222 Schools On Latest N.J. 'Watch List' For Bad Performance, Other Troubles

You may be surprised to see which schools have been identified by New Jersey as so challenged that they need special attention for an immediate turnaround.

The state Department of Education last month released its latest 2016 "watch list" of schools that are low-performing or have the widest achievement gaps (see list below).

School districts sometimes refer to the list as a "watch list" because the state assists them in developing tools such as:

• School Leadership: Ensuring that the principal has the ability to lead the turnaround effort;
• School Climate and Culture: Establishing school environments with a climate conducive to learning and a culture of high expectations;
• Effective Instruction: Ensuring teachers utilize research-based effective instruction to meet the needs of all students;
• Curriculum, Assessment, and Intervention System: Ensuring teachers have the foundational documents and instructional materials needed to teach to the rigorous college and career-ready standards that have been adopted.

They are assisted by Regional Achievement Centers, which work with school districts in improving in these areas.

In short, a "Priority School" is considered among the lowest performing 5 percent of schools in the state, and there are 75 priority schools, according to Mike Yaple, a spokesman for the state DOE.

A "Focus School" has room for improvement in specific areas, such as low graduation rates, large proficiency gaps among a subgroup of students within a school, or the widest gaps in achievement between different subgroups of students, Yaple said.

Below is the list, separated by county, that identifies all 222 priority and focus schools on the list, and why:

Atlantic

• Atlantic City, Atlantic City High School, Focus, Lowest Grad Rate
• Atlantic City, Dr M L King Jr School, Focus, Lowest Subgroup Performance
• Atlantic City, Sovereign Ave School, Focus, Highest Within-School Gaps
• Atlantic City, Texas Avenue, Focus, Highest Within-School Gaps
• Egg Harbor Twp, Egg Harbor Twp H S, Focus, Highest Within-School Gaps
• Egg Harbor Twp, Fernwood Middle Sch, Focus, Highest Within-School Gaps
• Galloway Twp, Smithville Elem School, Focus, Highest Within-School Gaps
• Pleasantville, City Pleasantville H S, Focus, Lowest Grad Rate
• Pleasantville City, Pleasantville Middle School, Focus, Lowest Subgroup Performance

Bergen

• Cliffside Park Boro, Number 6, Focus, Highest Within-School Gaps
• Elmwood Park, Elmwood Park Middle School, Focus, Highest Within-School Gaps
• Englewood City, Dwight Morrow High, Focus, Highest Within-School Gaps
• Hackensack City, Hackensack High, Focus, Highest Within-School Gaps
• Hillsdale Boro, George G White, Focus, Highest Within-School Gaps
• Leonia Boro, Leonia Middle, Focus, Highest Within-School Gaps
• New Milford Boro, David E. Owens M.S., Focus, Highest Within-School Gaps
• Rochelle Park Twp, Midland No 1, Focus, Highest Within-School Gaps
• Saddle Brook Twp, Saddle Brook Mid/High School, Focus, Highest Within-School Gaps

Burlington

• Beverly City, Beverly School, Focus, Lowest Subgroup Performance
• Willingboro Twp, Willingboro High, Focus, Lowest Grad Rate

Camden

• Camden City, Bonsall, Priority, Lowest-Performing
• Camden City, Camden, High Priority, SIG School - Cohort 2
• Camden City, Catto Community School, Priority, Lowest-Performing
• Camden City, Coopers Poynt, Priority, Lowest-Performing
• Camden City, Cramer, Priority, SIG School - Cohort 1
• Camden City, Davis Elem, Priority, Lowest-Performing
• Camden City, Dudley Elem School, Priority, Lowest-Performing
• Camden City, Forest Hill, Priority Lowest-Performing
• Camden City, Hatch Middle, Priority, Lowest-Performing
• Camden City, Morgan Village Middle, Priority, Lowest-Performing
• Camden City, Riletta Cream Elem School, Priority, Lowest-Performing
• Camden City, Sumner, Priority, Lowest-Performing
• Camden City, U S Wiggins, Priority, SIG School - Cohort 1
• Camden City, Veterans Memorial Middle, Priority, Lowest-Performing
• Camden City, Whittier, Priority, Lowest-Performing
• Camden City, Wilson, Priority, Lowest-Performing
• Camden City, Woodrow Wilson High, Priority, Lowest-Performing
• Camden City, Yorkship, Priority, Lowest-Performing
• Winslow Twp, Winslow Twp Middle School, Focus, Lowest Subgroup Performance

