This sentiment from a national poll reflects the reality echoed by NAEP and other scores. In NJ, we have a legal obligation to ensure that students are prepared for success in life after graduation. But instead we focus on graduation rates as the ultimate measure of educational achievement. Let’s correct this by challenging every student to reach their full potential. We know that kids will rise to the occasion. resources.youscience.com/rs/…

Kudos to Tennessee, and keep the progress up! One particularly effective strategy employed by the state was mandating tutoring for any student who was retained in early grades, as well as for those who didn’t pass the 3rd grade reading exam. When we not only measure, but act upon standards of proficiency, we can direct our resources - both money and time - towards the areas where the most vulnerable students need the most help. It’s a matter of priorities. Let’s make it happen for NJ students. the74million.org/article/rep…

California’s higher ed system is setting an example for NJ to follow. The public university professors are calling for a return to using SAT and ACT scores in admissions. These objective measures help teachers help students succeed. But waiting until 11th or 12th grade is too late - this data must be used to spot and correct learning gaps much earlier in children’s academic careers. Learn more in our latest newsblast: mailchi.mp/wakeupcallnj/uc-a…

80% of Rhode Island high school students wished to attend college, but only 52% were taking and passing the required courses. RI Commissioner of Education Angélica Infante-Green shares how the state standardized and aligned curriculum to ensure that their education system served students. The implementation has taken more time and dedication than you might think, but is beginning to show promise. As @AInfanteGreen writes, learning from other states is essential. NJ can look to RI for inspiration and practices to help all its students pass Algebra II. Learn more in this op-ed for @EdWeekOpinion: edweek.org/teaching-learning…

While we focus on math, kids need to read to succeed. For that to happen, teacher prep programs need to equip future educators with research-backed methods and devote instructional hours to those practices. In New Jersey, that's not happening to an alarming degree. 54% of programs assessed received an 'F' grade from NCTQ on meeting these standards. Perhaps even more alarming, 18 programs did not provide the information needed for evaluation. This lack of transparency is an unfortunately recurring theme in the Garden State. Please join us in demanding better on behalf of both NJ teachers and students.

You’re probably already prepared for Game 3 tonight. Now get your kid ready to keep their math skills sharp over the summer, and get more Math Checkups on our site: wakeupcallnj.com/mathcheckup…

You’re probably already prepared for Game 3 tonight. Now get your kid ready to keep their math skills sharp over the summer, and get more Math Checkups on our site: wakeupcallnj.com/mathcheckup…

Grade inflation is a significant problem precisely because parents care most about grades. But test scores are the most accurate predictors of future success not only in academics, but across other quality of life measures. In a busy world and a complex educational system, we need to focus our attention on what matters most. Let’s move the needle on true difference-makers. Learn more and join our mission to help all NJ students succeed at wakeupcallnj.com

Your student isn’t the only one getting scored - NJ schools also receive grades. The “summative score” is an objective measure of academic performance of that schools students, while the “summative rating” compares a school to similar schools. Knowledge is power, NJ parents and families deserve that power, and we commend the DoE for releasing these insights every year. Now it’s up to all of us to get informed and do all we can to push to fulfill the promise of every students' potential! Read more from @njdotcom: nj.com/education/2026/05/nj-…

"Last year fewer than 40% of test-takers met the benchmarks, which are supposed to predict whether someone has a 75% chance of getting at least a C in a first-semester, college-level math, writing or history course" @WakeUpCallNJ @AlexKontorovich wsj.com/us-news/education/sa…

Don’t wait until the literal last day of school to get on the same page as your student’s teacher. Over summer break, children lose an average of 10-30% of the math content they learned during the school year. We don’t see the same slide in reading because we give it more attention. Help your child, help your teacher for the upcoming school year, and help yourself to this and more useful tips on our website! Visit: wakeupcallnj.com/questionsfo…

This is a big reversal from potential elimination of nationwide standardized testing. The "Nation's Report Card" is officially expanding to offer state-level data in 12th-grade math & reading, plus civics & science. Granular, comparable data is exactly how we can measure academic recovery and hold our systems accountable for serving NJ students. Let’s not just celebrate this good news - let’s act on it. We urge New Jersey leaders to jump at this opportunity to opt in so we can ensure every student is prepared for the future. Read more from @The74 about the expansion here: the74million.org/article/a-y…

Tune up your kid’s division skills with real-life units of time with this quick Math Checkup, then get more on our site: wakeupcallnj.com/mathcheckup…

This is your periodic reminder that you can - and should - look up your school and district’s performance in this interactive from @nytimes: nytimes.com/interactive/2026…

Worth listening to the UC faculty. @WakeUpCallNJ @StudentSuccess @ChadAldeman @AlexKontorovich latimes.com/california/story…

The UC faculty spoke so loudly that they were heard in New Haven! :) x.com/sfmcguire79/status/205…

While reading ability stays steady over the summer, students can lose up to 30% of the math skills they built over the school year. With more than half of NJ students already below grade level, summer is a critical time to help the lowest-performing students catch up - and to help all students maintain and build upon the progress they made before the break. We need high-quality programs, like @RutgersMathCorp, to help NJ students succeed. Summer will be here in a hot minute - today is the day to ask your district what interventions and supports are available! k12dive.com/news/math-summer…

The honesty gap has become a multi-layered barrier between parents and reality: • Runaway grade inflation • States quietly lowering cut scores • Record high grad rates It creates a false sense of security today, but leaves parents blindsided after it’s too late to intervene.

Our decline in academic achievement can’t be blamed on COVID or AI or any other scary caps-lock acronym. What changed? In 2018, we started: •lowering thresholds for students to graduate •eliminating basic skills from teacher training •de-emphasizing student outcomes in assessments of districts and educators Fortunately, we can recover these practices, and our commitment to academic excellence. And we know NJ kids are up to the task when we properly challenge them.

In the leadership vacuum from the federal level, individual states must step up and enact clear systems of accountability for academic achievement. NJ has plenty to learn from other states. On average, students are 0.6 grade levels below their 2019 performance in math. Learn how we can help students recover in this article from @njedreport: njedreport.com/how-we-start-…