Paterson Schools Fall Short in State Rankings: Superintendent 'Determined to Maximize Student Performance'

PATERSON, NJ - Paterson Public School Superintendent Dr. Laurie Newell and members of the Paterson Board of Education shared their concerns over local school's rankings in the recently released annual New Jersey school performance reports ,

The report showed the students in the district have a four-year graduation rate of 82.2%, which falls below the state average. The five-year graduation rate is 81.7%, also below the state average. Additionally, the percentage of students chronically absent is 41.6%, which is significantly higher than the state average of 16.6%.

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As for college and career readiness, the district has a lower percentage of students enrolled in AP/IB courses, dual enrollment courses, and earning industry-valued credentials compared to the state averages. In terms of student performance on assessments, the percentage of students meeting or exceeding expectations in English Language Arts and Mathematics is below the state average at 24.1% and 12.3%, respectively.

The median student growth percentile for English Language Arts and Mathematics is 43%, which meets the standard.

"Unfortunately, you can see that the district did not perform well," Newell said. "For some schools, it was, unfortunately, quite dismal, and it's very concerning to myself and to Dr. [Rodney] Henderson and to the cabinet.'

Dr. Newell told Board members and the public that she has initiated meetings with her team to analyze chronic absenteeism data, student attendance, teacher vacancies, and overall school achievement. She aims to convene a special Board of Education meeting for an in-depth review of data and New Jersey school performance reports. In the interim, Dr. Newell plans to provide weekly updates to the board on their progress.

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"I am determined to maximize student performance, echoing the commitment shared by Dr. Rodney Henderson, our deputy superintendent," Dr. Newell said. "Dr. Henderson's extensive experience in improving academic standards, demonstrated in his previous role as assistant superintendent at Baltimore City Public Schools, positions him well to address the educational challenges faced by our students. Despite the challenges ahead, my team and I remain steadfast in our commitment to this vital work."

"A strategic plan for underperforming schools is in progress," Henderson said. "Clear goals and improved team proficiency are crucial for school improvement. We've identified five key levels of impact: human resources to address achievement gaps, enhancing data literacy, building staff capacity, strengthening principal leadership, and fostering parental support for attendance and learning at home. Targeting each level is underway, with strategies developed through expert collaboration. Continuous improvement is essential for achieving student success. We're committed to aggressive plan development, implementation, and monitoring."

"In order to improve the state of our schools, clear goals must be defined, and team members must become more knowledgeable and proficient in what we do," Dr. Newell added.

Commissioner Valerie Freeman underscored the critical role of parental involvement in student success, urging greater participation from families in the education process. She called for increased engagement initiatives and emphasized the need for a collaborative effort between schools and parents to support student learning.

"I kind of agree with her," Commissioner Muhammad Rashid said of Freeman. "As a board member, I believe parents' involvement is crucial. I've been in this country for 24 years, and I firmly believe that. Parents are the first teachers of their kids. I've seen the impact firsthand with my own daughters, both succeeding academically thanks to our active involvement. So, as a new board member, I feel strongly that we need to be more proactive in engaging parents. Every school should have active parent-teacher organizations and offer extracurricular activities beyond just academics. We can organize monthly programs to encourage parental participation and even use robocalls to reach out in different ways. Our residents pay high taxes, and they deserve a better education for their children."

Commissioner Simmons emphasized the need for collective responsibility in improving student outcomes, stressing the importance of ownership and accountability at both the individual and community levels.

"There is no greater personal influence on a child's life than that of the parents in the family," Simmons said. "So the ownership needs to be had there first."

"While I agree it's the parents, my parents are immigrants, I had to learn on my own, my parents couldn’t teach me," one parent said. "School is boring, my kids aren’t doing what I was doing. We would go on field trips, we had a wood shop class, cooking, World Language. Of course, kids don’t want to sit all day with a computer at a desk all day. It’s boring.”

"I feel throughout this entire conversation a lot of truth has been spoken," Student Representative Thaddeus Chestnut said. "One of the main things that we should do while we're locally controlling our district is make sure not to blame anyone."

Chestnut further advocated revisiting the discussion about raising the GPA in order to stay in sports, stating, "If that's what got parents into this office, then I feel that that's a worthy discussion to bring back up to get their attention."

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