School Board Phases Out Quarterly Exams, Plans For PARCC System

The Bernards Township Board of Education is changing one of the ways academic progress at Ridge High School is measured. 

Quarterly exams will be phased out after the end of this school year -- which will be a relief to some students who have complained to the school board that they add too much stress. 

Next spring, student testing in grade 3-11 will be conducted through the Partnership for Assessment Readiness For College and Careers (PARCC), which connect to the new Common Core standards. The computer based test will replace the High School Proficiency Assessment (HSPA) and most of the New Jersey Assessment of Skills and Knowledge (NJASK) tests. 

Upgrades to wireless infrastructure, bandwidth, and hardware will cost the district $927,000, which is expected to be offset by a $57,590 contribution from the state. 

The transition to PARCC is explained in detail in the Board of Education Power Point presentation posted with this article. Use the scrollbars on the right to skim through its 68 pages. 

About 60 members of the community attended a recent school board meeting to give feedback on student testing, according to an article in the Bernardsville News.