Cape May

• Wildwood City, Glenwood Ave Elementary, Focus, Lowest Subgroup Performance
• Wildwood City, Wildwood Middle School, Focus, Lowest Subgroup Performance

Cumberland

• Bridgeton City, Bridgeton High, Focus, Lowest Grad Rate
• Bridgeton City, Broad Street Elem School, Focus, Lowest Subgroup Performance
• Bridgeton City, Cherry Street, Focus, Lowest Subgroup Performance
• Bridgeton City, Indian Ave, Focus, Lowest Subgroup Performance
• Deerfield Twp, Deerfield, Focus, Lowest Subgroup Performance
• Fairfield Twp, Fairfield Township School, Focus, Lowest Subgroup Performance
• Millville City, Bacon Elementary, Focus, Lowest Subgroup Performance
• Millville City, Holly Heights, Focus, Lowest Subgroup Performance
• Millville City, Lakeside Middle School, Focus, Lowest Subgroup Performance
• Millville City, R D Wood, Priority, Lowest-Performing
• Millville City, Silver Run School, Focus, Lowest Subgroup Performance
• Upper Deerfield Twp, Woodruff School, Focus, Lowest Subgroup Performance
• Vineland City, Landis Middle School, Focus, Highest Within-School Gaps

Essex

• Belleville, Belleville Middle, Focus, Highest Within-School Gaps
• East Orange, Cicely Tyson Com Ms/Hs, Priority, SIG School - Cohort 2
• East Orange, East Orange Campus, Hs Focus, Lowest Grad Rate
• East Orange, John L. Costley Middle, Focus, Lowest Subgroup Performance
• East Orange, Patrick F. Healy Middle, Priority, Lowest-Performing
• Essex Co Voc-Tech, Essex Cty Voc-West Caldwell, Priority, SIG School - Cohort 1
• Irvington Township, Irvington High School, Focus, Lowest Grad Rate
• Irvington Township, Union Ave, Focus, Lowest Subgroup Performance
• Irvington Township, University Middle School, Priority, SIG School - Cohort 3
• Montclair, Charles H Bullock School, Focus, Highest Within-School Gaps
• Montclair, Glenfield Middle, Focus, Highest Within-School Gaps
• Newark City, Avon Ave, Priority, SIG School - Cohort 2
• Newark City, Barringer, Priority, SIG School - Cohort 2
• Newark City, Belmont Runyon, Priority, Lowest-Performing
• Newark City, Camden St, Priority, Lowest-Performing
• Newark City, Central, Priority, SIG School - Cohort 1
• Newark City, Chancellor Ave, Focus, Lowest Subgroup Performance
• Newark City, Dayton Elementary at Peshine Avenue, Priority, SIG School - Cohort 1
• Newark City, Dr E Alma Flagg, Focus, Lowest Subgroup Performance
• Newark City, Dr William H Horton, Focus, Lowest Subgroup Performance
• Newark City, East Side, Focus, Lowest Grad Rate
• Newark City, Elliott St, Focus, Lowest Subgroup Performance
• Newark City, Fast Track Success Academy, Focus, Lowest Grad Rate
• Newark City, George Washington Carver, Priority, Lowest-Performing
• Newark City, Hawkins St, Focus, Lowest Subgroup Performance
• Newark City, Hawthorne Ave, Priority, Lowest-Performing
• Newark City, Ivy Hill, Focus Lowest Subgroup Performance
• Newark City, Louise A. Spencer, Priority, Lowest-Performing
• Newark City, Malcolm X Shabazz High, Priority, SIG School - Cohort 1
• Newark City, Mckinley, Focus, Lowest Subgroup Performance
• Newark City, Miller St Focus, Lowest Subgroup Performance
• Newark City, Mt Vernon, Focus, Lowest Subgroup Performance
• Newark City, Newark Innovation Academy, Focus, Lowest Grad Rate
• Newark City, Newark Vocational H S, Priority, SIG School - Cohort 1
• Newark City, Quitman Community School, Priority, Lowest-Performing
• Newark City, Rafael Hernandez School, Focus, Lowest Subgroup Performance
• Newark City, South Seventeenth St, Focus, Lowest Subgroup Performance
• Newark City, Sussex Ave, Focus, Lowest Subgroup Performance
• Newark City, Thirteenth Ave, Priority, Lowest-Performing
• Orange Twp, Orange Prep Academy, Focus, Lowest Subgroup Performance
• Orange Twp, Rosa Parks Elem School, Focus, Lowest Subgroup Performance
• South Orange-Maplewood, Clinton, Focus, Highest Within-School Gaps
• South Orange-Maplewood, Maplewood Middle, Focus, Highest Within-School Gaps
• South Orange-Maplewood, South Orange Middle, Focus, Highest Within-School Gaps
• West Orange, Edison Middle, Focus, Highest Within-School Gaps

