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State assessment test scores show the Asbury Park School District students have made significant gains in terms of literacy and reaching at grade level valuations.

The school district revealed the results of its 2016 PARCC assessment as well as results from its own in house literacy program last week. Both showed strong gains by the students and teachers, with every school exceeding their 2015-16 year-end literacy improvement targets, officials said.

“We are so pleased by what our students and teachers are achieving,” Director of Curriculum Sancha Gray said in a written statement. “The growth we are seeing doesn’t happen by accident. It takes hard work, belief, and dedication on behalf of everyone in our community. Literacy is one of the most important life skills for students to develop and one that we will continue to foster at all levels.”

The Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers [PARCC] replaced the former statewide assessment NJASK two years ago.

The PARCC results show a marked language arts improvement in six of the nine grade levels tested [3-12], with a decrease in the percent of students in the lowest levels of performance. Four grades outpaced the state’s overall performance, including respective drops of 16%, 25%, and 13% in grades 7, 10, and 11.It also showed increases in the percentage of students performing at grade level, particularly for students in grades 9 and 10 who showed 8 and 12 percentage increases.

“Asbury Park’s results are remarkable,” Bari Anhalt Erlichson, Special Assistant to the NJ Department of Education Commissioner said in a written statement. “Gains of 2% to 4% generally indicate strong, positive momentum; improvements that reach into double digits speak for themselves. The community of Asbury Park School District has every reason to be proud of what they accomplished last year.”

District officials said all 583 K-2nd grade students who participated in the iRead foundational reading program demonstrated gains in introductory reading and literacy skills, which include letter recognition, vowel sounds, and initial spelling and reading abilities.

In grades 4 through 12, 68% of the students who participated in the district’s own literacy acceleration program exceeded a one year’s reading growth and 41% exceeded a two year growth rate. These are students who entered the program reading at a 3 to 6 year below grade level rate, and who previously averaged a 0.4 to 0.5 growth rate per school year, officials said.

“These gains are a testament to the efforts of the entire district,” Superintendent Lamont Repollet said. “It’s a wonderful achievement to celebrate, but our work is by no means done. This is only the beginning and we will build upon the foundation we’ve laid to continue our relentless focus on building a better future for all the students of Asbury Park.”

School officials also said graduation rates have grown from 49% in 2014 to 66% in 2015 and  73% in 2016.

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