Saturday, June 30, 2018

NJDOE Reports Per Pupil Costs in Hoboken Traditional Public Schools at $28,217; $12,494 Allocated for Students Enrolled in Hoboken's Charter Schools for 2018-19

Data for the 2015-16 school year- released April 2017
According to an April 2017 report published on nj1015.com and referencing data from the 2017 NJDOE Taxpayers Guide to Educational Spending, the Hoboken City (traditional public schools) school system had a budget of $67.6 million and was the most expensive district in Hudson County at $28,217 per pupil (see Figure 1). You can look up the data to Hoboken City as well as any other district by clicking HERE or directly from the NJDOE's Taxpayers Guide to Educational Spending.

Using financial data from the most recent Hoboken Board of Education budget for the 2018-19 school year (see Tables 1 and 2 below and full document), I was asked to roughly calculate the per pupil cost for students enrolled in the 3 charter schools in Hoboken. 

For 2018-19 there will be a total of 779 charter school children in Hoboken according to documents distributed by Hoboken Board of Education (see 18 19 Budget Q and A_05 01 18vFINAL)

For 2018-19, $9,733,116 has been allocated for the education of these 779 charter students in Hoboken. Recall, charter schools are public schools and are free to all who attend. 
Figure 1: NJDOE Taxpayer's Guide to Education Spending 2017
Therefore, for 2018-19 the per pupil cost* of educating a charter school child in Hoboken will be approximately $12,494. This compares to $28,217 per student in the Hoboken City (traditional) schools as reported by nj1015.com in 2017.

Table 1: 2018-19 Charter School Enrollment

Table 2: 2018-19 Charter School Allocation
* Calculations of Per pupil costs are somewhat subjective but at the very least these calculations give an approximation of the proportion of monetary resources allocated in Hoboken to its charter students and to students enrolled in its traditional public schools.

Thursday, June 28, 2018

No Evidence to Back Idea of Learning Styles

Learning Styles is Simply Not Supported by Science

An open letter signed by 30 leading neuroscientists, cognitive scientists, psychologists and other prominent researchers and scholars declares that there is no evidence to support the notion that individual student learning styles exist such as the so-called "visual," "audio" or "kinesthetic" styles commonly identified by teachers. So why does "learning style" theory persist? First, it has a lot of intuitive appeal - when we see, for example, students who've been raised on digital technologies constantly staring at their screens, it's very easy and natural to assume that they would learn best via visual, screen-based modalities (it's not true).  Another reason the learning style myth has been so persistent is that when educators talk to students about their supposed "learning style," insofar as it causes students to think and reflect on how they actually learn, it can have a positive impact on learning outcomes. Thus, encouraging a belief in individual learning styles becomes somewhat of a self-fulfilling prophecy (but not because they work; rather it's the metacognitive aspect of asking students to reflect on their own thinking). So what's the harm in continuing to perpetuate a belief in "learning style" theory? As the scientists who signed the open letter argue, continuing to believe in a theory for which there is no empirical support means that precious educational resources will be diverted away from the study of more effective and merit-based learning strategies to the detriment of students.
In addition to the letter below, here are a few other useful resources for review: 
1) from The Atlantic (April, 2018): Click HERE 
2) from Psychological Science (December 2008): Click HERE
3) from Anatomical Sciences Education (Spring 2018): Click HERE
4) from the British Journal of Psychology (2017): Click HERE
5) from the Journal of Neuroscience (2009): Click HERE
6) from Teaching of Psychology (2015): Click HERE
 The Letter:

There is widespread interest among teachers in the use of neuroscientific research findings in educational practice. However, there are also misconceptions and myths that are supposedly based on sound neuroscience that are prevalent in our schools. We wish to draw attention to this problem by focusing on an educational practice supposedly based on neuroscience that lacks sufficient evidence and so we believe should not be promoted or supported.
Generally known as “learning styles”, it is the belief that individuals can benefit from receiving information in their preferred format, based on a self-report questionnaire. This belief has much intuitive appeal because individuals are better at some things than others and ultimately there may be a brain basis for these differences. Learning styles promises to optimise education by tailoring materials to match the individual’s preferred mode of sensory information processing.
These neuromyths may be ineffectual, but they are not low cost. We would submit that any activity that draws upon resources of time and money that could be better directed to evidence-based practices is costly and should be exposed and rejected. Such neuromyths create a false impression of individuals’ abilities, leading to expectations and excuses that are detrimental to learning in general, which is a cost in the long term.
One way forward is to draw attention to practices that are not evidence-based and to encourage neuroscientists and educationalists to promote the need for critical thinking when evaluating the claims for educational benefits supposedly based on neuroscience. As part of Brain Awareness Week that begins 13 March, we support neuroscientists going into schools to talk about their research but also to raise awareness of neuromyths.

Professor Bruce Hood
Chair of developmental psychology in society, University of Bristol, founder of Speakezee
Professor Paul Howard-Jones
Chair of neuroscience and education, University of Bristol
Professor Diana Laurillard
Professor of learning with digital technology, UCL Knowledge Lab, University College London
Professor Dorothy Bishop
Professor of developmental neuropsychology, University of Oxford
Professor Frank Coffield
Emeritus professor of education, University College Institute of Education, University of London
Professor Dame Uta Frith
Emeritus Professor, Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuroimaging, University College London
Professor Steven Pinker
Johnstone family professor of psychology, Harvard University
Sir Colin Blakemore
Professor of neuroscience and philosophy, director of the Centre for the Study of the Senses, University College London
Professor Hal Pashler
Distinguished professor of psychology, UC San Diego
Dr Peter Etchells
Senior lecturer in biological psychology, Bath Spa University
Dr Nathalia Gjersoe
Senior lecturer in developmental psychology, University of Bath
Professor Gaia Scerif
Professor of developmental cognitive neuroscience, University of Oxford
Dr Sara Baker
Lecturer in psychology and education, University of Cambridge
Dr Matthew Wall
Division of brain sciences, Imperial College London
Dr Jon Simons
Reader in cognitive neuroscience, University of Cambridge
Dr Michelle Ellefson
Senior lecturer in psychology and education, University of Cambridge
Dr Ashok Jansari
Lecturer in cognitive neuropsychology, Goldsmiths, University of London
Dr Molly Crockett
Associate professor of experimental psychology, University of Oxford
Professor Kate Nation
Professor of experimental psychology, University of Oxford
Professor Michael Thomas
Director, University of London Centre for Educational Neuroscience, professor of cognitive neuroscience, Birkbeck, University of London
Dr Nikhil Sharma
Honorary consultant neurologist and senior clinical researcher (MRC),
the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery
Dr David Whitebread
PEDAL research centre, University of Cambridge
Professor Mark Sabbagh
Professor of psychology and neuroscience, Queen’s University, Canada
Dr Cristine Legare
Associate professor of psychology, University of Texas at Austin
Dr Joseph T Devlin
Head of experimental psychology, University College London
Professor Peter Gordon
Program director, neuroscience and education, Teachers College, Columbia University
Professor David Poeppel
Director, department of neuroscience, Max-Planck-Institute, Frankfurt
Professor Brian Butterworth
Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Centre for Educational Neuroscience
University College London
Professor Anil Seth
Sackler Centre for Consciousness Science, School of Engineering and Informatics, University of Sussex
Dr Tom Foulsham
Reader in psychology, University of Essex


