Newark’s Public Schools Are Making Big Gains, New Study Finds

NEWARK, NJ — Many community leaders in Newark have pointed to the city’s public school district, including its charter schools, as a success story that the entire nation should take note of. And last week, a new study from Stanford University backed up their claims.

The study – which examined data from 2015 to 2018 – found that Newark’s district, charter and magnet schools are learning at an overall pace that’s significantly ahead of the state curve, including big gains in reading and math.

Learn more about the study and its methodology here.

Researchers measured their findings in “additional days of learning,” which placed Newark among the leaders of 11 U.S. cities highlighted in the study.

According to some experts, measures of student growth such as those in the study are a fairer method of comparison for school performance because they consider the amount of learning that children experience in a given year, even if they don’t score high enough to be deemed “proficient” on state tests. The study then compares that growth to the growth demonstrated by all New Jersey students.

Newark’s mix of public schools collectively boosted student learning at a pace that was “significantly” faster than the New Jersey average in all three years studied in reading, and one year in math. All years showed positive student learning gains.

Read the Newark-specific report here.

Stanford University’s latest study comes amid several recent landmark achievements for the city’s public school district.

Last year, the New Jersey State Board of Education voted to return full local control to the district. The decision took place nearly 25 years to the day after the board stripped the authority of its local counterpart, which had struggled for years with academic achievement and management woes.

• See related article: Newark Schools Celebrate 'Historic' NJ Board Of Education Vote

Newark public school district officials also rolled out an ambitious, 10-year strategic plan last year, which represents "the best thinking" of some of the brightest minds in Newark, Superintendent Roger León said.

• See related article: Newark Schools Look To Next Decade After State Oversight Ends

Meanwhile, Stanford’s study also reported superb results for local public charter schools, which are expected to make up almost 40 percent of the city’s total student population next year. It’s a sign that they and district schools can co-exist – and even thrive, according to Harry Lee, president of the New Jersey Public Charter Schools Association.

Lee praised Newark’s public charter schools, which he said are substantially outperforming other schools despite having “zero admissions requirements” and “preferencing our most disadvantaged kids.”

“This study further validates what we already know: public charter schools in Newark are the best in the nation,” Lee said.

Kyle Rosenkrans, executive director of the New Jersey Children’s Foundation, said the overall findings are good news for Newark parents and students, no matter what school they attend.

“This study is proof positive that Newark has been on the right track for improving educational opportunity for children over the last decade,” Rosenkrans said.

“The city has a winning mix of improving district schools, growing charter schools, and selective-admission magnet high schools that, together, are helping students reach their greatest potential,” Rosenkrans added.

• See related article: Newark Public School Students 'On Right Path' For State Testing
• See related article: Newark Nonprofit Says Public, Charter Schools Can Co-Exist

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