Gloucester

• Glassboro, Glassboro Intermediate, Focus, Lowest Subgroup Performance
• Gloucester, Kingsway Regional Kingsway Reg Middle, Focus, Highest Within-School Gaps
• Gloucester ,Washington Twp, Bunker Hill Middle School, Focus, Highest Within-School Gaps
• Gloucester Washington Twp, Chestnut Ridge Middle, Focus, Highest Within-School Gaps

Hudson

• Guttenberg, Anna L Klein, Focus, Lowest Subgroup Performance
• Jersey City, Alexander D Sullivan/#30, Focus, Lowest Subgroup Performance
• Jersey City, Ezra L Nolan/#40, Priority, SIG School - Cohort 3
• Jersey City, Frankin L Williams Ms#7, Focus, Highest Within-School Gaps
• Jersey City, Fred Martin Center For The Arts, Priority, SIG School - Cohort 1
• Jersey City, Henry Snyder, Priority, SIG School - Cohort 1
• Jersey City, James F Murray/#38, Focus, Highest Within-School Gaps
• Jersey City, James J Ferris, Focus, Highest Within-School Gaps
• Jersey City, Jotham W Wakeman/# 6, Focus, Highest Within-School Gaps
• Jersey City, Julia A. Barnes/#12, Focus, Lowest Subgroup Performance
• Jersey City, Lincoln, Priority, SIG School - Cohort 2
• Jersey City, Number 24, Focus, Lowest Subgroup Performance
• Jersey City, Number 4 Middle School, Focus, Highest Within-School Gaps
• Jersey City, Whitney M Young, Focus, Lowest Subgroup Performance
• Jersey City, William L Dickinson, Focus, Lowest Grad Rate
• West New York, West New York Ms, Focus, Lowest Subgroup Performance

Mercer

• Trenton City, Columbus, Priority, Lowest-Performing
• Trenton City, Daylight/Twilight H S, Priority, Lowest-Performing
• Trenton City, Franklin, Focus, Lowest Subgroup Performance
• Trenton City, Grace A Dunn Middle School, Priority, Lowest-Performing
• Trenton City, Grant, Priority, Lowest-Performing
• Trenton City, Gregory, Priority, Lowest-Performing
• Trenton City, Hedgepeth-Williams School, Priority, Lowest-Performing
• Trenton City, Jefferson, Priority, Lowest-Performing
• Trenton City, Joyce Kilmer, Priority, Lowest-Performing
• Trenton City, Luis Munoz-Rivera MS, Priority, Lowest-Performing
• Trenton City, Mott, Focus, Lowest Subgroup Performance
• Trenton City, P.J. Hill, Priority, Lowest-Performing
• Trenton City, Robeson, Focus, Lowest Subgroup Performance
• Trenton City, Trenton Central High, Focus, Lowest Grad Rate
• Trenton City Washington Elementary, Focus, Lowest Subgroup Performance

