better opportunities for students who decide to enter the workforce directly from high school with expanded vocational schools. The future of New Jersey depends on it!
Illegal immigration
Illegal immigration destroyed the Landscaping industry for legal businesses following the laws, and is just as devastating to NJ jobs. It’s difficult to compete with a business not paying payroll taxes, employee comp, and not following the same rules. All the jobs lost are directly proportional to NJ unemployment. Just ask business owners following the rules. Ask the employees unemployed or underemployed. Imagine the losses to employee comp insurance revenue and state income taxes. The impact on rates for businesses following the law!
Many illegal immigrants are now running businesses themselves with illegal employees charging less than half of what a job is worth. This summer I couldn’t do a job for cost what an illegal competitor was charging. One of these illegal business owners drives around with a fraudulent license from Mexico with a New Jersey address. He built his business stealing accounts from his former employer for 10 plus years who also used illegal immigrants. The company was fined 13k for failing to have a home improvement license last year. The courts are buried in old warrants from illegal immigrants who never show up to court. They don’t exist.
Our police are overburdened with hands virtually tied because NJ is a sanctuary state. Out of state license plates and DMV fraud are the law of the land. As Governor I will implement E- Verify for all employees working in New Jersey and work with President Donald Trump to eliminate sanctuary cities across NJ. Everyone must follow the same rules in business and follow the law. Our veterans will of NJ will be first priority in NJ hospitals not illegal immigrants.
Heroin Epidemic
There are numerous examples of heroin dealers getting probation for first time offenses in NJ. All it takes is one time to kill someone with this poison they call heroin. Tell the families who have lost loved ones to this poison that first time dealers should get a break. No heroin dealer should get off with probation fo non violent first offense. I will do everything in my power as Governor to make it a living hell for heroin dealers in NJ. With that being said they should be charged for attempt of murder for distribution and automatic manslaughter if someone dies from their distribution. Backed up court systems enabling these criminals to poison our society for court dates as long as one year or more will be another main focus.
Ridgewood NJ,The Staate New Jersey released the latest PARCC standardized test results for every public school across the state on Wednesday, giving Ridgekwood parents a chance to see how their schools performed in math and English in grades 3-11.
By Adam Clark | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
on November 03, 2016 at 1:36 PM, updated November 03, 2016 at 3:39 PM
TRENTON — In reviewing the results of last school year’s state math and English exams, New Jersey’s Department of Education can point to plenty of positive trends.
Statewide, scores improved on nearly every exam in grades 3-11. More students exceeded grade-level expectations than the year before, and fewer students fell into the lowest-scoring category, those considered to have the most ground to make up before being ready for college or a career.
But while presenting 2016 test results to the state Board of Education on Wednesday, Deputy Education Commissioner Peter Shulman emphasized low scores he called “nothing short of shocking” among economically disadvantaged and minority students.
Compared to 2015, the state’s achievement gap for those students remained roughly the same or even improved on some tests. But it grew wider on other exams, and Shulman said the results underscore the importance of testing to ensure all students are making progress, he said.
“This is a civil rights issue,” Shulman said. “This is an ethical issue. Not just an academic one.”
TRENTON, N.J. (AP) – A standardized test will play a greater role in the evaluation of teachers in New Jersey.
The state Education Department says teachers in grades 4-7 whose students participate in the PARCC math tests or in grades 4-8 whose students take PARCC English exams will have 30 percent of their ratings based on how the students performed on the tests. That’s up from 10 percent.
In a memo, Deputy Education Commissioner Peter Shulman says the test is in its third year and can be used as a tool to improve classroom instruction more effectively than any previous statewide assessment.
Ridgewood NJ , Residents of school aged children are continuing to question concerned a week of interrupted instruction because of the seemingly useless PARCC tests. 7 days of testing fro 8th graders to get a reading and a math score really? If our kids can take an SAT for college admission in under 3 hours, what is the State of NJ doing? Testing is not teaching!
Maybe this is another reason we have so many “PARCC refuseniks” the lengthy tests take to much away from learning time?
Many teachers think PARCC a waste of time and needs to be eliminated. Teachers know better than anyone the progress of their students better than any testing can determine. Education is a local issue ,state and federal mandates are in no way indicative of what children’s specific needs are in a specific school district.
We learned this from “No Child left behind” , when it had more of a negative impact on a high performing district like Ridgewood .
The current PARCC tests seem to be pushing education to the lowest common denominator instead of encouraging individual growth and advancement.
