Top NJ elementary and middle schools are majority minority, U.S. News ranking says
Schools and school districts with a high share of minority students have historically underperformed in New Jersey and in the United States, but hope should not be lost, a new ranking shows.
A new elementary and middle public school ranking done by U.S. News and World Report, ranked in top positions several schools in which most of the student body are from minority groups.
Out of the top 10 elementary schools in the state, seven are majority-minority schools. And five schools out of the top 10 middle schools, are majority-minority schools.
U.S. News, a leading media organization when it comes to school rankings, assessed schools based on the percentage of students who were proficient or above proficient levels in the state’s math and reading/language standardized tests.
A standout in the ranking was Princeton Charter School, which ranked as the top middle school and as the third-best elementary school in New Jersey. In this K-8 Mercer County school there are 422 students, of which 67% belong to a minority group.
More than 80% of Princeton Charter School students performed at proficient or above proficient level in both math and verbal state assessments.
Overall, in New Jersey schools, only 15% of students performed at or above proficient level in math and 51% in the verbal assessment, according to state data from 2022.
Another standout in the ranking was Union County’s Lincoln-Hubbard Elementary which ranked as the top elementary school. More than 80% of its 331 students scoring at or above proficient levels in math and verbal state assessments.
Glenwood School ranked as the second-best elementary in the state. This K-4 school serves 376, of which 69% are minorities. More than 80% of students scored at or above proficient levels in the math and verbal state assessments. Glenwood School is in Essex, the county with the most top-ranked schools.
The elementary and middle school rankings are almost exclusively based on state assessments scores obtained from the U.S. Department of Education, according to U.S. News. The student-teacher ratios were used to break ties in the overall score.
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Top 10 elementary schools in New Jersey
Here are the top schools, in ranking order:
Union County- Lincoln-Hubbard Elementary, 35% minority
Essex County- Glenwood School, 69% minority
Mercer County- Princeton Charter School Princeton, 67% minority
Bergen County- Clara E Coleman School, 31% minority
Hudson County- Cornelia F. Bradford School, 76% minority
Essex County- South Mountain School, 73% minority
Monmouth County- Forrestdale School, 8% minority
Essex County- Wyoming School, 69% minority
Essex County- Deerfield School, 66% minority
Somerset County- Mount Prospect Elementary, 80% minority
Top 10 middle schools in New Jersey
Here are the top schools, in ranking order:
Mercer County- Princeton Charter School, 67% minority
Passaic County- School 28, 93% minority
Monmouth County- Forrestdale School, 8% minority
Hudson County- Infinity Institute, 77% minority
Essex County- Millburn Middle School, 55% minority
Somerset County- Thomas Edison Energysmart Charter School, 86% minority
Morris County- Mendham Township Middle School, 17% minority
Union County- Roosevelt Intermediate School, 15% minority
Bergen County- Cresskill Middle School, 47% minority
Bergen County- Emil A. Cavallini Middle School, 36% minority
This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Top NJ Elementary and Middle Schools are majority minority
