NJ Education Report

Here are two press releases, one from Newark Public Schools celebrating that U.S. News & World Report ranked two of the district’s magnet schools about the top high schools; the second is from Great Oaks Legacy Charter School, which U.S. News & World Report ranked as the highest performing open-enrollment high school in Newark. For more on NJ’s rankings in this annual report, see here. 

On Tuesday, April 27, 2021, U.S. News & World Report released their latest rankings of the best public high schools in America. Two of those high schools are from Newark, New Jersey and ranked among the top 10 percent in the nation. Science Park High School is ranked #20 and Technology High School is ranked #35.

Superintendent León shared, “We couldn’t be any prouder of this recognition and aim to see more of our schools on The Best High Schools in America list. It is an incredible honor.  I want to congratulate the students and their families, and the administrators and teachers at each school. We’d also like to congratulate Great Oaks, Donald Payne Tech, and Newark Tech for their ranking in the top 150.  All high schools in Newark are on their paths to greatness and we appreciate you for leading the way.”

U.S. News & World Report system uses a scale of college readiness, reading and math performance, underserved student performance, college curriculum breadth and graduation rates used data from the 2018-2019 academic school year. Anita Narayan, managing editor of Education at U.S. News states “Families can use The Best High Schools rankings to see how schools compare at the national, state and local level on factors like graduation rates and college readiness.” She also notes “The rankings provide insight into academic performance among underserved groups.”

#20: Science Park High School is a magnet school located in the Central Ward that prepares students for careers in science, mathematics and technology. The SAT scores remain some of the highest in the country and the school’s curriculum is highly specialized.

When asked about the recognition, Principal Angela Mincy, of Science Park High School shared “It is quite an honor to be one of two Newark schools ranked among the best in the nation. It brings me immense pride to see our city’s excellence on full display. Credit is due to the entire Science Park High School staff, parents, and most importantly our amazing students.”

#35:  Technology High School is a magnet high school located in Newark’s North Ward with a vision of developing global leaders by providing them with tools to succeed in a world driven by technology. As no stranger to The Best High Schools List, Principal Edwin Reyes shares, “It is great to be recognized for our school community’s hard work and dedication to our students and their families. Our students, families, teachers and the overall Newark community should be incredibly proud of this accomplishment.”

Newark Public Schools under the leadership of Superintendent León effectively prepares Newark students to be game changers and world leaders. This recognition comes on the heels of several announcements regarding Newark Public School scholars and their tremendous accomplishments; serving as a testament to our vision of “Where Passion Meets Progress”.

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In a new U.S. News and World Report ranking, Great Oaks Legacy Charter School (GOLCS) – a Newark-based six-campus public charter school that educates students in grades PK4-12 – ranked as the highest performing open-enrollment high school in Newark among the top 150 best high schools in New Jersey. Great Oaks Legacy charter school was among 5 Newark high schools that made the list of the top 150 best high schools in New Jersey

Schools are ranked on reading and math proficiency, graduation rate, and how well they prepare students for college. Great Oaks Legacy Charter School has a 92% AP participation rate. Great Oaks Legacy Charter school is open-enrollment, tuition-free, and serves grades PK4-12 in campuses across Newark, where college matriculation rates historically have been low. GOLCS bridges the educational opportunity gap by setting rigorous expectations within a framework of individualized support and a community committed to supporting equity and celebrating diversity.

“This news is a testament not only to our rigorous curriculum or our program offerings, but to our goal of improving the lives of children in Newark and beyond,” said Jared Taillefer, Great Oaks Legacy Charter School Executive Director. “This recognition is achieved because of the extraordinary work of our teachers, who work tirelessly to prepare this generation of students for college and their careers. We’ll continue doing this great work to ensure that every child’s needs are met.