These 10 high schools got the highest scores in NJ

We hate it, but kids are judged by grades and grades are borne of tests. Then there’s state testing, which seems universally hated by students, parents and teachers alike.

Yes, even teachers, whose administrators set them on a course of "teaching to the test." Remember when teachers taught for us to learn things and develop our minds and the ability to think for ourselves? Now we just ask kids to learn things long enough to pass some testing requirement. We all hate it, yet no one is doing enough about it.

If this is the world we’re stuck with, test scores matter.

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NJ.com’s recent analysis of data from the state Department of Education shows big leaps in rankings for some schools. But these rankings aren’t only about test scores. It’s a "summative score" derived not only from test scores but other things including attendance rates and graduation rates.

The data is from the 2021-2022 school year and when compared to the 2017-2018 school year Somerset County Vocational Technical High School jumped 159 spots in the rankings.

So which schools ranked highest in these "summative scores"? The following schools made the top 10.

🔟 Hunterdon County Academies

(Hunterdon County Vocational School District)

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9️⃣ STEM Innovation Academy of the Oranges

(Orange Board Of Education School District)

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8️⃣ Marine Academy of Technology and Environmental Science

(Ocean County Vocational Technical School District)

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7️⃣ Academy for Mathematics, Science and Engineering

(Morris County Vocational School District)

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6️⃣ Union County Magnet High School

(Union County Vocational-Technical School District)

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5️⃣ Bergen County Technical High School - Teterboro

(Bergen County Vocational Technical School District)

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4️⃣ Biotechnology High School

(Monmouth County Vocational School District)

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3️⃣ Edison Academy Magnet School

(Middlesex County Vocational and Technical School District)

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2️⃣ Monmouth County Academy of Allied Health and Science

(Monmouth County Vocational School District)

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1️⃣ High Technology High School

(Monmouth County Vocational School District)

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The 30 worst rated schools in New Jersey

Here are the 30 lowest-rated schools statewide, based on their 2021-2022 New Jersey School Performance Reports — involving scores for language arts, math and attendance. (For an explanation of how the state calculates the "accountability indicator scores" and overall rating for each school, see page 90 of this reference guide.)

$450 million in school construction funding approved by NJ

These are the $1 billion in projects and the state funding shares announced by the New Jersey Department of Education on Sept. 7, 2023.

School projects include essential building systems upgrades, building code problems, 320 HVAC systems, 79 boilers or water heaters, and 211 roofs.

Opinions expressed in the post above are those of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Jeff Deminski only.

You can now listen to Deminski & Doyle — On Demand! Hear New Jersey’s favorite afternoon radio show any day of the week. Download the Deminski & Doyle show wherever you get podcasts, on our free app, or listen right now.

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Source: These 10 high schools got the highest scores in NJ