Recently, the state released the 2011–2012 school reports using the new rating system. Eastern Regional High School is ranked high in college and career readiness, high in academic performance and average in graduation and post-secondary performance when compared to the state.
However, the report shows the school significantly lags in comparison to peer schools in both academic performance and graduation and post-secondary readiness. It is ranked average in college and career readiness.
According to Dr. Patricia Denholm,Director of Curriculum, Instruction and Professional Development, the state’s rankings were changed to focus on three categories. The new reports evaluate schools in academic achievement, which rates on standardized testing; college and career readiness, which looks at the percent of students that participate in the PSAT and SAT, percent of students that score above a 1550, percent of students taking AP tests, and the percent of students who score a three or greater; and graduation and post-secondary which is calculated at the graduation rate and the school dropout rate.
Denholm said schools are ranked with the state and peer schools.
Peer schools have a similar demographic that is calculated by percentage of free and reduced lunch, limited English proficient students and for students with disabilities.
Eastern is peer ranked with 31 demographically similar schools, most of which are in North Jersey.
But the peer group lists are raising questions of its accuracy.
“There are still a lot of questions in regard to how they came up with that listing and we haven’t really gotten any answers yet,” Denholm said.
A few schools to name on Eastern’s peer group list are Hoboken Charter School, Princeton High School and Colt Neck High School. Schools compared to Eastern in the surrounding area are Seneca High School, Cherokee High School and Cinnaminson High School.
The comparison to these townships brought a few concerns to board members.
Board member Hillary Garr said comparing Eastern to Hoboken Charter School, which pays for students to take the SAT test, is not comparing schools “apples to apples.”
“I am flabbergasted because demographically we don’t even compare to those districts,” Garr said, adding all high school demographics should be taken into consideration when comparing the schools.
She said she could see Eastern as more demographically comparable to Cherry Hill.
The amount of students taking the ACT is not calculated.
“We have a growing number of students that take the ACT test,” Superintendent Dr. Harold Melleby said, adding more colleges are beginning to accept ACT scores for admittance.
According to Melleby, there are between 20 to 25 percent of graduating seniors who attend a community college.
He said community colleges accept both the SAT and ACT.
Denholm said that’s part of the peer group question many districts are asking.
“We are being compared to some pretty high schools,” she said.
But the Eastern board members are going to look at the areas in which the school can improve on when compared to peer schools.
When compared to peer schools, Eastern falls in the 37th percentile in academic achievement, the 60th percentile in college and career readiness and the 13th percentile in graduation and post-secondary.
When compared to the state, Eastern ranks in the 62nd percentile for academic achievement, the 76th percentile in college and career readiness and the 45th percentile in graduation and post-secondary.
According to the state’s performance report, a high performance is ranked between the 60th and 80th percentile, average is ranked between the 40th and 60th, lagging performance is ranked between the 20th and 39th and significantly lagging falls below the 20th percentile.
Eastern looks better compared to the state rankings, Denholm said.
However, she said this gives the school district the opportunity to improve in certain areas.
Melleby said the board would further review the report; adjustments would be made where needed.
To view a full copy of the state’s report download the PDF here.
