Great teachers recognize great assessments. As policy and education leaders work to make sure state tests are measuring the problem-solving, writing, and critical-thinking skills students need for success, they should convene and rely on teachers to review test quality and help answer the question: Do the questions on our state test reflect…

In December 2015, President Barack Obama signed the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), which replaced No Child Left Behind (NCLB), as the nation's major law governing public schools. ESSA retains the requirement that states test all students in reading and math in grades three through eight and once in high school, as well as the requirement that…

For more than 25 years, Advocates for Children of New Jersey (ACNJ) has produced the New Jersey KIDS COUNT Data Book, an annual statewide profile of child well-being. With KIDS COUNT represented in each state and several U.S. territories, ACNJ is part of a comprehensive effort to not only track how well kids are faring across New Jersey, but also…

Each year, New Jersey Kids Count provides a statewide view of how New Jersey's children are faring, with the goal of providing comprehensive information to assist local, county, and state leaders--and the broader public--in setting priorities for the state's limited resources. This annual snapshot of child well-being is intended to inform…

The evidence is clear that high quality early care and education works to improve child outcomes. New Jersey preschoolers participating in state-funded programs are already demonstrating gains over time on state and national standardized tests; a testament to their participation in programs designed to increase school readiness. But not all of New…

This annual snapshot of child well-being is intended to inform policymakers and the public of the progress of and challenges to ensuring the health, welfare, and safety of all children. Following an introduction, this report contains seven sections: (1) The State of Children and Families, including data on births and family structure; (2) The…

Annually, ACT provides each state with "The Condition of College & Career Readiness," a report that details the college readiness of students who took the ACT[R] test. This report is a companion to "The Condition of College & Career Readiness." This paper traces the college enrollment, retention, re-enrollment, and…

This annual snapshot of child well-being is intended to inform policymakers and the public of the progress of and challenges to ensuring the health, welfare, and safety of all children. Following a special section on the racial disparities that exist among New Jersey children based on the Annie E. Casey Foundation's "Race for Results"…

The Subcommittee on Truth in Testing of the Interim Joint Committee on Education was formed in response to Senate Resolution 43 of the 1982 Kentucky General Assembly. Its task was to study the questions regarding the effectiveness and equity of standardized testing, which has become an important part of the academic experience of public school…

This paper presents the New Jersey edition of the National Council on Teacher Quality's 2008 "State Teacher Policy Yearbook". The 2008 "Yearbook" focuses on how state policies impact the retention of effective new teachers. This policy evaluation is broken down into three areas that encompass 15 goals. Broadly, these goals…