Middlesex

• East Brunswick Twp, Churchill Jr. High, Focus, Highest Within-School Gaps
• East Brunswick Twp, Hammarskjold Middle, Focus, Highest Within-School Gaps
• Edison Twp, John Adams Middle, Focus, Highest Within-School Gaps
• Highland Park Boro, Highland Park Middle School, Focus, Highest Within-School Gaps
• Metuchen Boro, Edgar Middle, Focus, Highest Within-School Gaps
• New Brunswick City, A Chester Redshaw, Focus, Lowest Subgroup Performance
• New Brunswick City, Livingston, Focus, Lowest Subgroup Performance
• New Brunswick City, Lord Stirling, Focus, Lowest Subgroup Performance
• New Brunswick City, Mckinley Comm, Focus, Lowest Subgroup Performance
• New Brunswick City, New Brunswick High, Focus, Lowest Grad Rate
• New Brunswick City, New Brunswick Middle, Priority, Lowest-Performing
• New Brunswick City, Roosevelt Elementary, Focus, Lowest Subgroup Performance
• North Brunswick Twp, John Adams, Focus, Highest Within-School Gaps
• North Brunswick Twp, Linwood Middle, Focus, Highest Within-School Gaps
• Old Bridge Twp, Jonas Salk Middle, Focus, Highest Within-School Gaps
• Perth Amboy City, Mc Ginnis Middle School, Focus, Lowest Subgroup Performance
• Perth Amboy City, Samuel E Shull Middle, Focus, Lowest Subgroup Performance
• South Brunswick Twp, Crossroads North, Focus, Highest Within-School Gaps
• South Brunswick Twp, Crossroads South, Focus, Highest Within-School Gaps
• South River Boro, South River Elem School, Focus, Highest Within-School Gaps

Monmouth

• Asbury Park City, Asbury Park High, Focus, Lowest Grad Rate
• Asbury Park City, Asbury Park Middle, Priority, Lowest-Performing
• Freehold Boro, Intermediate, Focus, Highest Within-School Gaps
• Howell Twp, Howell Middle School North, Focus, Highest Within-School Gaps
• Keansburg Boro, Joseph R. Bolger Mid School, Focus, Lowest Subgroup Performance
• Red Bank Boro, Red Bank Middle, Focus, Highest Within-School Gaps

Morris

• Morris School District, Sussex Avenue, Focus, Highest Within-School Gaps
• Rockaway Boro, Thomas Jefferson Middle, Focus, Highest Within-School Gaps

Ocean

• Lakewood Twp, Clifton Ave Grade School, Focus, Lowest Subgroup Performance
• Lakewood Twp, Ella G Clarke Elem School, Focus, Lowest Subgroup Performance
• Lakewood Twp, Lakewood High School, Priority, SIG School - Cohort 2
• Lakewood Twp, Lakewood Middle, Focus, Lowest Subgroup Performance

