Mendham, Chester Schools Graded On New State Report

Schools in the Mendhams and Chesters were ranked on the top quarter of a controversial rating system that educators say paints an incomplete picture of the state's 2,100 schools.

The schools are rated on a 1-100 scale. The ratings, which were released Wednesday, were established to comply with the federal Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), which replaced the controversial No Child Left Behind Act.

The ratings for high schools are based on graduation and absenteeism rates and PARCC scores, while elementary and middle school scores are based on absenteeism, PARCC and student progress on PARCC tests, according to the state Department of Education.

Patch obtained the "summative scores" from the state Department of Education, which shows schools in Cresskill, Millburn and Fair Haven as having the highest scores, getting a 96.73 or higher. Schools that residents in the Mendhams and Chesters attend, including the high school, range from 96.31 to 72.08.

West Morris Regional Superintendent Michael Ben-David said he was "not disappointed" in how the West Morris Regional schools did but cautioned against putting too much stock in the rankings, which put elementary, middle, and high schools on the same standard, and include both magnet, charter, and public schools. He pointed out that looking at only non-magnet public high schools would put both West Morris schools in the top 25.

"Any ranking that doesn't tease out [difference in schools] is problematic," he said.

Including the much-maligned PARCC standardized test as a measure of school excellence was also a hindrance on the rankings, Ben-David said, noting that some students utilized the alternate paths to graduation and choose to skip the test.

Based on the reports, it appears that schools that finished with at least a 50 score could be considered average. Schools that finish in the top 20 percent are considered above average.
Washington schools received the following scores and overall rankings (out of 2,088 schools):

• 5. MENDHAM TOWNSHIP ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, MENDHAM TWP, MORRIS 96.31
• 20. MENDHAM TOWNSHIP MIDDLE SCHOOL, MENDHAM TWP, MORRIS 94.84

• 74. WEST MORRIS CENTRAL HIGH SCHOOL, WEST MORRIS REGIONAL, MORRIS 88.49
• 158. HILLTOP SCHOOL, MENDHAM BORO, MORRIS 82.44
• 179. MOUNTAIN VIEW SCHOOL, MENDHAM BORO, MORRIS 81.08

• 215. WEST MORRIS MENDHAM HIGH SCHOOL, WEST MORRIS REGIONAL, MORRIS 79.30

• 224. BRAGG ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, CHESTER TWP, MORRIS 79.10
• 388. BLACK RIVER MIDDLE SCHOOL, CHESTER TWP, MORRIS 72.08

Schools that have third grade or higher also have "summative percentile rating," which shows how they compare to other high schools, middle and elementary schools. Those give elementary schools more weight in their scoring because they don't have the exact same criteria as high schools (like graduation rates).

The summative percentile ratings, and their statewide rankings are:

• 6. MENDHAM TOWNSHIP ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, MENDHAM TWP, MORRIS 99.82
• 18. MENDHAM TOWNSHIP MIDDLE SCHOOL, MENDHAM TWP, MORRIS 99.23

• 127. WEST MORRIS CENTRAL HIGH SCHOOL, WEST MORRIS REGIONAL, MORRIS 93.98
• 148. HILLTOP SCHOOL, MENDHAM BORO, MORRIS 93.01
• 166. MOUNTAIN VIEW SCHOOL, MENDHAM BORO, MORRIS 92.12
• 210. BRAGG ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, CHESTER TWP, MORRIS 89.99

• 289. WEST MORRIS MENDHAM HIGH SCHOOL, WEST MORRIS REGIONAL, MORRIS 86.25

• 376. BLACK RIVER MIDDLE SCHOOL, CHESTER TWP, MORRIS 82.05

With previous reporting by Tom Davis, Dan Hubbard