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State releases 2023'24 School Performance Reports showing gains in advanced coursework but persistent gaps
Summary
The New Jersey Department of Education released 2023'24 School Performance Reports showing modest increases in AP/IB and dual-enrollment participation, higher graduation rates, and expanded disaggregated data; officials acknowledged participation gaps by student group and pledged follow-up breakdowns for the board.
The New Jersey Department of Education presented highlights from the 2023'24 School Performance Reports on the State Board of Education's agenda, reporting increases in advanced-course participation, graduation rates, and expanded data by student groups.
Department director Jessica Merville told the board the percentage of 11th and 12th graders enrolled in one or more AP or IB courses rose about 1% in 2024, and more than 30% of those grades took an AP or IB exam. "We had a 1% increase in the participation in 2024," Merville said. She noted New Jersey ranks second nationally for the share of public high schools offering at least one AP course and highest for schools offering five or more AP courses.
The presentation also highlighted dual enrollment growth. "Participation in dual enrollment courses for eleventh and twelfth graders increased to 26.9% in 2024, which is about 7,600 more students in 2024," Merville said. The Department reported 129 industry-valued credentials recognized statewide and more than 9,600 students earning such credentials in 2024.
On assessments, Merville said overall tester performance has risen in some measures while average PSAT and SAT scores have declined slightly amid higher participation. "Both PSAT and SAT average scores have decreased over the last several years. This may be tied to the increase in participation," she said, adding that New Jersey's trends track national patterns.
The Department reported graduation-rate improvements: the statewide four-year adjusted cohort graduation rate for cohort 2024 was 91.3% and the five-year rate 92.6%. Staff explained differences between state and federal rate calculations that resulted from U.S. Department of Education monitoring and adjustments for students with modified IEPs.
The reports also show chronic absenteeism and discipline data: chronic absenteeism was estimated at 14.9% for 2023'24, and more than 60% of schools had rates at or above 10% for that school year. The Department emphasized corrective action plans for schools above the threshold and new reporting tools and guidance to help districts address attendance.
Board members asked for further disaggregation by student group and for career-cluster detail on industry credentials. Arcilio Aponte and others requested more breakdowns for Latino and Black students and for credential counts in STEM versus traditional trades; Department staff agreed to supply district-level and student-group details.
The Department said the full School Performance Reports, plus one-page guides and translated materials, would be publicly available later the same day and encouraged boards, families and communities to review district-level data.
