NEW JERSEY – The New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE) Wednesday published School Performance Reports for the 2023-2024 school year, providing extensive state-level education information as well as data by school district and individual school.
The 2023-2024 School Performance Reports include assessment and accountability results, as well as information such as data regarding student demographics; participation and performance on the PSAT, SAT, and ACT tests; course participation including in Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB), and dual enrollment courses; chronic absenteeism; discipline data; staff information; graduation rates; and district narratives.
“Through the annual School Performance Reports, the Department provides extensive, meaningful data that conveys information about each public school and school district in the state,” said Kevin Dehmer, Commissioner of Education. “These reports are a valuable tool for family and community engagement. They serve as a starting point, and a resource, for dialogue between the community and local school leaders about the school district’s accomplishments, priorities, and areas of need.”
The 2023-2024 reports include the following changes that respond to updated state requirements and stakeholder feedback:
- Expanded chronic absenteeism data from one year’s statistics to three-year trends, including an expanded summary of the percentage of days that students were absent and whether schools are required to create a corrective action plan to address chronic absenteeism;
- Information on whether current and former multilingual learners have earned the Seal of Biliteracy; Expanded visual and performing arts participation showing participation for all grades kindergarten through 12, where previously the data was limited to grades 6-12;
- Inclusion of information on student disciplinary removals (suspensions, expulsions, and removals to other education programs), students involved in police notifications, and students arrested, by student group and grade level; and
- The addition of new high school persistence data, which measures the percentage of students who have graduated or are still in school working towards a diploma after six years in high school, and federal six-year graduation rates, aligned with proposed amendments to NJDOE’s Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) State Plan.
The School Performance Reports highlight positive trends at the state and local levels, representing the work of students and the support of families and educators. This support ensures that students come to school ready to learn and have increasing access to opportunities that provide onramps to post-secondary career pathways. A close review of local information about student opportunities and outcomes will continue to inspire meaningful discussions about how each community supports its students’ needs and makes the best use of its resources.
Below are some highlights of positive trends in priority areas:
- The 91.3% four-year graduation rate is the highest rate since New Jersey implemented the adjusted cohort graduation rate calculation in 2011. The graduation rate also increased for specific student groups such as economically disadvantaged students, which increased from 85.4% in 2022 to 87.1% in 2024, and multilingual learners, which increased from 71.9% in 2022 to 78.9% in 2024.
- Advanced Placement (AP) results released by the College Board in February rank New Jersey second in the nation for the percentage of schools offering at least one AP course, at 95.2%.
- The number of students earning industry-valued credentials has increased in each of the last four years. Industry-valued credentials are certifications or licenses that are recognized by specific industries, which increase a student’s earning potential and demand for them when they enter the job market. In 2023-2024, more than 9,600 students earned an industry-valued credential, more than triple those earned in 2019-2020. In partnership with the New Jersey Department of Labor and the Credential Review Board, the NJDOE has expanded the number of credential options available; the NJDOE now recognizes 129 industry-valued credentials across 13 career clusters.
The data also highlights areas of continued focus for the Department, such as the 2023-2024 K-12 chronic absenteeism rate of 14.9%, which is a decrease from 16.6% in 2022-2023, but remains above the pre-pandemic rate of 10.6% in 2018-2019.
Chronic absenteeism is defined as missing 10 percent or more of school days for any reason, including illness or scheduled medical appointments. While New Jersey has some of the lowest rates of chronic absenteeism nationwide, the NJDOE continues to prioritize its partnerships with districts to help schools, families, and educators prevent and address chronic absenteeism, especially among students who are most vulnerable to difficulties in maintaining school attendance. Communities can use the information in the School Performance Reports in conjunction with resources such as the NJDOE’s Conditions for Learning: Promoting Regular Student Attendance and Addressing Chronic Absenteeism webpage to inform strategies to decrease absenteeism and promote regular attendance.
The School Performance Reports and other supporting documents can be accessed on the NJDOE’s School Performance Reports website.
