Hoboken Dual Language School Becomes First Charter School to Receive School Leader Award for 2023- Executive Director Jen Sargent Also Recognized and Honored

As many regular readers of this blog know, I was an original Board member of the Hola Dual Language School and proudly served in that capacity for over a decade. It is wonderful to see this public school thriving and becoming a model school and program not only in Hoboken or in New Jersey but nationally. Congratulations to the Founder and Executive Direct Jennifer Sargent for her leadership and vision. -Dr. Petrosino 

The Hoboken Dual Language Charter School (HoLa) has become the first charter school to receive the School Leader Award from the New Jersey School Boards Association (NJSBA) for 2023. The announcement came on Monday, Sept. 25.

HoLa is a K-8 dual language public charter school in Hoboken with more than 415 students. Students predominantly join HoLa in kindergarten and, regardless of language background, spend 90 percent of their day in Spanish-speaking classrooms in the early grades. Students gradually receive increasing amounts of instruction in English as they get older, and by 4th grade, instruction is 50 percent Spanish and 50 percent English.

HoLa was specifically recognized for the successful launch of its AP Spanish program in Middle School, an initiative that has enriched the educational experience of its students.

“This award is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our entire HoLa community,” said Jen Sargent, HoLa’s executive director and co-founder. “We are honored to be recognized by the NJSBA for our innovative programs and our commitment to student success. This remarkable success stems from the unique experience our students receive, starting in kindergarten, where they seamlessly master the art of reading and writing in both Spanish and English.”

Hola Graduation 2023
Executive Director Jen Sargent far right

HoLa’s School Leader Award will be presented to their leadership team at a Hudson County School Boards Association (HCSBA) event on Nov. 28. The school will also be featured in the NJSBA School Leader magazine later this year, showcasing the school’s efforts. HoLa is the only free public Spanish / English dual language charter school in the state.

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Read the full story at: https://www.nj.com/hudson/2023/10/hola-becomes-first-charter-school-to-receive-school-leader-award.html?fbclid=IwAR3w-VzhnoPOL1ouwa83jYHrQtMYLFtXzdIRQG4YxxhEe2E9DG5f9vRs-go

Algebra I Scores in Hoboken Show No Growth and No Advancement

Algebra I* scores in the Hoboken School District along 3 different time points- 2015, 2021, and 2023-24. Little to no growth. Little to no advancement. No accountability. Easy to claim things are "going well"--and "getting better" and "leading progress" but the data shows a much different story. Research shows students who complete higher levels of math in high school experience lower rates of unemployment and receive higher salaries, on average, than their less-accomplished peers.

2015 Algebra I Scores- Hoboken

2021 Algebra I Scores- Hoboken 

2023-24 Algebra I Scores- Hoboken 

What does this actually mean for Hoboken High School? Here's an example: There are roughly 450 students in the high school. Almost all must take Algebra I. An 8% proficiency rate means there are roughly 36 students leaving the high school with grade level understanding of Algebra I and 414 who are not. And the data charts posted above show this has been ongoing at least since 2015. 

Please note, this is a district with a 13:1 student teacher ratio, $27,000 per student, and 20% of student families qualifying for Free or Reduced lunch (see demographic data below). 

It is doubtful anyone can find another district in the country that exhibits this type of educational outcomes with these types of resources.

Hoboken District Demographic Data
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Hoboken District Free or Reduced Lunch 
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In conclusion, Higher levels of math achievement benefit you in the labor market regardless of whether you graduate high school. James notes that the earnings gap between high school grads with high and low math is about 10% — the same return, he says, as comes from one year of college.

* This includes any students who were enrolled in an Algebra I course and took the Algebra I assessment in grades 7 through 12. Students in sixth grade who were enrolled in Algebra I course during the 2021-22 school year were required to take both the Algebra I and Grade 6 mathematics assessment. The results of their Algebra I assessment are not included in these results but will be reported when the student in in grade 9.

HOBOKEN BOARD OF EDUCATION ANNUAL COMPREHENSIVE FINANCIAL REPORT FISCAL YEAR ENDEDJUNE 30, 2022

 Embedded is the 2022 Hoboken School District Financial Report. Of special interest to many might be Chart J-18 (p. 181) which has school by school information on square footage, student capacity, and student enrollment (see Figure 1). 

DIRECT LINK: https://www.scribd.com/document/677603944/Hoboken-ACFR-Report-Financial-Report-2022

Hoboken ACFR Report Financial Report 2022 by Tony Petrosino on Scribd

Figure 1: Chart J-18 - p.181
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Hoboken City Council Candidates Debates Schedule October 6th (Wards 1, 3, 5) and October 9th (Wards 2, 4, 6)

In person: The Tech Flex Center is the University’s primary event space. It can host large events with 600 guests lecture-style and 425 guests at round tables. This space is equipped with modern technology and can also be divided into three equally sized event rooms to host multiple events at one time. 

Facebook: Facebook.com/hudsoncountyview LINK: https://www.facebook.com/hudsoncountyview

 

Presentation: 2023 PME-NA Conference - ESTABLISHING STATISTICAL SIGNIFICANCE FOR COMPARISONS USING PATTERN-BASED ITEMS: CHANGE AT SCALE

I recently presented a paper at the 2023 North American Chapter of the Psychology of Mathematics Education Conference in Reno, Nevada. 

The conference theme is Engaging All Learners. Math learning should be a joyful experience for all students. When students are engaged and inspired, they are motivated to learn. Instruction that targets the learning needs and interests of our students makes it possible for students to excel in learning math. At our annual meeting, we will explore how to create conditions to support learning that build on student engagement and interest.

• How can we engage all students to learn math content by building on their interest and motivation to learn?
• How do we design learning environments that take students and learning into account?
• What are the design features of tools and curricula design features considering student engagement and interest in supporting learning?
• How do we build partnerships with schools and the community to support student engagement and math learning?
• What research agendas should we pursue to ensure that all students reach their potential by paying attention to engagement and learning needs?

Establishing Statistical Significance for Comparisons Using Pattern-Based Items: Change at Scale

Abstract: Tests of statistical significance often play a decisive role in establishing the empirical warrant of evidence-based research in education. The results from pattern-based assessment items, as introduced in this paper, are categorical and multimodal and do not immediately support the use of measures of central tendency as typically related to interpretations of measures of statistical significance. Responses from the duplicate implementation of selected pattern-based items (PBIs) in successive grades (3-8) as part of the statewide Interim Assessment Program in Texas are used to illustrate how non-parametric methods can be used to establish statistically significant comparisons of student results. Not all the repeat-item results improved across years.

Link to presentation: https://tinyurl.com/27hr86zv

Link to the full paper: https://tinyurl.com/mrt7d5m8

Reference: Stroup, W. A., Petrosino, A. J., Brady, C., and Duseau, K. (October, 2023). Establishing Statistical Significance for Comparisons Using Pattern-Based Items: Change at Scale. Proceedings of the 2023 Meeting of the North American Chapter of the Psychology of Mathematics Education. Reno, Nevada.