WILDWOOD — The annual statewide assessment report released by the New Jersey Department of Education shows that the majority of students in grades three through eight as well as grade 11 are passing their standardized tests, based on scores from last spring.

However, the gaps between the elementary test scores in Wildwood and neighboring Wildwood Crest and North Wildwood are widening.

At-risk subgroups of students lag behind, according to the assessment report, including special-education students, those with limited English proficiency, African-Americans and the economically disadvantaged.

Christopher Cerf, acting Department of Education Commissioner, said that while students perform at a high level overall, the department was also approaching the results with humility.

“We must be honest with ourselves and our communities about this achievement gap, and be impatient and relentless in doing everything we can to close it once and for all,” he said.

For example, 37 percent of third-graders passed the language arts portion of the test and 41 percent passed the math portion at Glenwood Avenue Elementary School.

At Crest Memorial Elementary School, 74 percent passed the state language arts test and 81 percent passed the math test.

In North Wildwood, 65 percent of the third-graders passed language arts and 87 percent passed the math portion.

When it comes to fourth grade, 91 percent of students at Crest Memorial passed the language portion and 95 percent passed the math portion.

At Glenwood Avenue Elementary School, 28 percent passed the language portion and 44 percent passed the math portion.

Sixty-five percent of Margaret Mace fourth graders passed the language portion and 93 percent passed the math portion.

Dennis Anderson, who is superintendent in both Wildwood and Wildwood Crest schools, said the curriculum is the same at both schools. The biggest difference between the two schools is that the Wildwood school district was ranked the highest in the state when it came to school children living in poverty, according to recent data from the U.S. Census Bureau.

In neighboring Wildwood Crest, which has an estimated population of 3,270, the number of school aged children is estimated at 409. The census data report that 74 children in the borough’s school district live in poverty.

In North Wildwood, 85 are living in poverty out of 375 school-aged children. The city has an estimated year-round population of 4,041.

Wildwood's 46 percent poverty rate was greater than any other New Jersey community, with 313 of the city's 682 school age children, age 5 to 17, living in poverty. The city's year-round population is estimated at 5,324.

“We have a lot of ground to make up in Wildwood,” Anderson said of the link between socio-economic status and academic performance.

Glenwood Avenue Elementary School Principal John Kummings said that Wildwood is ranked A, similar to urban districts, when it comes to district factor group. He said a district’s factor group is rated from A to J, which are the most affluent districts. Wildwood Crest’s factor group is a B. Margaret Mace is an A.

Wildwood has also been ranked the highest in the state when it comes to poverty since 2008.

“We never use economic status as an excuse,” Kummings said of the test scores. “Our school always strives to make the best programs we can and keep a sense of vigilance when it comes to looking out for kids that don’t have basic needs, like are they getting enough to eat, do they have a warm coat or even a home.

“All we can do is advocate for them and create the best environment we can for them,” he added.

 In order to try to compensate against poverty, he said Wildwood implements a number of programs.

Kummings said the number of kids using the school’s breakfast program, which is held 20 minutes before the school day begins, is very high. Almost 90 percent of students qualify as low-income for the free meal program.

Another major hurdle is family mobility. About a third of the students in Wildwood move within a year. That means new students may have to start from scratch, while the rest of the class has already mastered those skills, according to school officials.

In order to continue to fight against poor test scores, Kummings said the faculty in the Wildwood school district creates curriculum designed to “meet the kids on their level.”

For example, he said, in more affluent school districts most kids come to school knowing most if not all of their letters and numbers. Kummings said that in Wildwood children could start school knowing just three letters.

“It really is an opportunity gap,” Kummnigs said. “Not an achievement gap.”

He said the students in more affluent schools can reap the benefits of private music lessons, trips to see plays and musicals, tours of museums and one-on-one tutors, not just from the schools but from their home life.

Kummings also pointed out the high numbers of students, not just in Wildwood but state-wide, who aren’t proficient in English.

“Yet the state tests them in English proficiency and expects them to be at the same level as some of their peers where English is their first language,” he said.

Wildwood, especially Glenwood Avenue, has a high number of Spanish speaking students; so many that they school has preschool and kindergarten classes primarily made up of Spanish speaking students.

He said the school doesn’t rely on state-mandated yearly testing, but tests students three times a year to make sure they are in the correct reading or writing groups.

Kummings said the elementary school also uses an after-school program, which combines cultural programs with academic learning.

In addition, Kummings said that the elementary school and high school have worked hard to reach out to parents and guardians and keep them updated and involved in the district.

Ann-Maria Guevara, who has been principal for seven years at Crest Memorial Elementary School, said the assessment scores were typical.

“We normally do very well,” she said.

She credited their success to a combination of issues, including a much lower poverty rate, community support and a low transient rate.

“Any study will show there is a link between income and achievement,” she said. “But that’s not the only factor.”

Wildwood Crest benefits from a low transient population, she said.

“We have a much lower number of rental properties in the borough and if families move here they are typically planning to stay year-round and for some time,” Guevara said.

Guevara said she didn’t want to “slight any other district” but also linked success to active community, parent involvement and the quality of the staff.

North Wildwood Superintendent Michael Buccialia said it was difficult to compare the scores from year to year at Margaret Mace Elementary School, considering that each class is different with varying levels of potential.

“Overall I did feel that students performed to expectations,” he said. “In general we need to continue to focus on critical thinking and problem solving and give our students the confidence to use those skills.”

 “A different community makeup leads to different results,” Buccialia said of the test scores between the schools on Five-Mile Island.

“The classroom strategies that are driven by the makeup of the class can be very different,” he said.

Statewide, almost 4 of every 10 elementary-school students in New Jersey are not reading at their grade level, according to the 2011 test results. Students do better in math, with almost 8 of 10 students in grades three though six passing the test.

In high school, 90 percent of high school juniors passed the High School Proficiency Assessment in language arts, and 75 percent passed math.