Wednesday, July 11, 2018

Hoboken School District Ranked 69th out of 71 Similar NJ Districts on Grade 3 to 8 Growth Rates Despite Spending $28,217 per Student

Hoboken "Pop Up" Park- July 2017
Recent work by researchers at Stanford University shows that in the 5 years between Grades 3 and Grade 8, students in the Hoboken School district are advancing only 4.1 grade years. This represents the lowest rate in Hudson County, one of the lowest rates  in the State of New Jersey and bottom 13% in the United States. This despite spending $28,217 per student and in a district that is less than 50% free and reduced lunch.

An article in the New York Times by Emily Badger and Kevin Quealy spotlights the work of researchers at Stanford University and should be of great interest. The researchers not only used state test scores but a host of other data to present one of the most comprehensive studies yet on student success and effectiveness of school districts in delivering a quality educational experience for children. 

Some may say that comparing the Hoboken School District to other schools in Hudson County, the state of NJ or the country is inappropriate because of the unique population the district serves. Well, in 1975 the New Jersey Department of Education developed a method 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. The following data are considered when a district is placed into a District Factor Group (DFG):

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.

When compared to similar districts, the Hoboken School District is ranked 69th out of 71 school districts on Grade 3 to 8 Growth Rate as calculated by researchers at Stanford University (ranked 4th in the country by US News and World Report). 



GRADE 3 to 8 GROWTH RATES - New Jersey FG District Factor Group


RankCOUNTYCITYGROWTH RATENAT %DFG
1WarrenMansfield Township - Port Murray6.4100 FG
2MonmouthSpring Lake Heights Borou6.3100 FG
3PassaicNorth Haledon6.399 FG
4BergenMaywood6.299 FG
5Cape MayUpper Township6.198 FG
6MonmouthOcean Township - Oakhurst6.198 FG
7MonmouthWest Long Branch6.199 FG
8BergenFort Lee5.996 FG
9BergenNorthvale5.997 FG
10BurlingtonEastampton Township5.996 FG
11OceanPoint Pleasant Beach5.997 FG
12WarrenHope Township5.996 FG
13GloucesterEast Greenwich Township5.894 FG
14MiddlesexMilltown5.895 FG
15SussexFrankford Township5.895 FG
16BergenNew Milford5.691 FG
17BergenRochelle Park5.689 FG
18BurlingtonBurlington Township5.688 FG
19CamdenGibbsboro5.691 FG
20GloucesterPitman5.690 FG
21HunterdonHolland Township5.691 FG
22SussexVernon Township5.690 FG
23UnionClark Township5.691 FG
24BergenDumont5.586 FG
25GloucesterMantua Township5.586 FG
26SussexAndover Regional5.587 FG
27SussexHardyston Township5.586 FG
28SussexStillwater Township5.587 FG
29BurlingtonDelran Township5.480 FG
30CamdenBarrington Borough5.480 FG
31HunterdonKingwood Township5.483 FG
32PassaicBloomingdale5.484 FG
33PassaicLittle Falls Township5.483 FG
34SalemWoodstown-Pilesgrove Regi5.482 FG
35BurlingtonCinnaminson Township5.376 FG
36GloucesterWashington Township - Long Valley5.376 FG
37MorrisRockaway Borough5.378 FG
38WarrenBlairstown Township5.376 FG
39BurlingtonBordentown Regional Schoo5.270 FG
40BurlingtonHainesport Township5.274 FG
41CamdenCollingswood Borough5.271 FG
42GloucesterLogan Township5.271 FG
43MiddlesexMiddlesex Borough5.272 FG
44MonmouthEatontown5.276 FG
45MorrisLincoln Park Borough5.274 FG
46MorrisMine Hill Township5.275 FG
47PassaicPompton Lakes5.275 FG
48SomersetSomerville Borough5.271 FG
49MiddlesexOld Bridge Township5.167 FG
50BergenWood-Ridge560 FG
51MiddlesexSouth Plainfield561 FG
52MonmouthMatawan-Aberdeen Regional562 FG
53BurlingtonSpringfield4.846 FG
54MiddlesexNorth Brunswick Township4.846 FG
55MonmouthHowell Township4.851 FG
56MorrisBoonton Town4.852 FG
57BurlingtonLumberton Township4.741 FG
58MiddlesexDunellen4.744 FG
59BergenHasbrouck Heights4.635 FG
60CamdenHaddon Township4.639 FG
61EssexNutley4.638 FG
62MorrisRiverdale4.633 FG
63OceanPoint Pleasant Borough4.634 FG
64MiddlesexMonroe Township - Williamstown4.531 FG
65PassaicWest Milford Township4.426 FG
66SussexHopatcong Borough4.425 FG
67SussexOgdensburg Borough4.425 FG
68BergenBergenfield4.319 FG
69HudsonHoboken4.113 FG
70GloucesterSouth Harrison Township3.74 FG
71PassaicLakewood Township3.64 FG