NJDOE releases official statewide results that show that NPS schools are improving more quickly than state averages and compare more favorably than ever before with other districts

[Newark, NJ – October 8, 2017] – On Friday September 29th, the New Jersey Department of Education released statewide PARCC results that showed gains in both English Language Arts (ELA) and Math for Newark Students. Newark Public School (NPS) leaders have now analyzed this data, which shows that Newark’s results have not only improved, but compare more favorably than ever before with other districts across the state.

“We are very encouraged by results that show our students continue to make steady gains, especially when comparing their results to students in other cities,” NPS Superintendent Christopher D. Cerf shared. “This data shows us that while there remains progress to be made, thousands more Newark students are reading and doing math on grade level today than just a few years ago, and that these students have a better chance at attending college and pursuing a meaningful career when they leave our schools.”

District data showed several promising trends [See attached document for charts]:

• NPS PARCC Scores Continue to Improve: The percentage of NPS students meeting or exceeding expectations across all grades increased more quickly than the state average in both ELA and Math. NPS is up 2.7 points in ELA 3-11 [up nearly 8.7 points over 2 years]. NPS is up 2.8 points in Math 3-11 [up 5.3 points over 2 years].
• Citywide PARCC Scores Continue to Improve: Focusing specifically on grades 3-8, scores increase further when looking at citywide results that include all public school models in Newark. Both NPS schools and Newark as a city have improved more quickly than the rest of NJ. Citywide in grades 3-8 Newark is up 11 points in ELA and 7 points in Math, while the state is up approximately 6 and 5 points respectively.
• Citywide Proficiency Rates Show More Progress Over Time: Newark’s improvement becomes even more apparent when comparing proficiency rates across all school models in Newark with those similar cities from across New Jersey. This ranking methodology also allows us to go back to the NJASK in 2011. Compared to the 37 most demographically similar districts in the state, Newark has risen from the 42nd percentile in 2011, to the 83rd percentile in Math, and from the 44th to the 81st percentile in English.
• NPS Outpaces Large PARCC Districts in Other States: When looking at other large districts in PARCC states, NPS also compares favorably. At DC Public Schools (another district that has taken on significant reforms in recent years) while overall results are slightly higher than NPS, students at NPS who qualify for free or reduced lunch (FRL) drastically outperform those at DCPS.
• The City of Newark Compares Favorably with Other PARCC States: We can compare Newark students across school models with other PARCC states. This comparison shows that Newark compares favorably with PARCC states where data is available, outperforming DC citywide, New Mexico, and Illinois (in ELA). Newark is competitive with other states despite large differences in the average socio-economic backgrounds of students being served.
• The City of Newark is Narrowing the Gap with NJ: In just the two years since the start of the PARCC exam, Newark Students have begun to narrow the gap with the rest of NJ – closing the gap by 5 points in reading and 3.5 points in Math.
• African American Students are at Better Schools: The percentage of African American students in Newark who attend schools that beat the state average has tripled since 2009, and now a higher percentage of African American students in Newark attend these schools than the state average.

“The key to the continued growth here in Newark can be found in the focused collaboration and hard work of the educators in our schools and classrooms,” noted Deputy Superintendent Robert Gregory. “Educators across this city are innovating and improving in ways that has built momentum in recent years, and our goal moving forward is to keep that momentum and build on it for the benefit of Newark students.”

The data shared by the state also reveals some key insights about what is driving these results. The district identified a set of key investments that were shared as a part of the broader strategic plan the district released before the 16-17 school year, and are now driving improved results across the vast majority of schools, particularly in the lowest grades. Analysis by NPS of these results shows that:

• There is improvement across nearly all grade levels. 8 out of 9 grades improved in both ELA and Math from 15-16 to 16-17. Two-year gains are nearly universally positive, with double-digit gains in several grade levels.
• Improvements are even stronger for students who have attended NPS for the last 3 years. Students who have been continuously enrolled in NPS schools have made even greater growth than the district average.
• The vast majority of schools are improving. 41 out of 56 schools improved in ELA. 43 out of 56 schools improved in Math.
• Participation is up. 94% of eligible students participated in the PARCC exam in 16-17. With more complete data we are able to draw more meaningful conclusions about student learning.

District shares results that show improved test scores in vast majority of schools; shares strategies educators are using to build on progress

[Newark, NJ – September 28, 2016] At a public board meeting on Tuesday, Superintendent Christopher D. Cerf and Newark Public Schools (NPS) staff members shared that for the second year in a row, PARCC results showed gains in both Math and English Language Arts (ELA) across the district. In addition, academic leaders shared specific classroom strategies educators are employing to build on progress.

“We are, once again, very encouraged by results that show our students continue to make steady progress,” Superintendent Cerf shared. “With that in mind, many of our schools still have a long way to go. That is why we gathered recommendations from the public last year to determine ways the district can make further progress and are sharing how we are implementing those recommendations. We think it is important we are all on the same page about how we are using this information to continue to improve student learning.”

District data showed several promising trends:

• The percentage of students meeting or exceeding expectations across the district was up 6.0 percentage points in ELA and 2.5 percentage points in Math.
• The vast majority of schools are making progress. PARCC data reveals that 48 of 57 schools are showing improvement in ELA, and 40 of 57 schools are showing improvement in Math.
• 3 NPS high schools and 5 NPS elementary schools beat the state average in either ELA or Math, or both.

“This data in many respects reinforces what we already know,” noted Chief Academic Officer Brad Haggerty. “We have so many great schools in Newark: some that are literally among the best in the state, and others that beat the odds when you compare them to schools with similar demographics. It also shows though, that overall, not enough students are meeting expectations. Our team has done significant work over the last year to make key investments that will help us build on this progress to move all schools to where we want them to be.”

The district shared key investments they are making to help educators and students build on and accelerate progress: Key investments that put students at the center of their learning, a more consistent and aligned approach to instruction across schools, rigorous and inclusive curricula across all subjects, increased targeted educator coaching and support, and use of technology to highlight best practices and tailor student lessons.

“In the last year, we worked with the community to identify what was most important to them, and we combined that input with our student data analysis to lay out a comprehensive plan for improvement,” shared Caleb Perkins, who is the Deputy Chief Academic Officer at NPS. “We then spent countless hours with our educators this summer, working on specific classroom strategies that our analysis shows helps students the most. We believe these efforts will provide our educators with the tools to not only help students improve on PARCC, but to prepare them for college and careers more consistently than ever before in Newark.”

The investments that were shared are a part of the broader strategic plan the district released last month, laying out plans across all school and district functions for the next three years. In order to highlight what these plans look like in practice, the district shared a video from a math educator’s classroom – where the teacher currently employs a few of the strategies district staff are working to spread more consistently across all schools.

“One of the most powerful parts of my job is when I get to see educators starting to implement strategies with their students that other teachers have proven already work,” noted Assistant Superintendent Erskine Glover. “If we can continue to help our educators improve – one classroom at a time – we believe that all of our schools can build on and accelerate progress, and ultimately set up more of Newark’s students for success in life.”

For the full presentation shared at the public school board meeting on Tuesday, click here. For data from 2014-15 school year that shows progress made by Newark Students on measures like student growth percentile, click here. Newark Public Schools will share additional data elements and analysis as the New Jersey Department of Education makes them available.