Dear Parents\/Guardians and Community Members:<\/p>\n
The New Jersey Department of Education has released the School Performance Reports for the 2013-2014 school year.\u00a0 This is the third year for the School Performance Reports, which have replaced the N.J. School Report Cards.<\/p>\n
Each school in New Jersey receives a School Performance Report that includes three main components: Academic Achievement, College and Career Readiness, and Graduation and Post-Secondary.\u00a0 The Academic Achievement section focuses on school performance on statewide assessments such as the High School Proficiency Assessment (HSPA) for language arts and math, and end of course biology test.\u00a0 The College and Career Readiness section includes data on SAT, ACT and PSAT tests and participation in Advanced Placement courses.\u00a0 Lastly, the Graduation and Post-Secondary section provides information on the number of students who graduated high school within four years, the dropout rate, and the percentage of students who enroll in postsecondary education.<\/p>\n
The School Performance Reports compare schools against state percentiles as well as a \u201cpeer group.\u201d\u00a0 Peer groups are determined by the state and will include schools which educate the same grade levels and similar percentage of students qualifying for free\/reduced lunch, limited English proficiency, or Special Education programs. Previously in the N.J. School Report Card, a school was compared to other schools in its District Factor Group.\u00a0 District Factor Groups categorized school districts based on their community\u2019s socioeconomic status, examining variables such as educational background, poverty level, and median family income, according to the NJ Department of Education.\u00a0 In the 2013-2014 School Performance Reports, the list of schools in the peer groups for North Hunterdon and Voorhees High Schools are slightly different than the list in the 2012-2013 reports, therefore the peer percentile for our high schools cannot be compared year to year as it can for statewide percentile.<\/p>\n
New to the School Performance Reports for 2013-2014 is the percentage of students participating in an approved career and technical education program.<\/p>\n
The School Performance Reports for North Hunterdon and Voorhees High Schools can be found through the following link:\u00a0 <\/span>http:\/\/education.state.nj.us\/pr\/<\/a><\/p>\n Both of our high schools\u2019 academic performance is termed \u201cvery high\u201d when compared to schools across the state.\u00a0 The School Performance Reports are but a snapshot of certain aspects of our high schools.\u00a0 The report does not take into account the after-school activities, athletics and course work our students are involved with every day.\u00a0 Overall, I believe our students are performing well and we are preparing them well for postsecondary education.<\/p>\n Sincerely,<\/p>\n Charles M. Shaddow, Ph.D.<\/p>\n Superintendent of Schools<\/p>\n <\/p>\n