Bayonne reports double‑digit graduation gains at alternative high school; district credits staffing and progress monitoring

Dr. Brown, an assistant superintendent, told trustees the district recently completed adaptive PSAT/SAT field testing and highlighted graduation‑rate improvements across the system. “Our graduation rate at this point is 94.2” at Bayonne High School, Dr. Brown said, and the alternative high school saw a 12.8 percentage‑point increase from 45.2 to 58.

Trustees asked for details on what led to the alternative high school’s gains. District staff said the improvement reflects a combination of state support for staffing, full staffing at the alternative school, social‑emotional counselors, child study team members, guidance counselors, and targeted vocational workshops as part of a work‑based learning strategy.

Staff described individualized supports and new progress‑monitoring protocols with a particular emphasis on grade 11 performance in ELA and math. An assistant superintendent said the school implemented formal progress monitoring that focuses on student performance in targeted subjects and credits that approach with helping students reach graduation milestones.

The superintendent also reassured trustees that the district is not reducing services at the alternative program and described a broader goal of supporting students so many can transition back to Bayonne High School when appropriate. The transcript contains no vote or formal policy change; administrators described programmatic supports and monitoring now in place.

Administrators did not provide a comprehensive breakdown of which interventions corresponded to specific portions of the graduation gain or a student‑level count of those affected; they identified staffing, counseling and progress monitoring as primary contributors.