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North Brunswick reports preliminary 93.8% graduation rate; district reviews AP, NJGPA performance
Summary
At its Aug. 28 meeting the North Brunswick Township Board of Education heard a presentation from high school principal Mr Neller reporting a preliminary four-year graduation rate of 93.8% (475 graduates), summary AP exam pass rates (69% overall) and NJGPA results (78% ELA graduation-ready; 41% math). Officials described supports and next steps.
Mr Neller, principal of North Brunswick Township High School, told the Board of Education on Aug. 28 that the district's preliminary four-year adjusted cohort graduation rate for 2024 is 93.8 percent and that 475 students graduated last June. "The 2024 graduation rate as of tonight is 93.8%; we had 475 students graduate last June," he said, adding that the New Jersey Department of Education will publish the official rate on Aug. 31.
Neller said the district's reported rate is affected by how the state counts students in 18-to-21 special-education programs: those students may receive diplomas yet remain enrolled for additional services and are still counted in cohort calculations. "The NJ DOE continues to count the students who enroll in the 18-to-21 year-olds program ... and the state continues to count them against our graduation rate," he said, calling the policy frustrating for districts.
He reviewed Advanced Placement outcomes for the spring administration, saying 69 percent of students who took AP exams scored a 3 or better. Neller highlighted a 100 percent passing rate in AP U.S. History and strong results in AP Biology (about 82 percent) and AP Physics C and AP precalculus (about 88 percent). Neller also described a curricular shift: the school replaced AP European History with AP World History to boost enrollment and saw first-time test-takers achieve passing scores in some courses.
On statewide assessments, Neller said 479 juniors took the NJ GPA in language arts and 78 percent were considered graduation-ready; in math the district trailed the state with about 41 percent judged graduation-ready. He noted that NJ GPA aligns to grade-10 ELA and Algebra/Geometry standards and that some students who did not meet the cut score have alternative pathways to satisfy graduation requirements (ACT, SAT, Accuplacer, portfolio/performance tasks). "We do provide them multiple opportunities," he said, noting the district will offer NJ GPA retakes in the fall and additional tutoring supports.
Board members pressed on student workload during AP season and whether the district could better coordinate assignments when many students are preparing for multiple AP exams. One member thanked the board for paying for AP exams so students do not have to bear the cost; Neller said he would discuss workload coordination with school leadership and staff ahead of testing. The principal also described efforts to track student movement between districts, which affects cohort calculations and the district's internal monitoring of graduation trajectories.
The board was told the graduation figure remains preliminary until the state's official release; district leaders emphasized continued tutoring and testing supports for students who need to retake assessments.
