Parsing the pandemic: Morris School District sifts test data to target remedial programs

Newly released test results appear to confirm what many in the Morris School District suspected: The pandemic has stunted students’ academic growth.

Economically disadvantaged kids, students of color, and those for whom English is a second language have been especially hard hit by school closures, quarantines and virtual learning.

That’s according to Start Strong, a one-off round of federally funded tests, administered statewide last October to give administrators an idea where to concentrate remedial efforts as the pandemic recedes.

The findings were presented Monday to the district board, which also heard school officials announce revisions to a controversial grading policy.

Those tweaks responded to what Interim Superintendent Thomas Ficarra described a “crescendo of pushback from students and staff” last fall to grading that district officials had pitched as fairer, more consistent, and easier to communicate.

‘WE CAN FIX THIS’

“We can fix this. We have the resources…we have a really good feeling. But we also are not wondering too much about why we see little slips and dips and gaps showing up,”  Assistant Superintendent Kelly Harte said of the Start Strong data.

Fixes include beefed-up after-school programs, plans for summer sessions, and a 24-7 online tutoring program called Paper that started this month.

Start Strong tested pupils in grades 4-12 in language, math and (for higher grades) science, to assess what they learned in the 2020-21 school year.

Scores were categorized three ways: Groups that may need more support, some support, or less support.

At the Frelinghuysen Middle School, 49 percent of students may need strong support in math and science; 31 percent fall into that category for English language arts (ELA).

For economically disadvantaged students at the middle school, around 70 percent of students may need strong support in science and math, and half are struggling with English language arts.

For Black/African American pupils at FMS, the percentages are 70 (science), 67 (math) and 44 (ELA). For Hispanic/Latino students, it’s 66, 65 and 49 percent in those subjects. Among white students, 30 percent (science), 34 percent (math) and 15 percent (ELA) may require strong support.

The challenges have been even greater for students presently classified as English learners. Strong support may be indicated for 87 percent in math, 78 percent in science and 73 percent in ELA.

At Morristown High School, approximately half of students may require strong support in science and math, while a quarter of them may need strong help with ELA.

Algebra 1 seems especially problematic: 80 percent of students faltered with that.

More than half of Black/African American students at the high school may need strong support in science and math; for Hispanic/Latino kids, it’s 72 percent in those subjects, and 42 percent for English language arts.  Among white students, the percentages were 37 (science), 28 (math) and 10 (ELA).

(More Start Strong findings are here.)

“We have some work to do,” acknowledged Ficarra. He expressed confidence that gaps can be narrowed now that students are back in classrooms five days a week, and COVID shutdowns have been avoided since November.

Still, precisely gauging pandemic damage is difficult. There is no Start Strong data from prior years for comparisons. And for the last two years, the state Department of Education suspended the New Jersey Student Learning Assessments, tests usually given every spring. So those benchmarks are absent.

To identify student groups that may need extra help, the state compared Start Strong results with what education officials think their performance levels should be, according to Brian Young, the district’s curriculum director.

The Morris district, which serves 5,700 youths from Morristown, Morris Township and Morris Plains, cannot even compare its Start Strong performance with other districts. The state has not shared such data, Young said.

For some parents who spoke on Monday, the numbers provided more reasons to loosen or scrap pandemic restrictions.

“Enough is enough. Please lead us out of this,” Robert Murphy of Morris Township implored the board and administration. He questioned crowd limits for wrestling matches, and the recent cancellation of a swim meet at the high school.

While the Omicron variant is easing — COVID-19 infections district-wide were down by half last week from the week before, Ficarra said–the interim superintendent reiterated that will continue heeding advice from local health officials.

The swim meet, Ficarra added, was moved to the County College of Morris because the high school lacked enough healthy custodial members to sanitize the facilities.

GRADING ISSUES

Negative reaction to the new grading system was ramping up as Ficarra came aboard in November.

After extensive outreach to parents and staff, the district adjusted the weight it gives “formative” assessments (classwork, homework) and “summative” assessments (tests, projects).

The grading mix of 10 percent for formative and 90 percent for summative has been changed to 25/75.

One change that won’t be rescinded is the move from four marking periods to two semesters. A student’s final grade in a subject will be the average of the first and second semesters.

Last fall, some parents contended the district was minimizing the value of homework and class discussion, and stressing out students by giving too much weight to final exams. They also challenged district claims that the new policy aligned with college grading systems.

It wasn’t all brickbats for the board on Monday, however.

Morris Township’s new mayor, Mark Gyorfy, a Morristown High alumnus, presented a proclamation to the trustees for School Board Recognition Month.

“I’d like to extend our thanks to the board for your unwavering support for our students, the time you put in providing oversight of the school district, and the impact you have on the lives of our young people,” Gyorfy said.