Summer has brought a quieter rhythm to the hallways of Blairstown Elementary School — but not to the Library Media Center, where BES Board of Education met on June 26 for its regular monthly meeting. The board heard a number of updates from different departments, with one positive standout: a sharp improvement in student benchmark performance.
Superintendent Dr. Patrick Ketch began the meeting with a rundown of the school’s facilities. That leaking oil tank from last fall? Fully replaced. Next facilities project: the lift ramp, to be completed by August or, at the latest, by mid-September. The roof? In good condition per a recent inspection.
Meanwhile, the elevator is a bit of a mystery, with recent malfunctions that could not be traced to any mechanical issues. The school has been told to use it for freight only, pending further updates.
In her report, Principal Colleen Silvestri painted an uplifting picture of the school year’s conclusion.
Blairstown Student Wins National Illustration Contest
For one thing, a Blairstown Elementary student won a nationwide contest. The edtech nonprofit ReadWorks, in conjunction with the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, hosted an Earth Day illustration contest for students in grades 2 through 5. More than 4,000 students around the country submitted entries.
Third grader Matthias Montanez won the national prize for third grade with his portrayal of a green sea turtle. He was the only winner from New Jersey.
“Sea turtles are my favorite animal,” Matthias wrote in his accompanying artist statement. “I learned that the green sea turtle has been on the endangered list, and that is what inspired me to draw the green sea turtle. I hope that one day in the future the green sea turtle is safe.”
Silvestri celebrated the annual BES Talent Show, where “students wowed the audience with karate skills, singing, dancing, drumming and much more.” She also commended the Student Climate and Culture Committee, led by fifth grade teacher Tammy Messina, for their flag dedication in honor of local EMTs and a pep rally they organized to kick off summer.
Reading and Math Scores Improve Across Multiple Grades
Her update on student test scores might come as a bigger relief for parents and community members. In its May meeting, the board wrestled with the school’s most recent performance report, which showed BES students lagging behind the state average in both math and English Language Arts. At the time, several teachers had expressed optimism that recently implemented learning programs would lead to higher student NJSLA scores over time.
Silvestri’s update indicated that this optimism may prove justified. On June 10, Blairstown students completed their end-of-year benchmark assessments in Acadience Learning, a learning assessment tool. While individual student results will be mailed during the first week of July, Silvestri highlighted four instances of “tremendous growth” in students’ collective scores:
- Third grade reading: At the beginning of the year, 48% of student scores were at or above benchmark performance vs. 57% at the end of the year
- Fourth grade reading: Began with 57% at or above benchmark vs. 67% at the end of the year
- First grade math: Began with 57% at or above benchmark vs. 71% at the end of the year
- Fifth grade math: Began with 52% at or above benchmark vs. 63% at the end of the year
To explain the improvements, Silvestri pointed to the school’s phonics program, UFLI Foundations, which just finished its second year of implementation. The school also restructured its Response to Intervention sessions to lean on small groups, so that struggling students could receive more direct instruction and gifted students could receive material that challenged them.
Does this mean that BES has addressed its lagging score problem? Maybe. The Acadience results are promising but not necessarily definitive.
On the one hand, Acadience assessments are not the NJSLA, the standardized test used for district performance reports. It’s not certain that these score improvements occurred for every grade and subject, that improvements will continue into next year, or if they’ll translate to improvement on the NJSLA, a different test.
On the other hand, Acadience Learning defines its benchmark thresholds as “empirically derived, criterion-referenced target scores that represent adequate math and reading skills for a particular grade and time of year.” If Acadience accurately measures raw math and reading skills, then students should be able to use their growing skills to ace any fairly designed math and reading skills assessment, including the NJSLA.
BES has some work to do, but the Acadience results are a promising sign that it’s moving in the right direction.
Speaking of direction, the shadow of an uncertain future hung over the board meeting in other ways.
AI, Budget, and Water Sale Spark Broader Concerns
One came as an update from board member Kevin Doell, who shared his experiences at the New Jersey School Board Association’s recent conference about AI in schools. It’s “a huge national movement,” he said, with LLM usage skyrocketing among both teachers and students. Though that has increased plagiarism concerns in student work, it has also created new possibilities for teachers and staff in efficiency, adaptation and differentiation.
The takeaway, he said, was the need to strategize in advance. He summarized the conference’s main takeaway as: “This is coming. Don’t put your head in the sand — build a plan. Prepare for it.”
During the public comment portion, Joanne Van Valkenburg congratulated the school on its recent benchmark improvements and raised concerns about a newly passed measure from the Blairstown Township Committee. The measure, passed June 25, proposes selling and overhauling the town’s aging water system. Van Valkenburg, who opposed the vote, cited a recent engineering report outlining infrastructure challenges and projected a significant rise in water bills for residents — from an immediate 8% increase up to 65% over five years.
She urged the board to review the report and attend the upcoming public hearing on the proposal, scheduled for Wednesday, Aug. 27, at 7:30 p.m.
Board members also awaited the final vote on New Jersey’s state budget, which will determine school aid amounts for next year. The Legislature and governor must pass a new budget by the start of the new fiscal year on July 1.
Chip O'Chang is an educator, fiction writer, and lifelong resident of New Jersey. He has also written for My Life Publications and NJ Indy. He lives in the NJ Skylands with his partner, two cats, and and a bearded dragon.
- Chip O'Chang, Contributing Writerhttps://ridgeviewecho.com/author/chip-ochang-contributing-writer/
- Chip O'Chang, Contributing Writerhttps://ridgeviewecho.com/author/chip-ochang-contributing-writer/
- Chip O'Chang, Contributing Writerhttps://ridgeviewecho.com/author/chip-ochang-contributing-writer/
- Chip O'Chang, Contributing Writerhttps://ridgeviewecho.com/author/chip-ochang-contributing-writer/