Saturday, June 9, 2018

NJDOE Hoboken High School Performance Report 2016-17 (Released January 2018)

Hoboken High School, Hoboken, NJ 
In January of 2018, the state Department of Education released its annual School Performance Reports for 2016-17. The reports, which are required by the federal government, were released in January and are intended to provide a comprehensive overview of data for public schools locally and statewide. 
Attached below is the most recent report for Hoboken High School in Hoboken, NJ a school where I taught when I was a teacher. 
Federal law requires the state to assign each school a rating based on a few key measures such as proficiency ratings on standardized tests, student growth, and graduation and absenteeism rates. The rating formula, while just one part of each school's overall performance, is intended to determine which schools are most in need of improvement.
New this year are one-page Summary Reports providing easy-to-read highlights of each school based on data for the most recently completed school year. The Summary Reports, according to the state, are a dashboard of key indicators such as student progress, graduation rates, and the number of students going on to two-year and four-year colleges.

Friday, June 8, 2018

Brandt School Receives Recognition For Their Implementation of Project Lead the Way

Congratulations to Joseph F Brandt No 2 School as they receive a Distinguished School award for STEM Learning.  Congratulations to the teachers, parents, as well as the building and district administrators involved.  Certainly a wonderful day to enjoy the accomplishments of the young students in the district as they develop interest in the areas of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.  

Thursday, June 7, 2018

Hoboken High School Ranked 44th out of 45 Similar "FG" District High Schools in NJ on 2018 Composite SAT Score

Hoboken High School 
Preamble: A previous post indicated that Hoboken High School recently ranked 334th out of 387 New Jersey High Schools on the composite SAT (mathematics + reading). Some readers wondered how does Hoboken High School compare with like or similar districts? The New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE) has a categorization system to assist in this task-- it is known as the district factor group. This post will examine how Hoboken High School compares to other district high schools in its own district factor group of "FG" on 2018 composite SAT scores. 

Summary: Among similar districts as designated by the New Jersey Department of Education, Hoboken High School's composite SAT score of 935 places the school 44th out of 45 FG high schools in the State of New Jersey for 2018. The mean composite score for FG districts was 1105 with a standard deviation of 50.57. Hoboken High School's score of 935 equates to a z-score of -3.366 which is more than 3 standard deviations from the "FG" district group mean. 

Context: The SAT is a standardized test widely used for college admissions in the USA. Introduced in 1926, its name and scoring have changed several times; originally called the Scholastic Aptitude Test, it was later called the Scholastic Assessment Test and now simply the SAT. Scores on the SAT range from 400 to 1600 combining test results from two 800-point sections: mathematics, and critical reasing and writing. According to College Board president David Colement, the test as of 2016 is intended to reflect more closely what students learn in high school. 


Data: Reported by Hoboken Patch and the NJ Department of Education. 

Related Post: Hudson County Composite 2018 SAT Scores for all High Schools 

Background: The District Factor Groups (DFGs) were first developed by the New Jersey Department of Education in 1975 for the purpose of comparing students’ performance on statewide assessments across demographically similar school districts. The categories are updated every ten years when the Census Bureau releases the latest Decennial Census data.


Since the DFGs were created, they have been used for purposes other than analyzing test score performance. In particular, the DFGs played a significant role in determining the initial group of districts that were classified as Abbott districts. Additionally, subsequent to the Abbott IV court ruling, the DFGs were also used to define the group of school districts on which Abbott v Burke parity remedy aid would be based.

After discussing the measure with representatives from school districts and experimenting with various methods, the DFGs were calculated using the following six variables that are closely related to SES:

1) Percent of adults with no high school diploma
2) Percent of adults with some college education
3) Occupational status
4) Unemployment rate
5) Percent of individuals in poverty
6) Median family income.

Therefore, all "FG" districts share similar but not identical characteristics. Specifically in terms of Percent of adults with no high school diploma, Percent of adults with some college education, Occupational status, Unemployment rate, Percent of individuals in poverty, and Median family income according to the New Jersey Department of Education and based on Decennial Census data. 

Additional Data: 
* Hoboken has one of the highest per pupil spending allocations in the State of New Jersey in 2015 and was ranked 23rd highest in the state in 2017

* Hoboken pays its teachers very well (41st out of 650 districts)

* The Hoboken School District is less than 50% Free and Reduced Lunch

* The district has a very low student:teacher ratio throughout (@11:1) see Exhibit J-17 (p.156)- also see chart below. 

