Achievement Gap: New Jersey’s Making Progress

New Ed Trust Report on Achievement Gap Highlights New Jersey’s Progress

Education Commissioner Lucille E. Davy today welcomed a new report by the Education Trust as further evidence that New Jersey is making strides in narrowing gaps in achievement on standardized tests without sacrificing progress of individual student groups.

The recently released four-pronged analysis, titled “Gauging the Gaps, A Deeper Look at Student Achievement,” recognizes New Jersey as one of the top states in closing the achievement gap between low-income or minority students and their peers. The Education Trust listed New Jersey as one of the top states in progress for all groups of students over time and for group performance compared across states.

“The Education Trust’s latest report confirms that New Jersey is closing the achievement gap while making gains among all groups of students. Likewise, our low-income and minority students are outperforming their peers in other states,” said Commissioner Davy. “This analysis shows that New Jersey is a leader in closing the achievement gap among students, but our job is not done until all children are equipped with the skills and knowledge they need to compete in the 21st century global marketplace.”

The new report examines reading and math test score data for fourth and eighth graders under the National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP) – the only standardized test that allows for direct comparison across states – from four perspectives: simple gap narrowing; progress for all student groups; gap size; and group comparisons across jurisdictions.

Eight states, including New Jersey, and the District of Columbia were recognized as top states for achieving progress for all student groups under NAEP’s reading and math scores for both grades four and eight. New Jersey was one of six top states for having low-income and minority students who perform substantially higher on all areas of NAEP than their peers in other states.

The Education Trust report examined the NAEP data through four perspectives “to gain a more sophisticated, comprehensive, and accurate picture” of the nation’s achievement gap.

Award Winning Schools for New Jersey

Joseph Jingoli & Son, Inc. has announced that three of the New Jersey schools the company built in 2009 were honored with 12 state, regional and national awards.
Schools the 90-year old company built in Trenton, Vineland and East Orange were recognized a dozen times in 2009:

TRENTON DAYLIGHT/TWILIGHT HIGH SCHOOL

- Building Design and Construction: 26th Annual Reconstruction Awards Bronze
- School Planning and Management: Council of Educational Facility Planners (CEFPI) Economic Impact Award
- International Masonry Institute: NJ Golden Trowel Awards - Special Recognition
- Real Estate and Construction and Review: Tri-State Building America Top 100
- Landmarks Commission for Historic Preservation - City of Trenton 2008 Historic Preservation Award

VINELAND DEMONSTRATION SCHOOL

- School Planning and Management: CEFPI - 2009 Impact on Learning - Economic Impact Award
- International Masonry Institute: NJ Golden Trowel Award: Best in Category, Elementary School
- Learning by Design / School Community Center / Joint use Facilities
- Real Estate and Construction Review - Tri-State Building America Top 100 - Building Design and Construction: Annual Building Team Awards - Special Recognition

EAST ORANGE CICELY TYSON COMMUNITY SCHOOL

- International Masonry Institute: NJ Golden Trowel Awards - Special Recognition
- NY Construction - Best of 2009 - Educational Facilities
The education facilities were designed as community crossroads where learning, recreation and community programming would foster economic development as a significant component.
Each school has a specific curriculum and focus - from fine arts and music to integrated technology focusing on workforce preparation and enhancement, well beyond traditional back-to-work programs.
To build such broad-based schools, each required a comprehensive, multi-faceted team to accomplish everything from site acquisition and property assembly to complete fit out of the new and adaptive reuse buildings with furniture, fixtures, equipment, and state of the art technologies - a total turnkey approach.