Good News About NJ Public Schools
Leading & Ranking
New Jersey Schools Rank Best in the Country in Education
The Annie E. Casey Foundation ranks New Jersey public schools among the top two states in the nation for its education of children.
Source: Annie E. Casey Foundation. Kids Count 2021 Data Book: State Trends in Child Well-Being. 2021.
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Preschool Programs in New Jersey’s City Schools Are Best in Nation
Rigorous studies have shown that New Jersey’s high quality pre-school programs in its largest urban school districts are showing big long-lasting gains for children who attend.
Source: Friedman-Krauss, A.H., Barnett, W.S., Garver, K.A., Hodges, K.S. Weisenfeld, G. G., & DiCrecchio, N., (2019). The State of Preschool 2018: State Preschool Yearbook. New Brunswick, NJ: National Institute for Early Education Research.
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Leading the Country in Education Pre-K thru 12
The U.S. News and World Report Ranks New Jersey among the top 2 states in Pre-K thru 12 Education Rankings.
Source: “Pre-K-12 Education Rankings: Measuring how well states are preparing students for college,” U.S. News and World Report. 2022.
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NJ Public Schools Ranked Best in Quality in Nation
Using a wide range of factors, New Jersey public schools are ranked #1 in the in the nation in terms of quality.
Source: McCann, Adam. Education State Rankings 2018’s States with the Best and Worst School Systems. July 29, 2019.
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New Jersey’s public schools rank best in the nation
New Jersey’s public schools rank best in the nation in the 2019 Quality Counts report just released by Education Week. The widely respected report, now in its 23rd year, measures a number of factors, from student achievement to school funding to the success students achieve once they leave school. After finishing a close second to Massachusetts in the four previous years, New Jersey took over the top spot based on the overall quality and performance of its public schools.
Source: Education Week, Quality Counts 2021
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More New Jersey Students Excelling in the Math ACT College Entrance Exam
Many more New Jersey students than ever before are getting high scores on their Math ACT college entrance examinations. The number of New Jersey high school students met or exceeded the college readiness benchmark on the Math ACT has grown by more than 39% over the number student scoring that high in 2010.
Source: ACT, Inc. The Condition of College and Career Readiness: Graduating Class of 2019 (New Jersey State Profile Report). 2019
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New Jersey is the Top State Public School System in the Country
Education Week ranks New Jersey public schools the #1 state system in the nation.
Source: Education Week. Quality Counts 2021: Grading the States. September, 2021.
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More New Jersey Students Excelling in the English ACT College Entrance Exam
Many more New Jersey students than ever before are getting high scores on their English ACT college entrance examinations. The number of New Jersey high school students met or exceeded the college readiness benchmark on the English ACT has increased by 35% since 2010.
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ACT, Inc. The Condition of College and Career Readiness: Graduating Class of 2019 (New Jersey State Profile Report). 2019
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More New Jersey Students Excelling in the Reading ACT College Entrance Exam
Many more New Jersey students than ever before are getting high scores on their Reading ACT college entrance examinations. The number of New Jersey high school students met or exceeded the college readiness benchmark on the Reading ACT has increased by 35% since 2010.
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ACT, Inc. The Condition of College and Career Readiness: Graduating Class of 2019 (New Jersey State Profile Report). 2019
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ACT, Inc. The Condition of College and Career Readiness: Graduating Class of 2010 (New Jersey State Profile Report). 2010
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More New Jersey Students Excelling in the Science ACT College Entrance Exam
Many more New Jersey students than ever before are getting high scores on their Science ACT college entrance examinations. The number of New Jersey high school students met or exceeded the college readiness benchmark on the Science ACT has nearly doubled since 2010.
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ACT, Inc. The Condition of College and Career Readiness: Graduating Class of 2019 (New Jersey State Profile Report). 2019
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More High School Students Scoring High Enough to Earn College Credit on AP Exams
The proportion of New Jersey public high school students scoring 3 or higher on Advanced Placement (AP) exams has doubled in the past dozen years.
Source: College Board. AP Cohort Data: Graduating Class of 2019. 2020
College Board. AP Cohort Data: Graduating Class of 2015. 2016.
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Big Increases in Low-Income Students Scoring High Enough to Earn College Credit on AP Exams
The number of low-income New Jersey public high school students scoring 3 or higher on Advanced Placement (AP) exams has increased more nearly five-fold in the past dozen years.
Source: College Board. AP Cohort Data: Graduating Class of 2019. 2020.
College Board. Report to the Nation: New Jersey Supplement, 6th Annual. February 10, 2010.
