Princeton High School students and their peers around New Jersey will have to take fewer state standardized tests as part of a series of education reforms the Murphy administration announced this week.
Those steps also include phasing out the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) exams the state had been giving since 2015 to students in grades three through 11. The exams had been unpopular in Princeton, where large numbers of high school students refused to take PARCC the first year it was administered.
In measures aimed to take effect for the next school year, the Murphy administration proposed reducing, from six to two, the number of state standardized exams students must take in high school. Two math exams and two English exams would be eliminated, but an algebra test and an English test would remain and be a graduation requirement.
Students who fail the tests would have other options to show they are proficient in those subjects, like SAT or ACT scores.
The state Department of Education also has proposed shortening the length of standardized tests that students in all grades have to take by about 25 percent. The state is also looking to have a quicker turnaround of test results to educators and parents and to reduce the impact of test scores on the evaluation of teachers and principals.
“By making a transition in phases, we can ensure a smooth implementation in schools across the state and at the same time maintain compliance with current state and federal requirements,” Gov. Phil Murphy, a critic of PARCC testing, said at a press conference announcing the steps. “While I would have personally liked to have ditched PARCC on day one, that simply wasn’t feasible. But we are now on a clear path away from it.”
“I am not in favor of the high stakes testing and think it’s the correct direction,” Assemblyman Roy Freiman (D-Mercer, Hunterdon, Middlesex and Somerset) said in response to the governor’s announcement.
As word spread of what the state had in mind, officials in Cranbury and Princeton reacted with support. Princeton Superintendent of Schools Stephen C. Cochrane said he applauded the initial recommendations.
“I think it makes sense to reduce the number of tests required for graduation, to reduce the time our students are spending on tests and to reduce the weight of tests in terms of teacher evaluation,” he said.
“Reducing the length and frequency of assessments allows more time for valuable instruction,” Cranbury Board of Education President Karen Callahan said. “I am glad to see they are continuing to evaluate assessments each year and modify PARCC to better meet the needs of students.”
New Jersey is mandated to test students in high school and the lower grades, although critics have criticized so-called “high stakes” testing students must pass to obtain a high school diploma.
Princeton Board of Education President Patrick Sullivan said a “limited use” of standardized tests “is good for kids because it helps identify problems and issues.” On the other hand, he said he felt testing should not be used to evaluate teachers, school districts, educational quality, or as a graduation requirement.
“But a limited use of standardized testing, to me, is a good thing,” he said.
In 2015, when Murphy’s predecessor, Chris Christie, was in office, large numbers of parents of Princeton High School students opted their children out of taking PARCC. That year, 30 juniors out of 370 took the English exam, according to figures the district released.
“While we need to ensure all students in New Jersey are receiving the highest quality education, the PARCC test has become disruptive in its length and administration, keeping students from doing what they are supposed to be doing when in school: learning,” said Assemblyman Andrew Zwicker (D-Mercer, Hunterdon, Middlesex and Somerset).
The state this week talked of moving to a “new generation” of state exams.
“Obviously, the challenge is what new assessment is going to be developed and will it align well with the learning goals we have for our students,” Cochrane said.
