High Test Scores For Black, Latino Students In Newark Charter Schools

NEWARK, NJ — Black and Latino public charter school students in Newark are outpacing their peers across New Jersey when it comes to language skills, recent state test scores show.

The New Jersey Department of Education recently released the results of the New Jersey Student Learning Assessment (NJSLA) tests administered in Spring 2023. The exams were given to all K-12 public schools in the Garden State.

State test results show that New Jersey public school students are still rebounding from the COVID-19 pandemic, which halted in-person learning and made a noticeable difference on student progress. Almost half of students statewide still tested below grade level in English language arts (ELA). Read More: 2023 NJ School Test Results Released: See How Your District Did

In Newark, however, Black and Latino public charter school students bucked the trend, according to an analysis from nonprofit advocacy group New Jersey Public Charter Schools Association (NJPCSA).

These students beat the New Jersey state average in English language arts, with 52 percent scoring proficiency (levels 4 or 5) on the NJSLA, compared to the state average of 51 percent in grades 3 through 8.

According to the NJPCSA, the test results were especially poignant at Robert Treat Academy Charter School in Newark, a former Blue Ribbon School which serves nearly all students of color.

In 2023, proficiency rates at Robert Treat outpaced the state average by 17 points in ELA and 10 points in mathematics.

“The education my daughter is receiving at Robert Treat Academy Charter School will open doors for her long after she has left the classroom,” said Harolyn Orozco, a parent of an 8th grade student at the school.

“I am overjoyed with the progress she is making and the immense challenges she is overcoming following the COVID pandemic,” Orozco added.

According to the NJPCSA, public charter schools continue to make significant student achievement gains for students of color in under-resourced communities throughout New Jersey.

Advocates said that 45 percent of public charter school students are Black, 40 percent are Latino and 90 percent of all public charter school students attend schools in Schools Development Authority or former Abbott districts.

“Yet again, public charter schools continue to make gains despite severe headwinds caused by the pandemic,” said TJ Best, a senior advisor with the NJPCSA.

“While there is still work to do, our remarkable public charter school educators deserve recognition for the undeniable progress our students have made,” Best said.

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