2018 SAT COMPOSITE SCORES FOR NEW JERSEY "FG" HIGH SCHOOLS



Rank High School Name SAT Score DFG
1 Fort Lee High School 1177   FG
2 Haddon Township High School 1167   FG
3 Monroe Township High School 1167   FG
4 Point Pleasant Beach High School 1165   FG
5 Red Bank Regional High School 1159   FG
6 Somerville High School  1157   FG
7 Kittatinny Regional High School 1151   FG
8 Dumont High School 1146   FG
9 Vernon Township High School 1142   FG
10 Middlesex High School 1138   FG
11 Southern Regional High School 1138   FG
12 Lakeland Regional High School 1125   FG
13 Woodstown High School 1124   FG
14 Kingsway Regional High School 1123   FG
15 Shore Regional High School 1123   FG
16 Point Pleasant Boro High School 1121   FG
17 Wood-Ridge Jr/Sr High School 1120   FG
18 North Warren Regional School 1120   FG
19 Cinnaminson High School 1117   FG
20 Nutley High School 1117   FG
21 Ocean Township High School 1117   FG
22 Old Bridge High School 1114   FG
23 Hamilton East - Steinert 1113   FG
24 Pompton Lakes High School 1112   FG
25 Warren Hills Regional School 1110   FG
26 West Milford High School 1109   FG
27 Washington Township High School 1108   FG
28 Matawan Regional High School 1107   FG
29 Hasbrouch Heights High School 1106   FG
30 North Brunswick Township High School 1106   FG
31 Dunellen High School 1103   FG
32 South Plainfield High School 1101   FG
33 Delran High School 1092   FG
34 Collingswood High School 1088   FG
35 New Milford High School 1087   FG
36 Pitman High School 1084   FG
37 Burlington Township High School 1077   FG
38 Hopatcong High School 1076   FG
39 Bergenfield High School 1075   FG
40 Passaic Valley Regional High School 1072   FG
41 Arthut L. Johnson High School 1066   FG
42 Hamilton West-Watson 1052   FG
43 Hamilton North-Nottingham 1014   FG
44 Hoboken High School  935   FG
45 Hoboken Charter School Hoboken 914   FG



2016 Teacher-Student Ratio

Monday, June 4, 2018

Hoboken High School Ranked 334th out of 387 NJ High Schools on 2018 Composite SAT Scores

Church Square Park- Hoboken, NJ
The Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) is still considered the primary standardized test that judges a student's college qualifications and a major criteria for accessing college readieness. Patch.com put together a list of each New Jersey high school's average 2017 scores that the New Jersey Department of Education released in February of 2018*, and ranked the high schools from top to bottom. Patch compiled SAT scores in the two sections identified as "math" and "reading and writing." Below is the combined average score of each school, ranked highest to lowest. Perfect would be a combined 1600, or 800 in each section (the average scores were 552 for math and 551 for reading and writing for all New Jersey high schools). 
Hoboken High School now ranks 334th out of 387 high schools in New Jersey with a combined SAT composite score of 935.
It is important to note that the Hoboken School District is around 50% FRL-eligible ("free or reduced lunch") and the LEP eligibility (Limited English Proficiency) is only 1%.  NJ's average FRL-eligibility is around 40%.  A 50% FRL-district percentage, like the Hoboken School District has, is not that high and certainly does not adequately explain SAT performance (see chart of FRL% of Abbott Districts in NJ below). Add to the falling FRL eligibility and small LEP percentage a low student to faculty ratio and one of the highest per pupil spending allocations in the state and we are left with many more questions than answers concerning academics at Hoboken High School. 
  A previous post listed the 2018 SAT composite scores for all public high schools in Hudson County

* SAT test taken in SPG 2017, not released until February 2018

See full list of composite SAT scores for all NJ public high schools below. 