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Big Increases in Low-Income Students Participating in AP Courses
The number of low-income New Jersey public high school students taking and testing in an Advanced Placement (AP) course has increased five-fold in the past 15 years.
Source: College Board. AP Cohort Data: Graduating Class of 2019. 2020
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College Board. Report to the Nation: New Jersey Supplement, 6th Annual. February 10, 2010.
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Leading the Nation in the Number of Children Attending Preschool
New Jersey is one of the top 2 states in the nation in the percentage of 3 and 4 year olds who are enrolled in preschool.
Source: Education Week. Quality Counts 2020: Grading the States. January 2020.
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Among the Top in the Nation in the Number of Children Attending Public Preschool
New Jersey is among the top three states in the nation in the percentage of 3 year olds who are enrolled in public preschool.
Source: Education Week. Quality Counts 2020: Grading the States. January 2020.
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Preschool Programs in New Jersey’s City Schools Are Best in Nation
New Jersey’s preschool programs in its largest urban school districts have been rated among the best in the nation.
Source: Friedman-Krauss, A.H., Barnett, W.S., Garver, K.A., Hodges, K.S. Weisenfeld, G. G., & DiCrecchio, N., (2019). The State of Preschool 2018: State Preschool Yearbook. New Brunswick, NJ: National Institute for Early Education Research.
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Leading the Country in Giving Children the Chance to Succeed
New Jersey ranks among the top 2 states in Education Week‘s “Chance for Success Index,” which measures a state’s ability to give its children the greatest chance for success and shows that it is doing more in preparing young people for the challenges they will face as adults.
Source: Education Week. Quality Counts 2020: Grading the States. January 2020.
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Leading the Country in School Achievement
Leading the Country in School Achievement: New Jersey public schools rank among the top 2 in the nation in academic achievement.
Source: Education Week. Quality Counts 2019: Grading the States. June 2019.
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Best in Nation in Giving Children Educational Opportunities
New Jersey ranks #1 in the “Education Dimension” of the latest Opportunity Index, which rates access to educational opportunities based on birth location.
Opportunity Nation & Measure of America. Opportunity Index 2018: Summary of Findings for States and Counties. 2019.
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Public School Students Outperform Private School Students on AP Exams
In New Jersey, public school students score higher than private school students on their AP exam.
Source: College Board. 2019 AP New Jersey Summary Report.
New Jersey public high school students are more likely than private and religious school students to receive Advanced Placement (AP) exam scores that are high enough to qualify for college credit.
Source: College Board. 2019 AP New Jersey Summary Report.
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Public School Students Outperform Private School Students on AP Exams to Qualify for College Credit
In New Jersey, public school students score higher than private school students on their AP exams.
Source: College Board. 2019 AP New Jersey Summary Report.
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NJ Public School Students Earn the Highest Average AP Score in the Nation
New Jersey is 1st in the nation in the average Advanced Placement (AP) score for public school students this year.
Source: College Board. 2019 AP New Jersey Summary Report.
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Many More Students Participating in AP Courses
The number of New Jersey public high school students taking and testing in an Advanced Placement (AP) course has more than doubled in the past 15 years.
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College Board. AP Cohort Data: Graduating Class of 2021. 2022.
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College Board. AP Cohort Data: Graduating Class of 2016. 2017.
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New Jersey Leads the Nation in NAEP Scores Even When Demographics Are Taken Into Account
A study that adjusts NAEP Scores based on the percent of disadvantaged students in the public schools (New Jersey having fewer disadvantaged students than many other lowering performing states), still finds NJ with the 2nd highest average NAEP score of any state in the country.
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Leading the Country in Education Policy and Performance
Using a wide range of factors, New Jersey public schools are ranked among the top 2 in the nation.
Source: Bernardo, Richie. Education State Rankings 2017’s States with the Best and Worst School Systems. July 31, 2017.
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Leading the Country in Education
The Annie E. Casey Foundation ranks New Jersey public schools among the top 2 in the nation.
Annie E. Casey Foundation. Kids Count 2021 Data Book: State Trends in Child Well-Being. 2021.
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New Jersey Ranks among Top in the Nation in Percent of Students Scoring High on the History SAT Exam
New Jersey ranks among the top 5 states in the nation in the percent of graduating seniors who score high on the U.S. and World History SAT subject area exams.
Source: College Board. 2016 College-Bound Seniors State Profile Report: New Jersey.
