Gloucester Twp. School Districts Earn High Marks In New Rankings

GLOUCESTER TOWNSHIP, NJ — Both Gloucester Township public school districts earned high marks in the new rankings released by data compiler Niche.

Each New Jersey district received a letter grade in the following categories: Academics; Diversity; Teachers; College Prep; Clubs & Activities; Health & Safety; Administration; Sports; Food; and Resources & Facilities.

The Black Horse Pike Regional School District received an overall grade of B+. It received an A for clubs & activities and sports; an A- for teachers, resources & facilities, and health & safety; a B+ for food, college prep and administration; and a B- for academics. The district ranked sixth in Camden County, and 126th in New Jersey.

The Gloucester Township K-8 Public School District received an overall grade of B. It received an A for diversity; an A- for clubs & activities, administration and food; a B+ for health & safety; a B for teachers and resources & facilities; and a B- for academics. K-8 districts are not ranked.

To arrive at the rankings, Niche looked at data from the U.S. Department of Education as well as test scores, college data, and ratings collected from Niche users. (You can read more about the methodology here.)

Millburn was ranked as the top district in the state, followed by Northern Valley Regional, Princeton, West Windsor-Plainsboro and Livingston. Haddonfield was the highest ranked school district in Camden County.

“Our 2022 rankings come at a time when so many parents are curious about the different options for their children’s education, including some they may never have considered before,” Niche founder and CEO Luke Skurman said. “No matter where they are in their search process, we strive to be a reliable guide and resource. It is truly an honor to know our users trust us to play a key role in such a big life decision.”

The most significant change to the methodology in 2022 was a de-emphasis of SAT and ACT scores. Any factor for test scores has been reduced by one third.

Niche said it chose to alter the methodology for several reasons, including acknowledgement of socioeconomic and racial disparities perpetuated by standardized tests; challenges making appointments to test in-person due to the coronavirus pandemic; and an increasing number of institutions adopting test-optional policies.

To see a full list of the 2022 Best Schools rankings, visit: https://www.niche.com/k12/rankings/.