2018 Composite SAT Results- All NJ Public High Schools 
Data: New Jersey Department of Education
SAT test taken SPG 2017 

    1.    Montgomery High School, MONTGOMERY TWP, SOMERSET 1331
    2.    West Windsor-Plainsboro High School North, W WINDSOR-PLAINSBORO REG, MERCER 1327
    3.    Millburn High School, MILLBURN, ESSEX 1326
    4.    Tenafly High School, TENAFLY, BERGEN 1325
    5.    Princeton High School, PRINCETON REGIONAL, MERCER 1324
    6.    Academy For Allied Health Sciences, UNION COUNTY VOCATIONAL, UNION 1322
    7.    West Windsor-Plainsboro High School South, W WINDSOR-PLAINSBORO REG, MERCER 1309
    8.    Dr Ronald McNair High School, JERSEY CITY, HUDSON 1308
    9.    Ridge High School, BERNARDS TWP, SOMERSET 1278
    10.    John P. Stevens High School, EDISON, MIDDLESEX 1275
    11.    Ridgewood High School, RIDGEWOOD, BERGEN 1272
    12.    North Valley Regional High School at Demarest, NORTHERN VALLEY REGIONAL, BERGEN 1263
    13.    Haddonfield Memorial High School, HADDONFIELD, CAMDEN 1262
    14.    Hopewell Valley Central High School, HOPEWELL VALLEY REGIONAL, MERCER 1258
    15.    West Morris Mendham High School,WEST MORRIS REGIONAL, MORRIS 1249
    16.    Northern Highlands Regional High School, NORTHERN HIGHLANDS REG, BERGEN 1248
    17.    Livingston High School, LIVINGSTON, ESSEX 1240
    18.    Ramapo High School, RAMAPO-INDIAN HILL REG, BERGEN 1239
    19.    Union County Tech, UNION COUNTY VOCATIONAL, UNION 1239
    20.    East Brunswick High School, EAST BRUNSWICK, MIDDLESEX 1238
    21.    Chatham High School, SCH DIST OF THE CHATHAMS, MORRIS 1238
    22.    Madison High School, MADISON, MORRIS 1237
    23.    Marlboro High School, FREEHOLD REGIONAL, MONMOUTH 1236
    24.    New Providence High School, NEW PROVIDENCE, UNION 1236
    25.    Westfield Senior High School, WESTFIELD, UNION 1236
    26.    North Hunterdon High School, N HUNT/VOORHEES REGIONAL, HUNTERDON 1232
    27.    Glen Rock High School, GLEN ROCK, BERGEN 1229
    28.    Somerset County Vocation Technical High School, SOMERSET CO VOCATIONAL, SOMERSET 1225
    29.    Mountain Lakes High School, MOUNTAIN LAKES, MORRIS 1223
    30.    Morris County School of Technology MORRIS COUNTY VOCATIONAL MORRIS 1221
    31.    Academy for Law and Public Safety MORRIS COUNTY VOCATIONAL MORRIS 1219
    32.    Hillsborough High School, HILLSBOROUGH, SOMERSET 1219
    33.    Northern Valley Regional High School at Old Tappan, NORTHERN VALLEY REGIONAL, BERGEN 1214
    34.    South Brunswick High School, SOUTH BRUNSWICK, MIDDLESEX 1213
    35.    West Morris Central High School, WEST MORRIS REGIONAL, MORRIS 1213
    36.    Bernards High School, SOMERSET HILLS REGIONAL, SOMERSET 1213
    37.    Holmdel High School, HOLMDEL, MONMOUTH 1212
    38.    Watchung Hills Regional High School, WATCHUNG HILLS REGIONAL, SOMERSET 1212
    39.    Cherry Hill High School East, CHERRY HILL, CAMDEN 1211
    40.    Colts Neck High School, FREEHOLD REGIONAL, MONMOUTH 1209
    41.    Ramsey High School, RAMSEY BORO, BERGEN 1208
    42.    Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School, RUMSON-FAIR HAVEN REG, MONMOUTH 1207
    43.    Mahwah High School, MAHWAH, BERGEN 1203
    44.    Moorestown High School, MOORESTOWN, BURLINGTON 1202
    45.    Hunterdon Central Regional High School District, HUNTERDON CENTRAL REG, HUNTERDON 1202
    46.    Montville Township High School, MONTVILLE, MORRIS 1202
    47.    Bridgewater-Raritan High School, BRIDGEWATER-RARITAN REG, SOMERSET 1202
    48.    River Dell Regional High School, RIVER DELL REGIONAL, BERGEN 1201
    49.    Pascack Hills High School, PASCACK VALLEY REGIONAL, BERGEN 1199
    50.    Glen Ridge High School, GLEN RIDGE, ESSEX 1199
    51.    Voorhees High School, N HUNT/VOORHEES REGIONAL, HUNTERDON 1199
    52.    Governor Livingston High School, BERKELEY HEIGHTS, UNION 1198
    53.    Summit High School, SUMMIT, UNION 1194
    54.    Indian Hills High School, RAMAPO-INDIAN HILL REG, BERGEN 1193
    55.    Randolph High School, RANDOLPH, MORRIS 1193
    56.    Cresskill High School, CRESSKILL, BERGEN 1192
    57.    High Tech High School, HUDSON COUNTY VOCATIONAL, HUDSON 1192
    58.    Parsippany Hills High School, PARSIPPANY-TROY HILLS, MORRIS 1192
    59.    Whippany Park High School, HANOVER PARK REGIONAL, MORRIS 1186
    60.    Science Park High School, NEWARK, ESSEX 1185
    61.    Verona High School, VERONA, ESSEX 1185
    62.    Highland Park High School, HIGHLAND PARK, MIDDLESEX 1182
    63.    Morris Hills High School, MORRIS HILLS REGIONAL, MORRIS 1181
    64.    Delaware Valley Regional High School, DELAWARE VALLEY REGIONAL, HUNTERDON 1179
    65.    Eastern Regional High School, EASTERN CAMDEN COUNTY REG, CAMDEN 1178
    66.    Fort Lee High School, FORT LEE, BERGEN 1177
    67.    Pascack Valley High School, PASCACK VALLEY REGIONAL, BERGEN 1177
    68.    Metuchen High School, METUCHEN, MIDDLESEX 1177
    69.    Leonia High School, LEONIA, BERGEN 1175
    70.    Shawnee High School, LENAPE REGIONAL, BURLINGTON 1171
    71.    Academy For Performing Arts, UNION COUNTY VOCATIONAL, UNION 1170
    72.    Kinnelon High School, KINNELON, MORRIS 1169
    73.    Cranford High School, CRANFORD, UNION 1169
    74.    Pequannock Township High School, PEQUANNOCK TWP, MORRIS 1168
    75.    Haddon Township High School, HADDON TWP, CAMDEN 1167
    76.    James Caldwell High School, CALDWELL-WEST CALDWELL, ESSEX 1167
    77.    Monroe Township High School, MONROE TWP, MIDDLESEX 1167