Perhaps it’s time we move on from State mandated testing of any kind and truly get down to the business of educating students. Maybe if we didn’t lose all this time on nonsense like this we could focus on important things like civics, grammar, real math (not common core crap) .
It is with great sadness that I share the news of the tragic loss Saturday night of 8th grader Alex Modlin.
Any time we lose a student we are deeply saddened and the news affects the entire BF Community. Adolescents deal with tragedy in different ways. We encourage you to speak with your children about this news, and to answer questions according to your own family beliefs.
We will have our Crisis Response Team available throughout the day and week for our students. In addition, if you have particular concerns after speaking to your child, please email your child’s guidance counselor. Attached are some talking points for parents to use when speaking to children about loss.
We will be cancelling the state PARCC testing for tomorrow, and students will report to homeroom to begin the day.
We are deeply saddened by the loss of Alex Modlin. Please join us in keeping Alex’s family in your thoughts and prayers.
Tony Orsini Principal Benjamin Franklin Middle School
By Adam Clark | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
on April 18, 2016 at 8:10 AM, updated April 18, 2016 at 10:20 AM
TRENTON — With PARCC testing in full swing this month in New Jersey schools, students have likely heard a lot about how the exams can help them meet thestate’s graduation requirements.
The tests, called the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) exams, are one way high school students can fulfill the graduation requirement for standardized testing. But current high school students don’t have to pass PARCC exams, or even take them, in order to graduate.
Younger students might be required to take PARCC tests when they get to high school. But they will also have fallback options, such as a retest, if they don’t pass the tests the first time they take them.
BOE-REA Negotiations
Click here to view an analysis of “Unused Funds’ identified by the REA during Fact Finding Proceedings, presented at the March 7, 2016 Regular Public Meeting.
Click here to read a Letter to the Editor of The Ridgewood News, which appeared in the paper on March 4, 2016.
Click here to read the Ridgewood Board of Education’s Fact-Finding Presentation with The Ridgewood Education Association.
Click here to view the backup for the Ridgewood Board of Education’s Fact-Finding Presentation with The Ridgewood Education Association.
BOE Meets on April 4 at 7:30 p.m.
The Ridgewood Board of Education will hold a Regular Public Meeting on Monday, April 4, 2016 at 7:30 p.m.
The public is invited to attend the meeting at the Ed Center, 49 Cottage Place, Floor 3. The meeting may also be viewed on FiOS channel 33, Optimum channel 77 or from computers via the “Live BOE Meeting” tab on the district website.FiOS channel 33, Optimum channel 77 or from computers via the “Live BOE Meeting” tab on the district website.
Click here to view a revised agenda for the March 21, 2016 Regular Public Meeting.
Click here to view the 2016-2017 Preliminary Budget presented at the March 21, 2016 Regular Public Meeting.
Click here to view the minutes of the February 22, 2016 Regular Public Meeting.
Click here to view the minutes of the March 7, 2016 Regular Public Meeting.
Click here to view the Full Day Kindergarten Recommendation presented to the Board at their March 7, 2016 Regular Public Meeting.
Ridgewood NJ, Parents of High Schoolers are concerned that the School system is not being forthcoming or consistent with its message on the PARCC tests . If you are going to “refuse testing for the PARCC test” do not have your child sign on to a computer for the infrastructure trial this Wednesday morning. There has been speculation thats students who signed on for trial purposes have then have accidentally been coded as a “zero” NOT as “refusal to test.”
This can be problematic for students in the future. In addition, you will not know until your student comes home what questions they will be asked during the trial – they may be asked sample PARCC questions which may be used by the PARCC folks to pre-screen test questions. They may also be asked personal questions like do you get extra help in school or what kind of student are you? The questions asked and what students will be asked to do is not controlled by the district, but by the folks that have a vested interest in the PARCC and in selling your data and curriculum materials.
Calling it a trial makes it sound harmless enough like a “see if your computer works” session, but I know from other districts that I work in that this is not the case in those districts. I was told by an administrator in a town close to Ridgewood regardless of what the district say, there is no reason for a student to do a trial if the student will not be taking the actual PARCC test. I was also told that the trial in that district was not anonymous and that he was “fairly certain” that PARCC sample question data as well as data on each student was sent to PARCC and to the NJDOE.
The PARCC tests are scheduled to be administered in Ridgewood starting in April. Given that Governor Christie has clearly stated that the Common Core State Standards have been eliminated in New Jersey, and given the fact that the PARCC exams test close adherence to the Common Core State Standards, it is hard to understand how the New Jersey Department of Education could possibly expect any thinking person to permit his child to sit for these exams.
