New Jersey Statewide Minimum Standards: Results from the Program's Second Year. Occasional Papers in Education.

Results of the second year of the New Jersey Minimum Basic Skills Tests in reading and mathematics, mandated by the New Jersey Public School Education Act of 1975, are summarized. Approximately 397,000 students in grades three, six, nine, and eleven were tested. Results of the tests showed that a smaller percentage of sixth-grade students met statewide standards than any other tested grade, confirming previous state and national findings of decreased performance in the intermediate grades. Other findings showed relationships between student achievement and socioeconomic status, type of community in which the school district is located, and region of the state. Tables summarizing results are included, along with appendices outlining required minimum competencies for each grade, and the procedures used to determine cutting scores. (MH)