Lawrence Public Schools Among NJ's Top 100 In New Ranking

LAWRENCEVILLE, NJ — Lawrence Township Public Schools (LTPS) was among the top 100 districts in New Jersey, according to the latest ranking by data compiler Niche.

Niche released its 2022 Best Schools and Districts Ranking on Monday. The K-12 school rankings include updated data for 94,491 public schools, 2,489 private schools, and 11,846 school districts nationwide.

LTPS was ranked 5th best in Mercer County, and 94 statewide. Two Mercer County schools were in the top five — Princeton Public Schools (No. 3), and West Windsor-Plainsboro Regional School District (No. 4).

Last year, PPS was the number one school district in New Jersey, but this year, they were upstaged by Millburn Township School District, followed by Northern Valley Regional High School District which took the second spot.

Each New Jersey district received a letter grade in the following categories: Academics; Diversity; Teachers; College Prep; Clubs & Activities; Health & Safety; Administration; Sports; Food; and Resources & Facilities.

LTPS received an overall grade of A+. It received an A+ for college prep; A for diversity; an A- for academics, clubs & activities, food, and resources & facilities; B for teachers, and sports; B+ for administration and health & safety.

To arrive at the rankings, Niche looked at data from the U.S. Department of Education as well as test scores, college data, and ratings collected from Niche users. (You can read more about the methodology here.)

"Our 2022 rankings come at a time when so many parents are curious about the different options for their children's education, including some they may never have considered before," Niche founder and CEO Luke Skurman said in a statement.

"No matter where they are in their search process, we strive to be a reliable guide and resource. It is truly an honor to know our users trust us to play a key role in such a big life decision."

Here are New Jersey's Top 10 school districts:

• Millburn Township School District
• Northern Valley Regional High School District
• Princeton Public Schools
• West Windsor-Plainsboro Regional School District
• Livingston Board of Education School District
• Tenafly Public School District
• Ridgewood Public School District
• Pascack Valley Regional High School District
• Summit Public School District
• Moorestown Township Public School District

The most significant change to the methodology in 2022 was a de-emphasis of SAT and ACT scores. Any factor for test scores has been reduced by one-third.

Niche said it chose to alter the methodology for several reasons, including acknowledgment of socioeconomic and racial disparities perpetuated by standardized tests; challenges making appointments to test in-person due to the coronavirus pandemic, and an increasing number of institutions adopting test-optional policies.

To see a full list of New Jersey's 2022 Best Schools rankings, visit: https://www.niche.com/k12/search/best-school-districts/s/new-jersey/

To see the nationwide ranking, visit: https://www.niche.com/k12/rankings/

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