District: Mahwah Reports Test Results 'We Should Be Really Proud Of'

Mahwah parents, students, and school staff should, “be proud” of district test results that administrators say are “impressive, and continuing to go up.”

That was the message behind a test score result presentation George Washington School Principal Kevin Ulmer and High School Guidance Director Dominick Gliatta gave to the Board of Education Wednesday night.

According to the report, Mahwah is outperforming the state and its “District Factor Group,” or collection of similar schools in the area that the state compares Mahwah’s results to, in most grade levels and subject areas on the standardized tests students take in third through eighth, and eleventh grades.

According to the presentation, Mahwah is outperforming its peers in English Language Arts scores and Math scores at nearly every grade level.

In terms of total proficiency levels based on the exam scores, “there are only two areas where we are a little off the DFG,” Ulmer said during his presentation – third grade math and sixth grade language arts.

Though this year’s NJ ASK is a “traditional” paper and pencil exam – unlike the PARCC students will begin to take next year – this year’s test was aligned with Common Core standards for the first time, Ulmer said.

“Our students are rising to the occasion,” he said.

At the high school, Gliatta said Mahwah’s HSPA results are above the DFG average in both math and Language Arts, and that Mahwah students are, “absolutely destroying the state’s” test score averages.

Gliatta also reported on Mahwah’s average SAT scores in 2013, which have gone up in all three sections of the exam since 2011.

Overall, administrators and board members said they were proud of the test results.

“This is a chance for us to be really proud of our students, teachers, and school community as a whole,” Ulmer said.

District officials said they anticipate posting the entire score report on the Mahwah Schools website Thursday.