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Local schools rank in magazine's top 100
(by Eric Kiefer and Joe Olivieri - August 20, 2008)
New Jersey Monthly magazine named its biennial list of the state’s top high schools.
Verona High School was listed 53 out of 316 schools, down from 47 in 2006. Cedar Grove High School was ranked 70, down from 55.
According to the magazine’s Web site, the magazine based its conclusions on the state Department of Education’s 2006-07 school report card data, school environment factors and student performance and outcomes.
“I think that being in the top 15 to 16 percent is a good thing,” Verona Board of Education President John Quattrocchi said.
However, he said he doesn’t put much stock in such ratings and noted that Verona has the second lowest per pupil spending among the schools to which it compares itself.
Quattrocchi added that he would like to see Verona’s rating if the magazine used data from this past year, and that the magazine focused on Advanced Placement and standardized testing, which should be two factors out of many.
Many Cedar Grove school administrators were unaware of the NJ Monthly article until contacted for comment.
“I am extremely proud that Cedar Grove High School has once again placed in the top 100 high schools in New Jersey,” said Board of Education President Jean Jaeger. “It’s the goal of the Cedar Grove Board of Education to continue to strive for excellence in all of our schools.”
Jaeger seemed unworried that Cedar Grove slipped 15 places since the last listing.
“There have always been fluctuations in positions due to many factors, including the criteria used by the magazine and the differences in classes in any given year,” she said.
Superintendent Gene Polles said that no single indicator can give a full picture of the value of a high school.
“Non-academic factors can be equally important... One measurement of school achievement might be how individual students progress over time. Another might be whether students participate in clubs or community activities.”
Polles added that Cedar Grove High School is one of the four smallest schools with less than 1800 students that ranked in the top 100 schools.
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