Study Highlights High-Performing NJ Schools

What do the Ann Street Elementary School in Newark, Lillian M. Dunfee Elementary in Barnegat, and the Watchung Elementary in Montclair have in common?

They each are listed in a new report showcasing elementary schools in the state with the best practices, and which go beyond state curriculum standards by focusing on learning objectives rather than mastering state tests.

Categories Reviewed The 2005 Just for the Kids Best Practice Study report focuses on New Jersey schools and provides a comprehensive look at everything from school instructional programs and staff selection to academic goals and curriculum.

“(School board members) should want to know why their school may or may not be doing better than other schools,” said Michael Schneider, a spokesman for the Business Coalition for Education Excellence at the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce, which commissioned the report. The 26-page report is available online at www.just4kids.org/nj (click on New Executive Summary of the 2005 N.J. Best Practice Study under the Spotlight link).

The project uses state educational data to compare the districts. It also takes into account the number of students who have limited knowledge of English and who are part of a district’s free and reduced-price lunch program, as well as class sizes, Schneider said. New Jersey is one of 20 states in the nation that participated in the program, specifically designed to highlight exemplary practices found in higher performing schools.