Earlier this month the New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE) unveiled its annual School Performance Reports, showcasing assessment, student growth, and accountability data for all public school districts statewide. Notably, in mathematics, five of the top ten highest performing districts are public charter schools, despite serving less than 5% of New Jersey’s public school population. Similarly, in English language arts (ELA), two of the top ten highest performing districts are public charters. College Achieve Paterson Charter School (CAPS Paterson), where 93% of students hail from economically disadvantaged backgrounds, secured a top ten ranking in both Math and ELA growth.

Charters Among Top 10 Districts Overall in Math and/or ELA Growth (mSGP)

Student growth, measured by median student growth percentiles (mSGP), considers academic starting points for individual students against their statewide academic peers. This data tracks growth year-over-year and assesses schools’ ability to accelerate academic achievement gains in math and ELA at the student level.

The data also reveals that 21 public charter schools “exceed standards” on student growth, as per NJDOE’s accountability framework, placing them in the top 15% of districts statewide. Public charters are propelling learning for students at a faster pace than their peers in under-resourced communities like Paterson, Newark, East Orange, Plainfield, Jersey City, Asbury Park, and Perth Amboy.

“We believe in the brilliance of every child that walks through our doors. Every day, we meet each other and every student where they are, ensuring academic growth and holistic support,” Dr. Gemar Mills, Executive Director at CAPS Paterson said. “I was born and raised in Paterson and understand the challenges our scholars face. These results show that when caring, motivated educators work with students and families, we will achieve and soar together – from high school to the top colleges and universities and beyond.”

“We celebrate these incredible results and recognize the tireless work that our public charter school educators and students continue to put in every day to recover from the effects of pandemic learning loss,” Harry Lee, President and CEO of the New Jersey Public Charter Schools Association said. “The unique nature of public charter schools allows them to pivot quickly to meet the needs of individual learners and accelerate student learning. Public charters continue to lead the way in New Jersey, and we could not be more proud of these achievements.”  

These findings reinforce the efficacy of public charter schools in New Jersey, with Black and Latino students outperforming their counterparts in traditional districts. Public charters continue to drive significant student achievement gains, particularly for students of color in underserved communities across the state.