North Bergen will join around 250 New Jersey school districts next year when they begin to utilize Learnia, a software package provided by the Department of Education that will allow teachers to track the progress of students in grades three through eight before state testing gives its verdict on their proficiency.
According to Superintendent Robert Dandorph, the program will allow students to practice standardized testing and will compile data of their progress. Students will be able to access it from school and home.
Learnia will focus on the New Jersey Assessment of Skills and Knowledge (ASK) test. While in the past students would receive an assessment at the end of the year, now teachers will be equipped with a tool to improve their results before it’s too late.
“It’s groundbreaking from the sense that yes, you are starting to infuse a little bit more technology, and providing that technology will assist the teachers in assessing where their students are in respect to the New Jersey standards,” said Ron Ferrara, who trained all of the vice principals in the district on how to administer the software program last week.
“We can instantaneously find out which areas of weakness or strength each individual in the class has.” – Janet Sandstrom.
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“Each question is corresponding to the state’s [standards], so we can instantaneously find out which areas of weakness or strength each individual in the class has,” said District Supervisor of Language Arts Literary Janet Sandstrom. “That data is just too valuable for us. It’s just unbelievable.”
Franklin School Principal John Keshishian agreed, and said that the software will be a better tool helping students progress even faster.
Easy to read data
George Solter, District Supervisor of Mathematics and No Child Left Behind, said that this technology has an advantage in the classroom because teachers will be able to almost automatically harness their test results.
When Solter was a teacher, the only way for him to check what level of comprehension students were at was by going over homework.
“In the past when I was in the classroom, I got information from doing homework and saying ‘O.K., answer number 34’,” said Solter. “If they didn’t get it, in my mind I had to start saying to myself, ‘What did that question contain?’ Now the teacher can take this and the time banks built within and you can create your own worksheets.”
Solter said assessing students based on homework is made even more difficult when certain students do not complete their work. Also, in the past he said a teacher would basically have to be a “statistician” to understand a spreadsheet of their students’ test results. Now the program breaks down that information into a color coated bar graph.
He believes that this tool will help students catch students before they slip through the cracks.
“The instant aspect of it is probably the best part of this Learnia system,” said District Supervisor of Computer Education Jeanette DeBari. “By the end of the day we can scan [the test] and get it right back to them, and by the next day they’ll know what they need to work on, rather than waiting [until the next year].”
Making sure curriculum loops
Solter said that the program will also aid him in making sure no child is left behind, part of his duties as district supervisor.
He explained that No Child Left Behind’s sole goal is to make sure students who are taught by teachers based on state standards, then tested on that same curriculum, complete the full circle and reach proficiency.
“We have to help out with that cycle to make sure students are prepared,” said Solten.
McKinley School Principal Anthony Poerio said that he believes the program will help the district improve standardized testing scores that were “adversely” affected last year when the state raised test standards while at the same time changing the actual tests. He hopes that this program will help teachers overcome those two setbacks.
“Every year state testing is a monumental task for every district, and we’re certainly no different,” said Poerio.
Sandstrom said there will be a spaghetti dinner and ASK workshop at the High School and Kennedy School at 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. on March 10 and 12 for parents of students in grades third through fifth. On March 17 and 19 a workshop at the same time and locations will be held for parents of students in grades six through eight. The workshops will help parents prepare students for the tests at home, and will provide supplemental material to take home.
Tricia Tirella may be reached at TriciaT@hudsonreporter.com