Renaissance School Receives Mixed Results in State Report

Renaissance Middle School at Rand received high marks for academic achievement when compared to schools throughout New Jersey, but failed to meet its state benchmarks in academics and college and career readiness, according to a recent report. 

These mixed results were part of the New Jersey Department of Education’s “School Performance Reports." The report found the 253 students who Renaissance School in sixth through eighth grade in 2011-12 overall received high grades on the state standardized test New Jersey Assessment of Skills and Knowledge, but students managed to meet a lowly 38 percent of their academic benchmarks.  

Language arts proficiency schoolwide last year was robust 82 percent. This high proficiency rate placed it in the 86th percentile compared to schools in its "peer group," about 30 similar schools throughout the state, and 78th percentile compared to all schools statewide. 

However, the school missed its target proficiency rate of 87 percent in language arts. Students with disabilities were the only measured subgroup of students to miss their specific state target — scoring 44 percent proficiency, below the goal of 72 percent.

When it came to math, schoolwide proficiency was 77 percent. The proficiency rate placed Renaissance School in the 45th percentile in its peer group and 56th percentile statewide.

Two of the three subgroups at the school measured by the state — black students and students with disabilities — failed to meet their proficiency targets in math. Black students were 51 percent proficient in math, missing the target of 67 percent; students with disabilities had a pass rate of 35 percent, missing the goal of 58 percent. 

White students were the only subgroup to score a proficiency rate at Renaissance in both language arts and math, scoring 91 and 91.7 percent proficiency, respectively.  

But while the school only met 38 percent of its academic achievement targets, Renaissance School nonetheless ranks above most schools in the state when it comes to academics. 

Renaissance School's academic achievement was cited as "high" when compared to schools in its peer group — ranking in the 66th percentile — and "high" when compared to all schools in the state — ranking in the 67th percentile. 

College and Career Readiness

The Montclair middle school also met zero percent of its college and career readiness targets set by the state.

One of the many measures for college and career readiness requires at least 20 percent of seven- and eight-grade students to be enrolled in algebra. The report indicated no students at Renaissance School were enrolled in algebra. 

The state report cited Renaissance School as significantly lagging when compared to schools in its peer group in college and career readiness, and lagging compared to schools statewide. 

Student Growth 

Renaissance met 100 percent of its student growth goals. The median schoolwide growth rate was reported to be 47 and 49 percent for language arts and math, respectively, which was well above the statewide goal of 35 percent. 

Overall, the Montclair school ranked "about average" when compared to both schools in its peer group and 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 Renaissance Middle School ranked compared to schools in its peer group and statewide. For example, Renassiance 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 253 students in 2011-12 at Renaissance School was 55.6 percent white, 28.5 percent black, 7.7 percent Hispanic, 1.2 percent Asian, .4 percent American Indian and 6.1 percent of two or more races.

The school that year had 38 students with disabilities (15 percent of the school), 26 economically disadvantaged students (10.3 percent of the school) and zero students with limited English proficiency. 

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 Northeast Elementary School's rankings.

Click here to read Watchung Elementary School's rankings.