    78.    Lenape High School, LENAPE REGIONAL, BURLINGTON 1166
    79.    Infinity Institute, JERSEY CITY, HUDSON 1165
    80.    Point Pleasant Beach High School, POINT PLEASANT BEACH, OCEAN 1165
    81.    Columbia High School, SOUTH ORANGE-MAPLEWOOD, ESSEX 1164
    82.    Allentown High School, UPPER FREEHOLD REGIONAL, MONMOUTH 1163
    83.    Hightstown High School, EAST WINDSOR REGIONAL, MERCER 1162
    84.    Mount Olive High School, MOUNT OLIVE TWP, MORRIS 1162
    85.    Freehold Borough High School, FREEHOLD REGIONAL, MONMOUTH 1161
    86.    Wayne Hills High School, WAYNE, PASSAIC 1161
    87.    Robbinsville High School, ROBBINSVILLE, MERCER 1160
    88.    Sparta High School, SPARTA, SUSSEX 1160
    89.    Fair Lawn High School, FAIR LAWN, BERGEN 1159
    90.    Montclair High School, MONTCLAIR, ESSEX 1159
    91.    Red Bank Regional High School, RED BANK REGIONAL, MONMOUTH 1159
    92.    Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School, SCOTCH PLAINS-FANWOOD REG, UNION 1159
    93.    Cherokee High School, LENAPE REGIONAL, BURLINGTON 1158
    94.    Freehold Township High School, FREEHOLD REGIONAL, MONMOUTH 1158
    95.    Gloucester County Institute of Technology, GLOUCESTER CO VOCATIONAL, GLOUCESTER 1157
    96.    Somerville High School, SOMERVILLE, SOMERSET 1157
    97.    Manalapan High School, FREEHOLD REGIONAL, MONMOUTH 1156
    98.    Morristown High School, MORRIS SCHOOL DISTRICT, MORRIS 1156
    99.    Wayne Valley High School, WAYNE, PASSAIC 1156
    100.    Park Ridge High School, PARK RIDGE, BERGEN 1155
    101.    Lawrence High School, LAWRENCE TWP, MERCER 1154
    102.    West Essex High School, WEST ESSEX REGIONAL, ESSEX 1152
    103.    Manasquan High School, MANASQUAN, MONMOUTH 1152
    104.    Kittatinny Regional High School, KITTATINNY REGIONAL, SUSSEX 1151
    105.    Parsippany High School, PARSIPPANY-TROY HILLS, MORRIS 1150
    106.    Middletown High School South, MIDDLETOWN, MONMOUTH 1149
    107.    Hanover Park High School, HANOVER PARK REGIONAL, MORRIS 1148
    108.    Central Jersey College Prep Charter School, CHARTERS 1147
    109.    Dumont High School, DUMONT, BERGEN 1146
    110.    Midland Park Jr./Sr. High School, MIDLAND PARK, BERGEN 1146
    111.    Westwood Junior/Senior High School, WESTWOOD REGIONAL, BERGEN 1145
    112.    Northern Burlington County Regional High School, NORTHERN BURLINGTON REG, BURLINGTON 1144
    113.    Wall High School, WALL TWP, MONMOUTH 1143
    114.    Jackson Memorial High School, JACKSON TWP, OCEAN 1143
    115.    Ocean City High School, OCEAN CITY, CAPE MAY 1142
    116.    Spotswood High School, SPOTSWOOD, MIDDLESEX 1142
    117.    Howell High School, FREEHOLD REGIONAL, MONMOUTH 1142
    118.    Vernon Township High School, VERNON, SUSSEX 1142
    119.    Paramus High School, PARAMUS, BERGEN 1141
    120.    North Star Academy Charter School, CHARTERS 1140
    121.    Middlesex High School, MIDDLESEX, MIDDLESEX 1138
    122.    Southern Regional High School, SOUTHERN REGIONAL, OCEAN 1138
    123.    Emerson Jr Sr High, EMERSON, BERGEN 1137
    124.    Ridgefield Memorial High School, RIDGEFIELD, BERGEN 1137
    125.    Clearview Regional High School, CLEARVIEW REGIONAL, GLOUCESTER 1137
    126.    Toms River High School North, TOMS RIVER REGIONAL, OCEAN 1137
    127.    Morris Knolls High School, MORRIS HILLS REGIONAL, MORRIS 1136
    128.    Phillipsburg High School, PHILLIPSBURG, WARREN 1134
    129.    Rutherford High School, RUTHERFORD, BERGEN 1130
    130.    Waldwick High School, WALDWICK, BERGEN 1130
    131.    Gateway Regional High School, GATEWAY REGIONAL, GLOUCESTER 1128
    132.    Rancocas Valley Regional High School, RANCOCAS VALLEY REGIONAL, BURLINGTON 1127
    133.    Middletown High School North, MIDDLETOWN, MONMOUTH 1127
    134.    Mainland Regional High School, MAINLAND REGIONAL, ATLANTIC 1125
    135.    Lakeland Regional High School, LAKELAND REGIONAL, PASSAIC 1125
    136.    Elizabeth High School, ELIZABETH, UNION 1125
    137.    Secaucus High School, SECAUCUS, HUDSON 1124
    138.    Woodstown High School, WOODSTOWN-PILESGROVE REG, SALEM 1124
    139.    Lenape Valley Regional High School, LENAPE VALLEY REGIONAL, SUSSEX 1124
    140.    Wallkill Valley Regional High School, WALLKILL VALLEY REGIONAL, SUSSEX 1124
    141.    Seneca High School, LENAPE REGIONAL, BURLINGTON 1123
    142.    Kingsway Regional High School, KINGSWAY REGIONAL, GLOUCESTER 1123
    143.    Piscataway Township High School, PISCATAWAY, MIDDLESEX 1123
    144.    Shore Regional High School, SHORE REGIONAL, MONMOUTH 1123
    145.    Point Pleasant Boro High School, POINT PLEASANT BORO, OCEAN 1121
    146.    Wood-Ridge Jr/Sr High School, WOOD-RIDGE, BERGEN 1120
    147.    North Warren Regional School, NORTH WARREN REGIONAL, WARREN 1120
    148.    Roxbury High School, ROXBURY TWP, MORRIS 1118
    149.    Hammonton High School, HAMMONTON, ATLANTIC 1117
    150.    Cinnaminson High School, CINNAMINSON, BURLINGTON 1117
    151.    Middle Township High School, MIDDLE TWP, CAPE MAY 1117
    152.    Nutley High School, NUTLEY, ESSEX 1117
    153.    Ocean Township High School, OCEAN TWP, MONMOUTH 1117
    154.    Newton High School, NEWTON, SUSSEX 1117
    155.    Old Bridge High School, OLD BRIDGE, MIDDLESEX 1114
    156.    Hackettstown High School, HACKETTSTOWN, WARREN 1114
    157.    Hamilton East - Steinert, HAMILTON TWP, MERCER 1113
    158.    High Point Regional High School, HIGH POINT REGIONAL, SUSSEX 1113
