Caldwell-West superintendent presents NJDOE 2023–24 School Performance Report; district outperforms state on several measures

Dr. Furnari, superintendent of the Caldwell‑West School District, presented the New Jersey Department of Education 2023–24 school performance report at the board’s Sept. 15 public meeting, outlining districtwide results on enrollment, student growth, proficiency, chronic absenteeism and graduation rates.

The presentation showed the district’s median student growth percentiles (MSGP) and proficiency rates from the 2021–22 through 2023–24 reporting periods, with the district exceeding several statewide benchmarks. Dr. Furnari told the board the report “is not our current data,” and that more recent spring 2025 results will be presented at the October meeting.

The district’s total enrollment fell slightly in the reported period, from 2,590 in 2021 to 2,545 in 2023–24. On growth measures, Dr. Furnari reported median student growth percentiles in English language arts rose to 47.5 in 2023–24 (state median = 50) and the district’s math MSGP was 51.5 (state median = 50). Proficiency rates on the New Jersey Student Learning Assessment were 65.8% in ELA and 58.2% in math for 2023–24. Participation rates on the assessments were above 99%.

The superintendent emphasized chronic absenteeism as an area the report highlights favorably for the district: Caldwell‑West’s chronic absenteeism rate was reported as 7.9% for 2023–24 versus the statewide rate of 14.9% for the same year. “Those chronic absenteeism rates bear out the importance [of being in school],” she said.

On graduation metrics, Dr. Furnari explained several different measures reported by state and federal systems. She reviewed the federal 4‑year graduation rate for the 2024 cohort at 95.1% for Caldwell‑West compared with a federal statewide rate of 87.7%, and a 5‑year federal cohort rate of about 95% for the district versus 91.8% statewide. She clarified that federal reporting rules exclude certain students with IEP‑based exemptions from the numerator but keep them in the adjusted cohort denominator, which can lower the reported federal percentage. “Federal changes do not impact graduation requirements. So those changes are purely for federal reporting,” she said.

The presentation covered subgroup performance and noted that all district subgroups named in the report met state targets for growth and achievement in 2023–24, including students with disabilities and multilingual learners where reporting thresholds allowed district‑level reporting. The district also reported meeting Access for ELLs expectations when aggregated districtwide; some individual school cells were suppressed in the state report due to small counts.

College and career readiness indicators showed the district above state rates on several measures (SAT/ACT participation, AP/IB enrollment, dual enrollment and seals of biliteracy), while the district’s percentage of CTE concentrators (1.3%) and students earning industry‑valued credentials (0.4%) lagged state figures (10.4% and 2.2% respectively). Dr. Furnari and administrators attributed the low local CTE concentrator percentage to students’ participation in county vocational‑technical (vo‑tech) programs rather than in‑district concentrator programs.

The report also included staff and support ratios (for example, students to teachers reported as approximately 11:1 under the state reporting formula), school safety and security measures (incidence per 100 students enrolled reported at 1.97 versus 2.35 statewide), and details about preschool and kindergarten attendance patterns. Dr. Furnari noted recent safety improvements funded through a passed referendum, including vestibule work, new doors, PA systems and radios, and that the district’s safety specialist, Brian McCarthy, oversees those plans.

The district will post the presentation on its website; Dr. Furnari said the slide deck will be available the next morning. Board members were invited to ask follow‑up questions and were told the district’s directors of elementary and secondary education will present updated spring 2025 data at the October meeting.

Clarifying details from the presentation included enrollment counts (2,590 in 2021; 2,545 in 2023–24), district chronic absenteeism rates (9.4% in 2021–22, 9.8% in 2022–23, 7.9% in 2023–24), ELA proficiency (65.8% in 2023–24), math proficiency (58.2% in 2023–24), and federal 4‑year graduation rate for the class of 2024 (95.1%). The superintendent repeatedly noted the data reflect the 2023–24 reporting period and are a year behind current operations.