LAKEHURST – Discussion of school testing results and a new trend in teaching literacy was a subject that came up during a recent Borough Council meeting.
Councilman Steven Oglesby noted “a couple of months ago there was a standardized testing done in the schools (statewide) and Lakehurst fared exceptionally poorly. 6th graders fell 94% and when I spoke with the School Board President (James Malden) his answer was ‘well they are going to get rid of that test.’”
Oglesby said he learned that there was a statewide education push “where they are trying to get rid of the old-style teaching of reading. I want to say it is called the science for reading where they used to do pictures and things now, they are trying to go back to phonetics and phonics where they will actually be analyzing things.”
The Science of Reading is an evidence-based, interdisciplinary framework that focuses on how students learn to read, prioritizing explicit instruction in foundational skills and language comprehension. It moves beyond “balanced literacy” by systematically teaching phonics, phonemic awareness, vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension to build skilled readers. Key methods include structured literacy, multisensory techniques, and data-driven instruction to ensure all students can read.
“I don’t remember the exact percentage but it was a very, very large percentage well over 50% of 3rd graders that could not read at the 3rd grade level based on the old system,” Oglesby remarked. “It is obviously not working.”
The councilman added, “the Science of Reading is a different approach and many towns in New Jersey have already switched to it. I don’t know if it is an expense issue. Asbury Park failed at 54% but Lakehurst failed at 94%. You can’t blame economics on it.”
“They were talking about that there really isn’t any teeth in enforcing this other than withholding funding but I wondered if Lakehurst schools have already shifted to this Science of Reading or if they are intending to and if they are not intending too, why not?”
The Manchester Times posed the same questions to the school district. Lakehurst School Superintendent Loren Fuhring replied stating “New Jersey’s new Literacy Framework reinforces the importance of strong, evidence-based reading instruction, and programs like Heggerty and Fundations already align closely with its expectations.”
Fuhring added, “the Lakehurst School District has budgeted and implemented these interventions for years and will continue to do so as part of its commitment to high-quality literacy instruction. Both programs provide explicit, systematic foundational skills that fit naturally within the New Jersey Tiered System of Supports (NJTSS), ensuring all learners receive the support they need to thrive.”
“These programs are implemented in conjunction with our traditional reading and literacy program. Test scores in the district can be difficult to accurately compare year to year due to the transient student population, smaller cohort sizes in certain grade bands, and the proportion of students requiring special education services, as well as the ever-changing student population,” the superintendent said.
“However, each year we see areas of growth as well as areas for improvement, and this data directly guides our instruction and curriculum decisions,” she added.
Councilwoman Patricia Hodges is the council’s liaison to the school district who said she would also reach out to officials there for further information.
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