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Schools

NJ SMART to Track Students Through High School - and Beyond

School data system to assess who graduates, who drops out, and why

The aspect of NJ SMART - the state's school data system - that has gotten the most attention is its promised ability to link individual teachers to student test scores. That linkage is at the center of Gov. Chris Christie's proposals to revamp how teachers are evaluated and ultimately granted or denied tenure.

But the information the system will deliver about the students themselves may well be just as compelling and revealing.

Starting next school year, NJ SMART will begin reporting detailed data on graduation rates for every high school - including what happened to students who didn't finish, officials said.

Find out what's happening in Little Silver-Oceanportwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

According to assistant education commissioner Bari Erlichson, the state’s chief school data expert, NJ SMART also will collect and report information on college matriculation. That is expected to include the percentage of a graduating class that enrolls in college within 16 months and completes its freshman year within the first two years.

Surveying Students

College-bound rates are now collated from student surveys that list intentions, not actual attendance. But links between NJ SMART and nationwide higher education databases will show the reality, said Erlichson.

Find out what's happening in Little Silver-Oceanportwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

In time, the state will also have data on college completion, student majors, and the percentage of students who needed remediation, Erlichson added. It may even be broken down by gender, income and other specifications that can help shape a school’s curriculum.

Speaking in a presentation to the state Board of Education on Wednesday, Erlichson described how a district will know, for example, how many of a school's female graduates vs. male graduates go on to be science majors.

All of this is being made possible by a data system that has been in development for nearly a decade, officials said.

Continue reading this story in NJ Spotlight.

NJ Spotlight is an issue-driven news website that provides critical insight to New Jersey’s communities and businesses. It is non-partisan, independent, policy-centered and community-minded.

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