NJ Has 3rd-Best School System In Nation, New Study Shows

NEW JERSEY — New Jersey has the third-best education system in the nation, according to new analysis from WalletHub. But the site's experts warn that determining school quality is quite complex.

Some research in determining school-system performance primarily focuses on academic outcomes or school finance, WalletHub notes. But WalletHub attempted a more comprehensive approach to its analysis, which accounts for performance, funding, safety, class size and instructor credentials — among 32 key metrics.

Overall, New Jersey's school system ranks third. Massachusetts topped the list, while Connecticut placed second. Here's where New Jersey ranked in several categories (lower figures are better in all categories):

• math test scores: third
• reading test scores: second
• pupil-teacher ratio: fourth
• median SAT score: 24th
• median ACT score: 12th
• dropout rate: fourth
• bullying incidence rate: 24th
• percentage of threatened/injured high school students: 24th
• existence of digital learning plan: first

Funding is a major component of producing quality education. New Jersey, on average, spends more per student than almost anywhere else in the nation. The Garden State ranks fourth in terms of total current expenditures for public elementary and secondary day schools per student, according to WalletHub.

School districts in New Jersey budgeted an average of about $18,000 per student last school year, but that figure can significantly vary district-by-district. Read more: NJ Schools Spend $18K Per Student On Average: How Much Your Kid Gets

And total spending is only part of the story for determining how well a school system serves its students, according to WalletHub's experts.

"At the extremes, when it comes to funding, money matters," Dr. Christine Kiracofe, director of Purdue University's Higher Education Ph.D. program. "For example, there is no question that a school that spends $5,000 per student cannot provide as many educational opportunities as a school that spends $25,000 per student. However, most schools' per-pupil funding falls somewhere in the middle."

So how can schools overcome funding obstacles and inequity to improve education? Dr. Kecia Hayes, a senior professional lecturer for American University's School of Education, said it helps to recognize schools, families and neighborhoods and overlapping spheres of influence in a child's life experiences and outcomes.

"First, schools without the capacity to meet the needs of their students are very likely to reproduce and exacerbate inequalities that will continue to hobble the educational opportunities, experiences and outcomes of young people so we need to ensure that all students have consistent access to high-quality schools," Hayes said. "Second, students need coherent and tightly woven networks of support that include schools, families and neighborhoods. So we need to dependably work together, leveraging individual strengths and expertise, to concentrate the positive impact on children’s success."

Read WalletHub's full report here.