Passaic

• Clifton City, Christopher Columbus Mid, Focus, Highest Within-School Gaps
• Clifton City, Number 12, Focus, Lowest Subgroup Performance Passaic
• Passaic City, Etta Gero No 9, Focus, Lowest Subgroup Performance
• Passaic City, Number 1 Thomas Jefferson, Focus, Lowest Subgroup Performance
• Passaic City, Number 11 Cruise Memorial, Focus, Lowest Subgroup Performance
• Passaic City, Number 3 Mario J Drago, Focus, Lowest Subgroup Performance
• Passaic City, Number 4 Lincoln, Focus, Lowest Subgroup Performance Passaic
• Passaic City, Number 5, Focus, Lowest Subgroup Performance
• Passaic City, Number 6 Martin L King, Focus, Lowest Subgroup Performance
• Passaic City, Passaic High, Focus, Lowest Grad Rate
• Paterson City, Academy High School/STARS, Focus, Lowest Grad Rate Passaic
• Paterson City, High School Of Government And Public Administration, Focus, Lowest Grad Rate
• Paterson City, High School Of Hospitality Tourism And Culinary Arts, Focus, Lowest Grad Rate
• Paterson City, High School Of Information Technology, Focus, Lowest Grad Rate
• Paterson City, Martin Luther King, Focus, Lowest Subgroup Performance
• Paterson City New Roberto Clemente, Priority, SIG School - Cohort 3
• Paterson City, Number 10, Priority, SIG School - Cohort 2
• Paterson City, Number 11, Focus, Lowest Subgroup Performance
• Paterson City, Number 12, Focus, Lowest Subgroup Performance
• Paterson City, Number 13, Priority, Lowest-Performing
• Paterson City, Number 15, Focus, Lowest Subgroup Performance
• Paterson City, Number 18, Focus Lowest Subgroup Performance
• Paterson City, Number 2, Focus, Lowest Subgroup Performance
• Paterson City, Number 20, Focus, Lowest Subgroup Performance
• Paterson City, Number 21, Focus, Lowest Subgroup Performance
• Paterson City, Number 24, Focus, Lowest Subgroup Performance
• Paterson City, Number 25, Focus, Lowest Subgroup Performance
• Paterson City, Number 26, Focus, Lowest Subgroup Performance
• Paterson City, Number 28, Priority, Lowest-Performing
• Paterson City, Number 3, Focus, Lowest Subgroup Performance
• Paterson City, Number 5, Focus, Lowest Subgroup Performance
• Paterson City, Number 6/Academy Performing Arts, Priority, SIG School - Cohort 3
• Paterson City, Number 8 ,Focus, Lowest Subgroup Performance
• Paterson City, School 4/Napier School Of Tech, Priority, SIG School - Cohort 2
• Paterson City, YES Academy, Focus, Lowest Grad Rate

Salem

• Penns Grv-Carney's Pt Reg, Penns Grove High, Focus, Lowest Grad Rate Salem
• Salem City, Salem High, Focus, Lowest Grad Rate
• Salem City, Salem Middle, Focus, Lowest Subgroup Performance
• Woodstown-Pilesgrove Reg, Woodstown Middle School, Focus, Highest Within-School Gaps

Somerset

• Franklin Twp, Franklin Middle School, Focus, Highest Within-School Gaps
• Somerset Franklin Twp, Sampson G. Smith School, Focus, Highest Within-School Gaps

Union

• Elizabeth City, Adm. W. F. Halsey Ldrshp, Focus, Lowest Grad Rate
• Elizabeth City, George Washington Academy School, Focus, Lowest Subgroup Performance
• Elizabeth City, John E. Dwyer Tech Academy, Focus, Lowest Grad Rate
• Elizabeth City, No 14 A Lincoln, Focus, Lowest Subgroup Performance
• Elizabeth City, No 28 Duarte-Marti, Focus, Lowest Subgroup Performance
• Elizabeth City, T. Jefferson Arts Academy, Focus, Lowest Grad Rate
• Elizabeth City, T.A. Edison Career/Tech, Focus, Lowest Grad Rate
• Plainfield City, BOACCD, Focus, Lowest Grad Rate
• Plainfield City, Charles H. Stillman, Priority, Lowest-Performing
• Plainfield City, Hubbard Priority, Lowest-Performing
• Plainfield City, Jefferson, Focus, Lowest Subgroup Performance
• Plainfield City, Maxson, Focus, Lowest Subgroup Performance
• Roselle Boro, Abraham Clark High, Priority, SIG School - Cohort 1
• Roselle Boro, Leonard V. Moore, Focus, Lowest Subgroup Performance

Warren

• Phillipsburg, Phillipsburg Middle, Focus, Lowest Subgroup Performance