The school also qualified to be identified as a high performing district under the NJ QSAC Standard.
The Eastern Regional High School Board of Education reviewed SAT, ACT and AP standardized tests results from the 2016–2017 school year at its Oct. 18 meeting.
The district outperformed the state in both ACT and SAT exams.
In 2017, Eastern Region earned a 579 mean for critical reading, while the state’s average was 539. The district earned a 580 mean for mathematics, yet the state’s average was 537.
ACT scores showed similar results, as Eastern’s 2017 composite score was 25.3. The state’s average was 23.9.
Eastern has improved its standardized testing standards over the past four years.
From 2013 to 2017, the number of individuals taking AP exams increased from 274 to 321. The number of AP exams taken increased from 526 to 691.
In 2013, 86 percent of students taking AP exams scored a three or higher. In 2017, this statistic dropped by one point, but almost 50 more students were tested. Scoring a three on the exam allows eligibility for college credit.
“Even though we increased the pool of students who are taking these high level classes, the average results are very similar to when it was a smaller pool,” said Jason Susko, Eastern’s supervisor of guidance.
Some 27 percent of students in 2017 scored a 5. Fifty-eight students were granted the National AP Scholar Award, meaning they received scores of a 3 or higher on four or more AP exams.
The number of Eastern Regional students who took the SAT exam decreased from 450 in 2013 to 418 in 2017.
This follows a national trend in standardized test participation. Over the past few years, four-year colleges, including Ivy League institutions, no longer require exam results for admission consideration. Rather, colleges are reviewing other credentials, such as essays and extracurricular activities.
“Universities are looking at the total package of the student. Not just the number on a standardized test assessment,” Susko said.
In other news:
-There have been no HIB reports since the last BOE meeting.
-Once again, Eastern Regional qualified as a high-performing district under the NJ QSAC Standard for the 2017- 2018 school year. The school is eligible to be waived from the full QSAC review, pending upon the district’s submission of a statement of assurance, which documents it has remained high-performing. If deemed high-performing, the district will not have have to receive a full QSAC review for the next three years.
-Senior Hayley Beluch of Voorhees was named October’s Scholar of the Month. She’s taking an assortment of advanced placement and honors classes, including anatomy honors, AP French, AP statistics, AP literature and composition and journalism 2 honors. She’s been a member of the tennis team for four years. She is the lieutenant governor of the fifth division of New Jersey’s district of Key Club International. She’s also a member of the French Honor Society, the Art Honor Society and National Honor Society. Beluch is co editor-in-chief of the school’s newspaper. She’s received many local and state awards for her service work.
-Senior Olivia Tinari of Voorhees was honored for serving as class president for four years.
-Senior Kofi Asare of Berlin was honored for serving as student council president.