Ridgewood NJ, The PARCC exams will be soon be administered once again but the state’s first experience with the controversial tests in 2015 continues to resonate, not just for the many students who took the tests but for the many students opted out.
The Christie administration can not provide data on exactly how many sat out the test in protest, maintaining that PARCC provided no way to count each student based on their motivation. Students could have missed the tests for many different reasons including alternative tests .However more students missed the PARCC tests than for any previous standardized testing, led by those at the high-school level and the highest percentages of students who didn’t take exams were mostly from more affluent districts like Ridgewood .
While this list is dominated by schools from the wealthier suburbs, Newark’s selective Science Park High School led the way in terms of percentages, with an active student group doing much of the organizing against the testing. Better than 9 in 10 students didn’t take the 10th-grade language arts tests and the Algebra II test.
2. Montclair High School
Right up the road, Montclair was a hotbed of the protest movement in a number of its schools. At the high school, 92 percent of 11th-graders didn’t take the language arts test, and 80 percent weren’t counted on any of the math tests.
3. Brick Memorial High School
This Monmouth County high school saw a large protest movement organized by parents. Just 8 percent of students took the Algebra II test, while only 16 percent took the 11th-grade language arts exam.
4. Morristown High School
Another case of 11th-graders skipping the test, in part because it was not required to graduate. Nearly 90 percent sat out the language arts, and 82 percent skipped the highest level math exam.
5. Princeton High School
The district got a lot of attention for its opt-out movement, and also saw juniors sitting out in large numbers. But the percentages dropped in the lower grades into the 60 percent-70 percent range, albeit still a majority of students.
6. Ramsey High School
Ramsey High School was among several northern Bergen County high schools to see high numbers of students not taking PARCC tests. Nine in 10 juniors didn’t take the language arts test, although the percentage dropped to just about half in ninth grade.
7. Westwood Jr./Sr. High School
This is another affluent district that saw a vocal protest movement. It has had many students who had other options for passing the high school graduation requirements. Of the school’s 11th-graders, 91 percent weren’t tested. The percentage not taking the exams dropped below 50 percent in ninth grade.
8. Pascack Hills High School
This was another Bergen County high school with high numbers who didn’t take the test. Interestingly, the percentages were not quite matched by its regional brethren at Pascack Valley High School. Pascack Hills saw 90 percent of 11th-graders not take the language arts test, while 75 percent didn’t take the Algebra II exam.
9. Livingston High School
This Essex County high school drew some media attention when its superintendent informed families of the process for sitting out the exams. In the end, 90 percent of 11th graders skipped the language arts test, although that dropped to 54 percent for ninth-graders.
10. (tied) Bernards High School, Montville High School, Ridgewood High School, Cherry Hill High School East and West Orange High School
These schools were the leaders among dozens of high schools where at least a half of the students sat out one PARCC test or another.
FEBRUARY 4, 2016 LAST UPDATED: THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2016, 1:00 AM
BY HANNAN ADELY
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD
One day after the state released dismal scores on new state tests, high schools were dealing with the reality that it could be harder or at least more complicated for their students to get a diploma in New Jersey.
Most students failed the new state tests, called PARCC, which are among about a half-dozen options that students can use to graduate — part of an overhaul that state officials unveiled in the prior school year. Some who did not meet graduation benchmarks on state exams or on other eligible tests are now scrambling to find ways to prove their readiness for graduation so they can receive their diplomas in June with their peers.
“We are concerned about the impact on students,” said Janina Kusielewicz, curriculum director for Clifton schools. “We know our students can show proficiency. We just hope they can do so, given all the changes.”
The release of statewide test scores came just one day before the state released news that the high school graduation rate had grown for the fourth consecutive year to nearly 90 percent. But those rates were calculated for years when students had to pass the state’s High School Proficiency Assessment in math and reading to graduate and most North Jersey districts had fairly high passage rates for those tests.
Education officials say the new requirements are better measures of college readiness. The change was needed, they said, because students had been graduating without basic skills they needed to succeed in college, and some had to take remedial classes before they could start their first semester.
The overhaul to graduation requirements came as thousands of students refused to take PARCC exams last spring amid criticism about test quality and overtesting. Many more students did not take the test seriously, officials said, in some cases even rushing through it or putting in a half-hearted effort because they believed it would not matter for graduation.
New Jersey’s new standardized tests might not be popular, but they do produce more honest results than the prior exam, according to a new study by education reform groups. Adam Clark, NJ.com Read more
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