Achievement Gaps Plague Bullock School, State Report Says

Large gaps in student academic performance at Charles H. Bullock Jr. Elementary School have placed it on the state's watchlist. 

Bullock School has been labeled a "Focus School" by the state for its significant achievement gaps. The New Jersey Department of Education released the findings recently in its “School Performance Reports."

The Focus School label will require the school to develop solutions to increase student achievement under the close watch of the state Department of Education. 

While the report showed the school's 432 students in kindergarten through fifth grade in 2011-12 met their performance goals on the state standardized test New Jersey Assessment of Skills and Knowledge, the proficiency targets for white and black students were far apart. 

Language arts proficiency for white students was 86.7 percent, while proficiency for black students was 38.5 percent. 

In math, 94.7 percent of students were proficient, compared to 65.7 percent of black students. 

Schoolwide, 65 percent of Bullock students were proficient in language arts, and 82 percent were proficient in math. 

When it comes to overall academic performance, Bullock School "lags" when compared to schools across the state, and "significantly lags" compared with about 30 similar schools in its peer groups. 

In addition, the school ranked "about average" for academic growth when compared to both statewide and peer schools.

College and career readiness for Bullock School reportedly "lags" when compared to schools statewide and its peer schools. The school met zero percent of its target goals for college and career readiness. 

Bullock school did meet 100 percent of its targets for student growth. The total median growth scores for the school were 51 in language arts and 49 in math —well above the statewide target of 35 percent. 

The report, which replaces the state’s annual School Report Card, factors in a host of never-before-used data, such as whether students are on track for college and a career, and the percent of elementary and middle school students chronically absent. 

One of the most significant additions in the report is the “peer school comparisons.” Schools are now compared to about 30 similar “peer schools” from across the state that share comparable student grades, how many students are eligible for free or reduced lunch, English proficiency and students with special needs. 

The following chart is where Charles Bullock Elementary School ranked compared to schools in its peer group and statewide. For example, Bullock School has a statewide percentile rank of 38 when it comes to academic achievement, which means that its students scored higher than 38 percent of all schools statewide in the ranking. 

Demographics

The school population of 432 in 2011-12 was 46.6 percent white, 36.2 percent black, 9.6 percent Hispanic, 6.1 percent Asian, .8 percent American Indian and .8 percent of two or more races.

The school has 74 students with disabilities (17 percent of the school), 49 are economically disadvantaged (11.3 percent of the school), and there are no students with limited English proficiency. 

Click here to read rankings for Montclair High School. 

Click here to read rankings for Bradford Elementary School. 

Click here to read Edgemont Elementary School's rankings.

Click here to read Glenfield Middle School's rankings.

Click here to read Hillside Elementary School's rankings.

Click here to read Mt. Hebron Middle School's rankings.

Click here to read Northeast Elementary School's rankings.

Click here to read Renaissance Middle School's rankings.

Click here to read Watchung Elementary School's rankings.