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Source: NCES. Projection of Education Statistics to 2023. April 2016
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New Jersey Ranks Among Top in the Nation in Percentage of Students Scoring High on the Literature SAT Exam
New Jersey ranks among the top 5 states in the nation in the percentage of graduating seniors who score high on the literature SAT Literature subject area exam.
Source: College Board. 2016 College-Bound Seniors State Profile Report: New Jersey
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Source: NCES. Projection of Education Statistics to 2023. April 2016
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The Annie E. Casey Foundation ranks New Jersey public schools among the top 2 in the nation.
Annie E. Casey Foundation. Kids Count 2021 Data Book: State Trends in Child Well-Being. 2021.
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New Jersey Ranks among Top in the Nation in Percent of Students Scoring High on the History SAT Exam
New Jersey ranks among the top 5 states in the nation in the percent of graduating seniors who score high on the U.S. and World History SAT subject area exams.
Source: College Board. 2016 College-Bound Seniors State Profile Report: New Jersey.
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Source: NCES. Projection of Education Statistics to 2023. April 2016
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New Jersey Ranks Among Top in the Nation in Percentage of Students Scoring High on the Literature SAT Exam
New Jersey ranks among the top 5 states in the nation in the percentage of graduating seniors who score high on the literature SAT Literature subject area exam.
Source: College Board. 2016 College-Bound Seniors State Profile Report: New Jersey
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Source: NCES. Projection of Education Statistics to 2023. April 2016
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Math
Math Scores Are Among the Nation’s Best for 8th Graders
Compared to New Jersey, no one other state in the nation has a statistically higher proportion of public school 8th graders scoring at the highest two levels in math in the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). Furthermore, no other state has an average score that is statistically higher than New Jersey on the 8th Grade Mathematics NAEP Exam.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics. 2019 NAEP Mathematics: Nation’s Report Card. 2019.
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Math Scores Are Up for 8th Graders
The percentage of New Jersey public school 8th graders who scored at the highest two levels in mathematics in the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) has more than doubled since 1990.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics. 2019 NAEP Mathematics: Nation’s Report Card. 2019.
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Math Scores for New Jersey 4th Grade Students Are Among the Nation’s Best
Compared to New Jersey, no other state has an average score that is statistically higher than New Jersey on the 4th Grade Mathematics NAEP Exam.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics. 2019 NAEP Mathematics: Nation’s Report Card. 2019.
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Math Scores for New Jersey 8th Grade Students Are Among the Nation’s Best
Compared to New Jersey, only one other state in the nation has a statistically higher proportion of public school 8th graders scoring at the highest two levels in math in the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). Furthermore, only one other state has an average score that is statistically higher than New Jersey on the 8th Grade Mathematics Exam.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics. 2019 NAEP Mathematics: Nation’s Report Card. 2019.
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Math Scores for New Jersey 12th Grade Students Are Among the Nation’s Best
Math Scores Are Among the Nation’s Best: No other states in the nation score statistically higher than New Jersey on the 12th Grade Math Exam. New Jersey public school seniors have the 2nd highest score in the nation in mathematics in the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP)
Source: National Center for Education Statistics. The Nation’s Report Card: Mathematics 2013 State Snapshot Reports for Grade 12. May 2014.
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Math Scores Are Up
The percentage of New Jersey public school 4th graders who scored at the highest two levels in mathematics in the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) has nearly doubled since 1996.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics. 2022 NAEP Mathematics: Nation’s Report Card. 2022.
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Math Scores for 4th Graders in Low-Income Families Are Up Greatly
The proportion of low-income 4th graders scoring proficient or higher in mathematics in the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) has increased more than three-fold since 1996.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics. 2022 NAEP Mathematics: Nation’s Report Card. 2022.
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New Jersey Is Among the Best in the Nation for 4th Grade in Math Among African-American and Hispanic Students
The proportion of New Jersey African American and Hispanic 4th graders scoring proficient or higher in mathematics in the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) has increased nearly five-fold since 1996.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics. 2022 NAEP Mathematics: Nation’s Report Card. 2022.
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Math Scores for African-American and Hispanic 4th Graders Are Up Greatly
The proportion of New Jersey African-American and Hispanic 4th graders scoring proficient or higher in mathematics in the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) has increased more than seven-fold since 1996.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics. 2017 NAEP Mathematics: Nation’s Report Card. April 2017.
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New Jersey Is Among the Best in the Nation in Math for 8th Grade Among African-American and Hispanic Students
No state in the nation scores statistically higher than New Jersey when it comes to the average 8th Grade Mathematics NAEP scores among either African-American or Hispanic Students.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics. 2017 NAEP Mathematics: Nation’s Report Card. April 2018.
