In addition to routine testing by teachers to help them assess
student academic progress, a number of standardized tests are
administered throughout the school year. Some are favored by the
district because they help us identify areas where we need to
target and strengthen instruction; most are the result of state
and federal education mandates, emanating from the No Child Left
Behind Act of 2001. State testing is developed and implemented
by the Department of Education, Office of Evaluation and
Assessment (OEA). Its assessment program is designed to measure
the extent to which all students at the elementary-, middle- and
secondary-school levels have attained New Jersey’s Core
Curriculum Content Standards. The OEA works collaboratively
within the department and with districts and schools to collect
and report information about student academic achievement in
order to inform instruction, increase student learning, and help
parents and the public to assess the current status of their
schools. The district also