Fewer than half of Sayreville’s 2026 graduates met the state’s math graduation requirement through the primary exam, while nearly 88% did so in English.

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SAYREVILLE, NJ — Less than half of Sayreville High School’s Class of 2026 met New Jersey’s mathematics graduation requirement through the state’s primary assessment, compared with nearly 88% who met the English language arts requirement through the same testing pathway.

The results were presented during the Sayreville Board of Education’s Sept. 22 meeting, when administrators reviewed graduation testing data and explained how students qualified for diplomas through alternative state-approved pathways.

Of the 459 students who graduated in June, 46.4% met the mathematics requirement through the New Jersey Graduation Proficiency Assessment (NJGPA), while 87.6%, or 402 students, met the English language arts requirement through that exam.

Students who do not meet the required scores on the NJGPA can demonstrate graduation readiness through other approved methods, including secondary assessments, portfolio appeals and certain special education provisions.

How Sayreville Students Met Graduation Requirements

The district reported the following results for the Class of 2026:

Graduation Pathway	English Language Arts	Mathematics
Primary NJGPA assessment	87.6%	46.4%
Secondary testing, including SAT or Accuplacer	9.6%	33.8%
Special education IEP pathway	2.6%	2.6%
Portfolio appeal	1 student	17.2%

In mathematics, 79 students completed the portfolio appeal pathway, compared with just one student in English language arts.

Board member Eileen Pabon asked administrators to explain what a portfolio appeal involves.

Director Lori Grossman said the process allows students to demonstrate their understanding of state learning standards through a collection of assessments completed during the second semester.

“The portfolio is basically the district is submitting a portfolio, a collection of assessments that are aligned to the New Jersey Student Learning Standards,” Grossman explained.

She said separate portfolios are available for mathematics and English, with the district submitting the completed work to the state on a student’s behalf.

How Do The Results Compare With Last Year?

The percentage of students meeting graduation requirements through the primary NJGPA was lower than the previous graduating class in both subjects.

For the Class of 2025, 93.3% met the English language arts requirement through the NJGPA, compared with 87.6% in 2026.

In mathematics, the percentage declined from 67.5% for the Class of 2025 to 46.4% for the Class of 2026.

Grossman attributed the differences to several factors, including variations between graduating classes and changes in the difficulty of the state assessment.

“Well, it’s different students. Number one, so we have,, different identification of students,” Grossman said. “The test has increased in rigor as the year has gone on.”

She also emphasized that students can demonstrate graduation readiness in different ways.

“It’s a tough test, to be honest with you,” Grossman said. “Not all students are alike.”

Five Students Did Not Graduate In June

Grossman also reported that five seniors did not receive diplomas with the Class of 2026.

However, she said their circumstances were unrelated to the state’s graduation testing requirements.

“Unfortunately, five seniors were denied graduation,” Grossman said. “We are happy to report that that is not because of the testing requirements.”

She said attendance problems and lost course credits were among the likely reasons those students had not completed their graduation requirements.

The five students are continuing their education as fifth-year seniors to complete the necessary requirements.

Superintendent Dr. Richard Labbe said the district’s presentation was part of a state requirement for school districts to publicly report graduation data each year.

“Just recently, the Department of Education has required that we need to start going ahead and presenting our graduation data to the Board of Education in public annually,” Labbe said.

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