    159.    Pompton Lakes High School, POMPTON LAKES, PASSAIC 1112
    160.    Edison High School, EDISON, MIDDLESEX 1110
    161.    Henry Hudson Regional School, HENRY HUDSON REGIONAL, MONMOUTH 1110
    162.    Warren Hills Regional High School, WARREN HILLS REGIONAL, WARREN 1110
    163.    Cherry Hill High School West, CHERRY HILL, CAMDEN 1109
    164.    Jackson Liberty High School, JACKSON TWP, OCEAN 1109
    165.    West Milford High School, WEST MILFORD, PASSAIC 1109
    166.    Washington Township High School, WASHINGTON TWP, GLOUCESTER 1108
    167.    John F. Kennedy High School, WOODBRIDGE TWP, MIDDLESEX 1108
    168.    Matawan Regional High School, MATAWAN-ABERDEEN REGIONAL ,MONMOUTH 1107
    169.    Hasbrouck Heights High School, HASBROUCK HEIGHTS, BERGEN 1106
    170.    North Brunswick Township High School, NORTH BRUNSWICK, MIDDLESEX 1106
    171.    Performing Arts Academy of the Ocean County Vocational Tech, OCEAN COUNTY VOCATIONAL, OCEAN 1106
    172.    Manville High School, MANVILLE, SOMERSET 1106
    173.    Barnegat High School, BARNEGAT, OCEAN 1104
    174.    Toms River High School East, TOMS RIVER REGIONAL, OCEAN 1104
    175.    Egg Harbor Township High School, EGG HARBOR TWP, ATLANTIC 1103
    176.    Lyndhurst High School, LYNDHURST, BERGEN 1103
    177.    Dunellen High School, DUNELLEN, MIDDLESEX 1103
    178.    Toms River High School South, TOMS RIVER REGIONAL, OCEAN 1103
    179.    South Plainfield High School, SOUTH PLAINFIELD, MIDDLESEX 1101
    180.    Palisades Park Jr-Sr High School, PALISADES PARK, BERGEN 1100
    181.    West Deptford High School, WEST DEPTFORD, GLOUCESTER 1098
    182.    Brick Township Memorial High School, BRICK, OCEAN 1097
    183.    Jonathan Dayton High School, SPRINGFIELD, UNION 1097
    184.    Bergen Arts and Sciences Charter School, CHARTERS 1096
    185.    Raritan High School, HAZLET, MONMOUTH 1094
    186.    Arthur P. Schalick High School, PITTSGROVE TWP, SALEM 1094
    187.    Cedar Creek High School, GREATER EGG HARBOR REG, ATLANTIC 1093
    188.    Bordentown Regional High School, BORDENTOWN REGIONAL, BURLINGTON 1093
    189.    Jefferson Township High School, JEFFERSON TWP, MORRIS 1093
    190.    Central Regional High School, CENTRAL REGIONAL, OCEAN 1093
    191.    Delran High School, DELRAN, BURLINGTON 1092
    192.    Sterling High School, STERLING HIGH SCHOOL DIST, CAMDEN 1092
    193.    South Hunterdon High School, SOUTH HUNTERDON REGIONAL SCHOOL DISTRICT, HUNTERDON 1092
    194.    Sayreville War Memorial High School, SAYREVILLE, MIDDLESEX 1092
    195.    Pinelands Regional High School, PINELANDS REGIONAL, OCEAN 1092
    196.    Lacey Township High School, LACEY, OCEAN 1091
    197.    County Prep High School, HUDSON COUNTY VOCATIONAL, HUDSON 1090
    198.    Collingswood High School, COLLINGSWOOD, CAMDEN 1088
    199.    New Milford High School, NEW MILFORD, BERGEN 1087
    200.    Audubon Junior/Senior High School, AUDUBON, CAMDEN 1087
    201.    Deptford Township High School, DEPTFORD, GLOUCESTER 1087
    202.    Williamstown High School, MONROE TWP, GLOUCESTER 1087
    203.    Haddon Heights Junior-Senior High School, HADDON HEIGHTS, CAMDEN 1086
    204.    Cape May County Technical High School, CAPE MAY CO VOCATIONAL, CAPE MAY 1086
    205.    Absegami High School, GREATER EGG HARBOR REG, ATLANTIC 1085
    206.    Florence Township Memorial High School, FLORENCE TWP, BURLINGTON 1084
    207.    Pitman High School, PITMAN, GLOUCESTER 1084
    208.    Monmouth Regional High School, MONMOUTH REGIONAL, MONMOUTH 1084
    209.    Wallington Junior Senior High School, WALLINGTON, BERGEN 1083
    210.    Belvidere High School, BELVIDERE, WARREN 1083
    211.    Teaneck High School, TEANECK, BERGEN 1082
    212.    Delsea Regional High School, DELSEA REGIONAL H.S DIST., GLOUCESTER 1082
    213.    Pennsville Memorial High School, PENNSVILLE, SALEM 1082
    214.    Lower Cape May Regional High School, LOWER CAPE MAY REGIONAL, CAPE MAY 1080
    215.    Sussex County Technical School, SUSSEX COUNTY VOCATIONAL, SUSSEX 1080
    216.    West Orange High School, WEST ORANGE, ESSEX 1079
    217.    Brick Township High School, BRICK, OCEAN 1078
    218.    Manchester Township High School, MANCHESTER, OCEAN 1078
    219.    Burlington Township High School, BURLINGTON TWPm BURLINGTON 1077
    220.    Cedar Grove High School, CEDAR GROVE, ESSEX 1077
    221.    New Egypt High School, PLUMSTED TWP, OCEAN 1077
    222.    Hopatcong High School, HOPATCONG, SUSSEX 1076
    223.    Bergenfield High School, BERGENFIELD, BERGEN 1075
    224.    Highland Regional High School, BLACK HORSE PIKE REGIONAL, CAMDEN 1075
    225.    Maple Shade High School, MAPLE SHADE, BURLINGTON 1073
    226.    Colonia High School, WOODBRIDGE, MIDDLESEX 1073
    227.    Salem County Career and Technical High School, SALEM COUNTY VOCATIONAL, SALEM 1073
    228.    Passaic Valley Regional High School, PASSAIC VALLEY REGIONAL, PASSAIC 1072
    229.    Franklin High School, FRANKLIN TWP, SOMERSET 1072
    230.    North Arlington High School, NORTH ARLINGTON, BERGEN 1070
    231.    Butler High School, BUTLER, MORRIS 1070
    232.    Weehawken High School, WEEHAWKEN, HUDSON 1067
    233.    South Amboy Middle/High School, SOUTH AMBOY, MIDDLESEX 1067
    234.    Buena Regional High School, BUENA REGIONAL, ATLANTIC 1066
    235.    Arthur L. Johnson High School, CLARK, UNION 1066
    236.    Timber Creek Regional High School, BLACK HORSE PIKE REGIONAL, CAMDEN 1061
    237.    Woodbridge High School, WOODBRIDGE, MIDDLESEX 1061
