The results are in, as the state released its findings from the 2010–2011 New Jersey Department of Education Report Cards. Haddonfield School District students once again performed well in the statewide assessments.
The annual New Jersey Report Card study is a state-mandated program that districts have been utilizing since 1995. The department presents 35 different fields of information for each school and compares the results to district factor group and state averages.
Several categories are considered within the study, including district finances, student performance indicators, school environment, class sizes, and the students themselves, according to department representatives.
Haddonfield Memorial High School students again outperformed the state average for SAT scores, with Haddonfield students averaging a total score of 1,714. The average is 11 points lower than the 2009–2010 school average, but is still the highest score in Camden County school districts. The average state SAT total score is 1,508.
Haddonfield students averaged 577 in math, 568 in verbal, and 569 in the essay portion of the SAT.
Superintendent Dr. Rich Perry said that he was pleased with the results of the NJ ASK tests throughout the district. Haddonfield students, he said, again performed above the state averages for the standardized tests and in some cases outperformed other schools in the same District Factor Group. Haddonfield again is a “J” district in the DFG rankings, which compares students’ performance on statewide assessments across demographically similar school districts.
Perry said that the district looks closely at the needs that arise from the results of the NJ ASK test and use them to shape curriculum.
“It’s really a collaborative effort between the district, community, parents and everyone that supports us in a variety of ways. We’re very proud of the efforts of all those involved and we appreciate the help of the community, parents, and teachers,” Perry said.
Included in the report cards were the results for the 2010 No Child Left Behind reports. All five schools in the district made their adequate yearly progress status and no schools were classified as being “in need of improvement.”
Classroom sizes stayed about the same, but all are still higher than the state average. Haddonfield Middle School had the highest classroom size average, with 23 students per classroom. The state average for middle schools is 19.1.
The high school averaged the lowest classroom size, with 19.1 students per room. The average equaled the state average for high schools.
Central Elementary School averaged 19.6 students, Elizabeth Haddon Elementary School averaged 20.2, and J. Fithian Tatem Elementary averages 19.7 students. The state average for elementary schools is 19.1.
Tatem Elementary again had the highest enrollment total for elementary schools in the district with 473 students, up from 439 in 2009–2010.
Elizabeth Haddon had the second highest with 344 students, down from 361 in 2009–2010.
Central School had the lowest enrollment of any of the elementary schools, with 313 students. The enrollment decreased by two students from 2009–2010.
Even with the high academic standards and programs provided by the district, Haddonfield averages a smaller total cost per pupil than districts of similar budget types, according to the report cards.
In 2010–2011, the district averaged about $14,723 for total cost per pupil, about $3,000 than districts with similar budgets. The district 2010–2011 total cost per pupil decreased by about $200 from the 2009–2010 total.
The Haddonfield Board of Education takes great care to find alternate revenue streams, Perry said, and has been able to increase the district revenue over the past few years by putting an emphasis on bringing in more tuition students to the school district.
“Next year we’re going to have some challenges in regard to the new teacher evaluation system, which will be fully initiated the following school year. We’re looking at curriculum core content standards as well. We have some transitions in administrative positions as well, so we have a lot going next year and we want to maintain the progress we’ve made over time,” Perry said. “But we’re very excited about what’s happening at each level.”
