New Jersey School Report Card
Encyclopedia
The New Jersey School Report Card is an annual report produced each year by the New Jersey Department of Education
for all school districts and schools in the U.S. state
of New Jersey
. The current School Report Card presents thirty-five fields of information for each school in the following categories: school environment, students, student performance indicators, staff, and district finances, however initially the cards provided far less information.
The report cards were first proposed in 1988 by Governor Thomas Kean
and mailed out in 1989. Although various types of school report cards had been released in California
, Illinois
, and Virginia
, New Jersey was the first to send the reports home to parents and make them available to all taxpayers. In 1995 the New Jersey legislature passed a law expanding the scope of the report cards to include more financial matters and the withholding of state aid to inefficient schools. This was part of Governor Christine Todd Whitman
’s push to decrease administrative costs in education. The report cards are still issued, and their annual release attracts attention in large papers such as the New York Times.
Governor Thomas Kean first broached the idea of school report cards in his 1988 State of the State address
. He argued that "the more parents know, the more involved they can be. This is a way to arm them with that knowledge." The proposal initially faced strong opposition, and in the spring of 1988 some superintendents
refused to release their test score data to the state because they feared it would be used in the report cards. The schools eventually consented to release the data and no report cards were issued that year.
In February 1989 Kean announced that report cards would be shipped for the first time that fall. They were released as planned that November. The first report cards did not offer a comparison or ranking of schools, and the version sent home to parents only included information about their individual school and the statewide averages. The released information included SAT and standardized test scores, student-teacher ratios, hours of instruction, attendance rates, and the average cost per pupil. Saul Cooperson, then the New Jersey State Education Commissioner, insisted that the point of the reports was not to rank districts or make comparisons between them, however many reporters did just that. One statistic that received a large amount of coverage was that Newark
spent $1,237 more per student than Sparta, but still had SAT
scores that were 278 points lower on average.
Throughout the early 1990s the reports continued to be published and remained a popular subject for papers like The Philadelphia Inquirer
and The New York Times
. Additional statistics began to be tracked, including average teacher salaries and state and federal aid.
In the mid 1990s, Governor Christine Todd Whitman began making a drive for increased efficiency in education. At that point, New Jersey had administrative costs per pupil of $1,700, the highest cost of any state in the nation. In the summer of 1995 the New Jersey Legislature passed a bill enabling state aid to be withheld from schools that spent more than 30% on administrative costs and requiring the release of more financial data. The bill was signed into law by Governor Whitman on August 23, 1995.
The report cards are still released annually. Their contents have evolved over the years, such as the addition of Advanced Placement Program
(AP) data in 2002. However, the main focus has remained unchanged and their contents continue to be reported on by large local papers.
James A. Moran, the executive director of the New Jersey Association of School Administrators said "We don't believe it will do good for the students of New Jersey or the school districts." The state's largest teachers union, the New Jersey Education Association, said through spokesman Roger Broderick, "In and of itself, the card has no value."
The NJEA also believed that it would cause unfair comparisons, saying through a separate spokesman: "Regardless of the positive attitude the Governor and Commissioner seem to be putting forth, they're still going to be comparing a Camden to a Livingston."
Philip Esbrandt, superintendent
of the Cherry Hill Public Schools
, said that many of the released numbers "don't convey an accurate picture of things." Susan Fuhrman of the Center for Policy Research in Education "My major concern is that parents, citizens, and real-estate agents will draw very simplistic conclusions."
of New Jersey has supported the initiative since the beginning.
James O'Neill of The Philadelphia Inquirer
has argued that the cards opponents are overly defensive. "For every statistic that jumps out of the school report cards as an extreme, there probably is a district official who can provide an explanation for it."
The New Jersey Report Card program was selected for one of the National Governors Association
’s "Ideas That Work" in 1996. It was discussed at their annual conference, and a pamphlet describing its popularity with taxpayers and effectiveness was published by the NGA that year.
New Jersey Department of Education
The New Jersey Department of Education administers state and federal aid programs affecting more than 1.4 million public and non-public elementary and secondary school children in the state of New Jersey. The department is headquartered in Trenton.The Department is responsible for ensuring that...
for all school districts and schools in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
. The current School Report Card presents thirty-five fields of information for each school in the following categories: school environment, students, student performance indicators, staff, and district finances, however initially the cards provided far less information.
The report cards were first proposed in 1988 by Governor Thomas Kean
Thomas Kean
Thomas Howard Kean is an American Republican Party politician, who served as the 48th Governor of New Jersey from 1982 to 1990. Kean is best known globally, however, for his 2002 appointment as Chairman of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States, widely known as the...
and mailed out in 1989. Although various types of school report cards had been released in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
, and Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
, New Jersey was the first to send the reports home to parents and make them available to all taxpayers. In 1995 the New Jersey legislature passed a law expanding the scope of the report cards to include more financial matters and the withholding of state aid to inefficient schools. This was part of Governor Christine Todd Whitman
Christine Todd Whitman
Christine Todd "Christie" Whitman is an American Republican politician and author who served as the 50th Governor of New Jersey from 1994 to 2001, and was the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency in the administration of President George W. Bush from 2001 to 2003. She was New...
’s push to decrease administrative costs in education. The report cards are still issued, and their annual release attracts attention in large papers such as the New York Times.
