Lowest-Performing NJ Schools Revealed In New Report

NEW JERSEY — Was your Garden State school district ranked among the lowest during the 2022-23 school year?

The New Jersey Department of Education released the latest School Performance Report earlier this month, with school districts scored from 0 to 100 based on factors like standardized test scores, student academic growth and graduation rates, among other metrics. Some measures, like academic growth, are now included in reports again after the Department of Education canceled statewide assessments in 2019-20 and 2020-21 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The data shows a 91.1 percent four-year graduation rate (a record high since the Garden State implemented the federal graduation rate calculation in 2011), as well as the state's second place national ranking for the highest percentage of schools offering at least one AP course.

However, the report isn't all good news.

The data also shows the statewide proficiency rates for math and English Language Arts assessments have fallen below target for the past two years since the pandemic. Of course, some schools fared much better than others.

How are summative scores calculated?

Schools are broken down into categories by configuration, or what grade levels they serve, and compared to others in that category. These include elementary/middle school, high school, and a mixed configuration school which combines many grades into one building.

Elementary schools which only teach children under grade three are not included, as there is no state testing at this level.

Based on the configuration, the NJ Department of Education looks at the schools’ four-year graduation rate, five-year graduation rate, English Language Arts (ELA) proficiency, math proficiency, ELA growth, math growth, and progress towards English language proficiency (ELP). A school needs to have data on three of these elements to have its score reviewed in the standard manner.

The rate of chronic absenteeism is also included in the score. Student performance is measured overall, but also focuses on how students are doing in underserved subgroups classified by race, nationality, economic situation, and special education.

What do these scores and ratings mean?

"Summative scores" provide a number from 1-99, and are based on factors listed above such as graduation rates and progress in English and math. Higher scores are better, and certain schools with lower scores are put into categories for support and improvement.

Schools are compared to one another based on grade level, as well, in the "summative ratings." For example, schools that serve high school students only are compared with one another. These are percentile ratings from 1-100, so a school with a rating closer to 100 is among the best of its peers.

It is possible for a school to have a higher summative rating than summative score, and vice-versa.

Who were the lowest performers?

Name: Freedom Prep Charter School
District: Freedom Prep Charter School
County: Camden
Summative Rating: 0

Name: Bayonne Alternative High School
District: Bayonne School District
County: Hudson
Summative Rating: 0

Name: Paulsboro Junior High School
District: Paulsboro School District
County: Gloucester
Summative Rating: 0

Name: Thomas Jefferson Intermediate School
District: Trenton Public School District
County: Mercer
Summative Rating: 0.06

Name: Forest Hill School
District: Camden City School District
County: Camden
Summative Rating: 0.12

Name: Yorkship Elementary School
District: Camden City School District
County: Camden
Summative Rating: 0.18

Name: Sojourner Truth Middle School
District: East Orange School District
County: Essex
Summative Rating: 0.24

Name: Daylight/Twilight High School
District: Trenton Public School District
County: Mercer
Summative Rating: 0.28

Name: Ulysses S. Grant School
District: Trenton Public School District
County: Mercer
Summative Rating: 0.3

Name: Thomas H. Dudley Family School
District: Camden City School District
County: Camden
Summative Rating: 0.36

Click here to view the searchable table in a new window.

Table note: Some schools did not get a score because the state did not have complete data for last school year. Schools serving only elementary students under grade 3 do not get a score, because their students do not participate in state standardized tests. Charter schools are listed separately, not by county. All schools are included.