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More New Jersey Students Excelling in Math SATs
Many more New Jersey students than ever before are getting high scores on their SAT college entrance examinations. The number of New Jersey high school students scoring 600 or higher each year on the Math SAT has nearly doubled since 1994.
Source: College Board. 2015 College-Bound Seniors State Profile Report: New Jersey.
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New Jersey is the Best in the Nation in Math Scores Among Students in African American and Hispanic Families
Statistically, no state out-performs New Jersey when it comes to the average 12th Grade Math NAEP scores among students in low income families.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics. The Nation’s Report Card: Mathematics 2013 State Snapshot Reports for Grade 12. May 2014.
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New Jersey is the Best in the Nation in Math Scores Among Students in African American and Hispanic Families
No state in the nation scores statistically higher than New Jersey when it comes to the average 8th Grade Math NAEP scores among either African- American or Hispanic Students.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics. 2015 NAEP Mathematics: Nation’s Report Card. October 2015.
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Reading
Reading Scores for African-American and Hispanic 8th Graders Are Up Greatly
The proportion of New Jersey African American and Hispanic 8th graders scoring proficient or higher in the reading assessment of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) has increased by 25% since 2003.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics. 2022 NAEP Reading: Nation’s Report Card. 2022.
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Reading Scores Are Up for 8th Graders
Reading Scores Are Up: The proportion of New Jersey public school 8th graders who scored at the highest two levels in reading in the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) is at the highest level ever and has increased by 16% since 2003.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics. 2019 NAEP Reading: Nation’s Report Card. 2019.
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Reading Scores Are at Highest Level Ever for 4th Grade
Reading Scores Are at Highest Level Ever: The proportion of New Jersey public school 4th graders who scored at the highest two levels in reading in the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) is the highest ever and has increased by over one-quarter (27%) since 1994.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics 2019 NAEP Reading: Nation’s Report Card. 2019.
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Reading Scores Are the Nation’s Best for 8th Grade
Reading Scores Are the Nation’s Best: Compared to New Jersey, no other state in the nation has a statistically higher proportion of public school 8th graders scoring at the highest two levels in reading in the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). Furthermore, no other state has an average score that is statistically higher than New Jersey on the 8th Grade Reading Exam.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics. 2022 NAEP Reading: Nation’s Report Card. 2022.
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Reading Scores Are Among the Nation’s Best
Compared to New Jersey, no other state in the nation has a statistically higher percent of public school 4th graders scoring at the highest two levels in reading in the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). Furthermore, no other state has an average score that is statistically higher than New Jersey on the 4th Grade Reading Exam.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics. 2022 NAEP Reading: Nation’s Report Card. 2022.
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New Jersey Is Among the Best in the Nation in Reading Scores Among Students in Low-Income Families
Among public school students in low-income families, only two other states statistically out-performs New Jersey when it comes to the percentage of 4th Grade Reading National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) scoring proficient or higher.
Among public school students in low-income families, no other states statistically out-perform New Jersey when it comes to the average 8th Grade Reading National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) scores.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics. 2022 NAEP Reading: Nation’s Report Card. 2022.
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New Jersey Is Among the Best in the Nation in Reading Among African-American and Hispanic Students
No state in the nation scores statistically higher than New Jersey when it comes to students scoring proficient or higher in a manner that is statistically higher among African American students and Hispanic students.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics. 2022 NAEP Reading: Nation’s Report Card. 2022.
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Reading Scores for 4th Graders in Low-Income Families Are Up
The proportion of low-income 4th graders scoring proficient or higher in the reading assessment of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) assessment has increased by one-quarter since 2003.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics. 2022 NAEP Reading: Nation’s Report Card. 2022.
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Reading Scores for 8th Graders in Low-Income Families Are Up
The proportion of low-income 8th graders scoring proficient or higher in the reading assessment of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) has grown by one-third since 2003.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics. 2022 NAEP Reading: Nation’s Report Card. 2022.
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Graduation
High School Graduation Rate Is Among the Top in the Nation
New Jersey is one of the top two states in the nation in public high school graduation
Source: Education Week. Quality Counts 2020: Chances for Success. January 2020.
https://www.edweek.org/leadership/quality-counts-2020-chance-for-success
Among the Lowest Dropout Rates in the Nation
Only one other state has a lower dropout rate among 16-24 year olds than New Jersey.
Source: NCES. Trends in High School Dropout and Completion Rates in the United States: 2019. January 2020.
https://nces.ed.gov/pubs2020/2020117.pdf