History
State of the State Address
The State of the State Address is a speech customarily given once each year by the governors of most states of the United States. The speech is customarily delivered before both houses of the state legislature sitting in joint session, with the exception of the Nebraska Legislature, which is a...
. He argued that "the more parents know, the more involved they can be. This is a way to arm them with that knowledge." The proposal initially faced strong opposition, and in the spring of 1988 some superintendents
Superintendent (education)
In education in the United States, a superintendent is an individual who has executive oversight and administration rights, usually within an educational entity or organization....
refused to release their test score data to the state because they feared it would be used in the report cards. The schools eventually consented to release the data and no report cards were issued that year.
In February 1989 Kean announced that report cards would be shipped for the first time that fall. They were released as planned that November. The first report cards did not offer a comparison or ranking of schools, and the version sent home to parents only included information about their individual school and the statewide averages. The released information included SAT and standardized test scores, student-teacher ratios, hours of instruction, attendance rates, and the average cost per pupil. Saul Cooperson, then the New Jersey State Education Commissioner, insisted that the point of the reports was not to rank districts or make comparisons between them, however many reporters did just that. One statistic that received a large amount of coverage was that Newark
Newark, New Jersey
Newark is the largest city in the American state of New Jersey, and the seat of Essex County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Newark had a population of 277,140, maintaining its status as the largest municipality in New Jersey. It is the 68th largest city in the U.S...
spent $1,237 more per student than Sparta, but still had SAT
SAT
The SAT Reasoning Test is a standardized test for college admissions in the United States. The SAT is owned, published, and developed by the College Board, a nonprofit organization in the United States. It was formerly developed, published, and scored by the Educational Testing Service which still...
scores that were 278 points lower on average.
The Philadelphia Inquirer
The Philadelphia Inquirer is a morning daily newspaper that serves the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, metropolitan area of the United States. The newspaper was founded by John R. Walker and John Norvell in June 1829 as The Pennsylvania Inquirer and is the third-oldest surviving daily newspaper in the...
and The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
. Additional statistics began to be tracked, including average teacher salaries and state and federal aid.
In the mid 1990s, Governor Christine Todd Whitman began making a drive for increased efficiency in education. At that point, New Jersey had administrative costs per pupil of $1,700, the highest cost of any state in the nation. In the summer of 1995 the New Jersey Legislature passed a bill enabling state aid to be withheld from schools that spent more than 30% on administrative costs and requiring the release of more financial data. The bill was signed into law by Governor Whitman on August 23, 1995.
The report cards are still released annually. Their contents have evolved over the years, such as the addition of Advanced Placement Program
Advanced Placement Program
The Advanced Placement program is a curriculum in the United States and Canada sponsored by the College Board which offers standardized courses to high school students that are generally recognized to be equivalent to undergraduate courses in college...
(AP) data in 2002. However, the main focus has remained unchanged and their contents continue to be reported on by large local papers.
Criticism
The New Jersey School Report Card program has been criticized by education professionals and activists for being unhelpful, making unfair comparisons and overly simplifying difficult issues.James A. Moran, the executive director of the New Jersey Association of School Administrators said "We don't believe it will do good for the students of New Jersey or the school districts." The state's largest teachers union, the New Jersey Education Association, said through spokesman Roger Broderick, "In and of itself, the card has no value."
The NJEA also believed that it would cause unfair comparisons, saying through a separate spokesman: "Regardless of the positive attitude the Governor and Commissioner seem to be putting forth, they're still going to be comparing a Camden to a Livingston."
Philip Esbrandt, superintendent
Superintendent (education)
In education in the United States, a superintendent is an individual who has executive oversight and administration rights, usually within an educational entity or organization....
of the Cherry Hill Public Schools
Cherry Hill Public Schools
The Cherry Hill Public Schools are a comprehensive community public school district, serving students in kindergarten through twelfth grade from Cherry Hill Township, in Camden County, New Jersey, United States....
, said that many of the released numbers "don't convey an accurate picture of things." Susan Fuhrman of the Center for Policy Research in Education "My major concern is that parents, citizens, and real-estate agents will draw very simplistic conclusions."
Praise
Although it has many critics, the Report Card also has many defenders. The Parent-Teacher AssociationParent-Teacher Association
In the U.S. a parent-teacher association or Parent-Teacher-Student Association is a formal organization composed of parents, teachers and staff that is intended to facilitate parental participation in a public or private school. Most public and private K-8 schools in the U.S. have a PTA, a...
of New Jersey has supported the initiative since the beginning.
James O'Neill of The Philadelphia Inquirer
The Philadelphia Inquirer
The Philadelphia Inquirer is a morning daily newspaper that serves the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, metropolitan area of the United States. The newspaper was founded by John R. Walker and John Norvell in June 1829 as The Pennsylvania Inquirer and is the third-oldest surviving daily newspaper in the...
has argued that the cards opponents are overly defensive. "For every statistic that jumps out of the school report cards as an extreme, there probably is a district official who can provide an explanation for it."
The New Jersey Report Card program was selected for one of the National Governors Association
National Governors Association
The National Governors Association , founded in 1908 as the National Governors' Conference, is funded primarily by state dues, federal grants and contracts and private contributions. NGA represents the governors of the fifty U.S. states and five U.S. territories The National Governors Association...
’s "Ideas That Work" in 1996. It was discussed at their annual conference, and a pamphlet describing its popularity with taxpayers and effectiveness was published by the NGA that year.