    238.    Cliffside Park High School, CLIFFSIDE PARK, BERGEN 1060
    239.    Boonton High School, BOONTON, MORRIS 1059
    240.    Atlantic County Institute of Technology, ATLANTIC CO VOCATIONAL, ATLANTIC 1058
    241.    Bogota Jr./Sr. High School, BOGOTA, BERGEN 1058
    242.    Saddle Brook Middle/High School, SADDLE BROOK, BERGEN 1054
    243.    Glassboro High School, GLASSBORO, GLOUCESTER 1053
    244.    Henry P. Becton Regional High School, CARLSTADT-EAST RUTHERFORD, BERGEN 1052
    245.    Dwight Morrow High School/Academies@Englewood, ENGLEWOOD, BERGEN 1052
    246.    Millville Senior High School, MILLVILLE, CUMBERLAND 1052
    247.    Hamilton West-Watson, HAMILTON TWP, MERCER 1052
    248.    Atlantic City High School, ATLANTIC CITY, ATLANTIC 1050
    249.    Bound Brook High School, BOUND BROOK, SOMERSET 1049
    250.    Union Senior High, UNION TWP, UNION 1049
    251.    Ewing High School, EWING TWP, MERCER 1047
    252.    Passaic County Technical Institute, PASSAIC COUNTY VOCATIONAL, PASSAIC 1046
    253.    Warren County Vocational Technical School, WARREN COUNTY VOCATIONAL, WARREN 1046
    254.    Carteret High School, CARTERET, MIDDLESEX 1045
    255.    Bayonne High School, BAYONNE, HUDSON 1044
    256.    Cumberland Regional High School, CUMBERLAND REGIONAL, CUMBERLAND 1039
    257.    Palmyra High School, PALMYRA, BURLINGTON 1037
    258.    Overbrook Senior High School, PINE HILL, CAMDEN 1037
    259.    East Orange STEM Academy High School, EAST ORANGE, ESSEX 1036
    260.    Clifton High School, CLIFTON, PASSAIC 1035
    261.    Roselle Park High School, ROSELLE PARK, UNION 1035
    262.    Hawthorne High School, HAWTHORNE, PASSAIC 1034
    263.    Lodi High School, LODI, BERGEN 1032
    264.    Kearny High School, KEARNY, HUDSON 1032
    265.    Pemberton Township High School, PEMBERTON TWP, BURLINGTON 1029
    266.    Triton Regional High School, BLACK HORSE PIKE REGIONAL, CAMDEN 1028
    267.    Oakcrest High School, GREATER EGG HARBOR REG, ATLANTIC 1027
    268.    Ridgefield Park Jr Sr High School, RIDGEFIELD PARK, BERGEN 1026
    269.    Gloucester City Jr. Sr. High School, GLOUCESTER CITY, CAMDEN 1025
    270.    Belleville High School, BELLEVILLE, ESSEX 1025
    271.    South River High School, SOUTH RIVER, MIDDLESEX 1025
    272.    North Plainfield High School, NORTH PLAINFIELD, SOMERSET 1023
    273.    Hackensack High School, HACKENSACK, BERGEN 1019
    274.    Neptune High School, NEPTUNE TWP, MONMOUTH 1017
    275.    Riverside High School, RIVERSIDE TWP, BURLINGTON 1016
    276.    Vineland Senior High School, VINELAND, CUMBERLAND 1016
    277.    Middlesex County Vocational School East Brunswick, MIDDLESEX CO VOCATIONAL, MIDDLESEX 1016
    278.    Memorial Senior High School, ELMWOOD PARK, BERGEN 1015
    279.    Bard Early College High School, NEWARK, ESSEX 1015
    280.    Dover High School, DOVER, MORRIS 1015
    281.    David Brearley Middle/High School, KENILWORTH, UNION 1015
    282.    Hamilton North-Nottingham, HAMILTON TWP, MERCER 1014
    283.    Penns Grove High School, PENNS GRV-CARNEY'S PT REG, SALEM 1014
    284.    Garfield High School, GARFIELD, BERGEN 1010
    285.    Bloomfield High School, BLOOMFIELD, ESSEX 1009
    286.    Winslow Township High School, WINSLOW TWP, CAMDEN 1008
    287.    Burlington County Institute of Technology - Medford, BURLINGTON CO VOCATIONAL, BURLINGTON 1006
    288.    Camden County Technical School-GTC, CAMDEN COUNTY VOCATIONAL, CAMDEN 1006
    289.    Harrison High School, HARRISON, HUDSON 1006
    290.    Liberty High School, JERSEY CITY, HUDSON 1004
    291.    Bloomfield Tech, ESSEX CO VOC-TECH, ESSEX 1002
    292.    Passaic County-Manchester Regional High School, PASSAIC CO MANCHESTER REG, PASSAIC 1002
    293.    Technology High School, NEWARK, ESSEX 1001
    294.    Linden High School, LINDEN, UNION 996
    295.    Rahway High School, RAHWAY, UNION 996
    296.    Burlington City High School, BURLINGTON CITY, BURLINGTON 993
    297.    Pennsauken High School, PENNSAUKEN, CAMDEN 993
    298.    Woodbury Jr-Sr High School, WOODBURY, GLOUCESTER 993
    299.    New Brunswick High School, NEW BRUNSWICK, MIDDLESEX 992
    300.    Foundation Academy Charter School Foundation Academy, CHARTERS 992
    301.    Alexander Hamilton Preparatory Academy, ELIZABETH, UNION 990
    302.    Burlington County Institute of Technology - Westhampton, BURLINGTON CO VOCATIONAL, BURLINGTON 984
    303.    Arts High School, NEWARK, ESSEX 983
    304.    M.E.T.S. Charter School, CHARTERS 982
    305.    Peoples Preparatory Charter School Peoples Preparatory Charter School CHARTERS 981
    306.    Wildwood High School, WILDWOOD, CAPE MAY 980
    307.    Clayton High School, CLAYTON, GLOUCESTER 979
    308.    Plainfield Academy For The Arts & Advanced Studies, PLAINFIELD, UNION 978
    309.    Dr. Charles E. Brimm Medical Arts High School, CAMDEN, CAMDEN 976
    310.    Keyport High School. KEYPORT, MONMOUTH 974
    311.    Memorial High School, WEST NEW YORK, HUDSON 973
    312.    Lindenwold High School, LINDENWOLD, CAMDEN 972
    313.    North Bergen High School, NORTH BERGEN, HUDSON 971
    314.    Keansburg High School, KEANSBURG, MONMOUTH 971
    315.    North 13th St Tech, ESSEX CO VOC-TECH, ESSEX 970
    316.    William L Dickinson High School, JERSEY CITY, HUDSON 970
    317.    School of Health Science, PATERSON, PASSAIC 968
    318.    Great Oaks Legacy Charter School, CHARTERS 968
    319.    Cicely L. Tyson Community Middle/High School, EAST ORANGE, ESSEX 962
