Northeast School Ranked 'About Average' in State, Says Report

Northeast Elementary School passed most of its academic benchmarks in a recent state report, but schoolwide proficency in language arts was low and the school ranked "about average" when compared to schools throughout the state. 

The New Jersey Department of Education’s “School Performance Reports" found the 457 students attending Northeast School in kindergarten through fifth grade in 2011-12 met 100 percent of their targets for academic growth and college and career readiness, but fell short in academic achievement — meeting 80 percent of their target. 

The report found that students taking the state standardized test New Jersey Assessment of Skills and Knowledge were 68 percent proficient in language arts — below the target of 77 percent — and 86 percent proficient in math, which met the state's benchmark target. 

The only subgroup of students who missed the state's academic proficiency target in language arts was white students, who were 79 percent proficient. The state target was set at 87 percent proficiency. 

Black students attending Northeast School were 47 percent proficient in math and met state's academic proficiency target. 

Overall, Northeast School's academic performance is "about average" when compared to schools across the state, and "lags" in comparison to schools in its "peer group," about 30 similar schools in New Jersey. 

Students taking the NJ ASK — third-, fourth- and fifth-graders — were also found to have an academic achievement gap near or slightly above the state average in both language arts and math.  

Northeasts School's students met 100 percent of their academic growth targets in the report and received a schoolwide median growth score of 53 percent — well above the state target of 35 percent. Student growth was cited as "about average" when compared to both schools statewide and schools in its peer group. 

Not only did Northeast School meet 100 percent of its college and career readiness targets, but it was ranked as in the upper percentile when compared to its peer group and schools statewide. 

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 Northeast Elementary School ranked compared to schools in its peer group and statewide. For example, Northeast School has a statewide percentile rank of 48 when it comes to academic achievement, which means that its students scored higher than 48 percent of all schools statewide in the ranking. 

Demographics

The school population of 457 students in 2011-12 was 55.6 percent white, 26.6 percent black, 7.6 percent Hispanic, 8.6 percent Asian, .5 percent American Indian, .5 percent Pacific Islander and .7 percent of two or more races.

The school that year had 70 students with disabilities (15 percent of the school), 65 economically disadvantaged students (14.2 percent of the school) and seven students with limited English proficiency (1.5 percent). 

Montclair Patch will analyze the data from the state for each of Montclair's 11 schools in the coming weeks.

Click here to read Montclair High School's rankings.

Click here to read Bradford Elementary School's rankings. 

Click here to read Charles H. Bullock Jr. Elementary School's rankings. 

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 Renaissance Middle School's rankings.

Click here to read Watchung Elementary School's rankings.