    320.    University High School, NEWARK, ESSEX 962
    321.    Long Branch High School, LONG BRANCH, MONMOUTH 961
    322.    Chartertech High School for the Performing Arts, CHARTERS 958
    323.    Union City High School, UNION CITY, HUDSON 957
    324.    Bridgeton High School BRIDGETON CITY CUMBERLAND 953
    325.    Hillside High School, HILLSIDE, UNION 953
    326.    Perth Amboy High School, PERTH AMBOY, MIDDLESEX 952
    327.    Paulsboro High School, PAULSBORO, GLOUCESTER 950
    328.    Middlesex County Vocational School Perth Amboy, MIDDLESEX CO VOCATIONAL, MIDDLESEX 950
    329.    School of Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics, PATERSON, PASSAIC 949
    330.    Rosa L. Parks School of Fine and Performing Arts, PATERSON, PASSAIC 946
    331.    University Academy Charter High School, CHARTERS 940
    332.    American History High School, NEWARK, ESSEX 939
    333.    Academy for Urban Leadership Charter School, CHARTERS 939
    334.    Hoboken High School, HOBOKEN, HUDSON 935
    335.    Union County TEAMS Charter School, CHARTERS 935
    336.    Newark Early College High School, NEWARK, ESSEX 934
    337.    Newark Tech, ESSEX CO VOC-TECH, ESSEX 933
    338.    Camden County Technical School-Pennsauken, CAMDEN COUNTY VOCATIONAL, CAMDEN 932
    339.    West Caldwell Tech, ESSEX CO VOC-TECH, ESSEX 930
    340.    Willingboro High School, WILLINGBORO, BURLINGTON 926
    341.    The Barack Obama Green Charter High School, CHARTERS 925
    342.    Middlesex Co Voc School East Bruns. School of Career Development, MIDDLESEX CO VOCATIONAL, MIDDLESEX 924
    343.    Camden's Promise Charter School Camden's Promise Charter School CHARTERS 923
    344.    Plainfield High School, PLAINFIELD, UNION 922
    345.    Thomas Jefferson Arts Academy, ELIZABETH, UNION 916
    346.    Middlesex County Vocational School Piscataway, MIDDLESEX CO VOCATIONAL, MIDDLESEX 915
    347.    Bergen County Technical High School - Paramus, BERGEN COUNTY VOCATIONAL, BERGEN 914
    348.    Hoboken Charter School Hoboken, CHARTERS 914
    349.    Pleasantville High School, PLEASANTVILLE, ATLANTIC 911
    350.    Abraham Clark High School, ROSELLE, UNION 910
    351.    School of Earth and Space Science, PATERSON, PASSAIC 908
    352.    Academy Charter High School, CHARTERS 905
    353.    Lakewood High School, LAKEWOOD, OCEAN 900
    354.    John E. Dwyer Technology Academy, ELIZABETH, UNION 896
    355.    Newark Prep Charter School, CHARTERS 896
    356.    School of Culinary Arts, Hospitality and Tourism, PATERSON, PASSAIC 895
    357.    Thomas A. Edison Career and Technical Academy, ELIZABETH, UNION 890
    358.    Trenton Central High School - West Campus, TRENTON, MERCER 889
    359.    Marion P. Thomas Charter School, CHARTERS 888
    360.    Creative Arts Morgan Village Academy CAMDEN, CAMDEN 886
    361.    East Side High School, NEWARK, ESSEX 886
    362.    Admiral William F. Halsey Jr. Health & Public Safety Academy, ELIZABETH, UNION 885
    363.    School of Business Technology, PATERSON, PASSAIC 883
    364.    James J Ferris High School, JERSEY CITY, HUDSON 882
    365.    Leap Academy University, CHARTERS 882
    366.    Passaic High School # 12, PASSAIC, PASSAIC 881
    367.    International High School, PATERSON, PASSAIC 878
    368.    School of Architecture and Construction Trades, PATERSON, PASSAIC 876
    369.    School of Information Technology, PATERSON, PASSAIC 874
    370.    Paulo Freire Charter School, CHARTERS 872
    371.    Trenton Central High School - Main Campus, TRENTON, MERCER 870
    372.    Henry Snyder High School, JERSEY CITY, HUDSON 869
    373.    Orange High School, ORANGE, ESSEX 861
    374.    Camden High School CAMDEN, CAMDEN 859
    375.    Lincoln High School, JERSEY CITY, HUDSON 859
    376.    Salem High School, SALEM, SALEM 859
    377.    East Orange Campus High School, EAST ORANGE, ESSEX 855
    378.    Irvington High School, IRVINGTON, ESSEX 847
    379.    Malcom X Shabazz High School, NEWARK, ESSEX 846
    380.    Newark Vocational High School, NEWARK, ESSEX 845
    381.    Camden Big Picture Learning Academy, CAMDEN, CAMDEN 834
    382.    School of Education and Training, PATERSON, PASSAIC 834
    383.    School of Government & Public Administration, PATERSON, PASSAIC 833
    384.    Weequahic High School, NEWARK, ESSEX 831
    385.    Woodrow Wilson High School, CAMDEN, CAMDEN 821
    386.    Central High School, NEWARK, ESSEX 819
    387.    Barringer Arts High School, NEWARK, ESSEX 795

Regular readers of this blog will recall the news is not that good in the elementary grades either where data analyzed by researchers at Stanford University found that grades 3 to 8 in the Hoboken elementary grades showed the lowest growth rate in Hudson County, among the lowest growth rates in the state of New Jersey and among the lowest growth rates in the nation (bottom 13%).

Free and Reduced Lunch Percentages for New Jersey Abbott Districts (2016)


Abbott DistrctFRL-eligibility
Camden City*95%
Union City*95%
Asbury Park City*93%
Bridgeton City*93%
Passaic City*91%
Paterson*90%
Trenton*89%
Salem City*89%
Plainfield*88%
New Brunswick*88%
City of Orange*86%
Pleasantville*85%
Perth Amboy*85%
Elizabeth City*85%
Harrison*81%
West New York81%
Long Branch*79%
East Orange*76%
Irvington*74%
Keansburg73%
Garfield71%
Jersey City71%
Vineland City70%
Gloucester City69%
Burlington City61%
Phillipsburg53%
Neptune Township52%
Hoboken49%
Pemberton44%