Improving New Jersey’s public education system starts with knowing the truth.
See the facts below, then learn how schools are doing in your child's district.
Student Performance
State & District Performance. Each Fall, New Jersey provides achievement results based on the previous year’s academic performance. According to most recent results, a majority of public school students are performing below grade level. And it’s happening across the entire state - not just in a handful of districts.
FACT: According to NJ’s state administered test, 55% of fourth graders can’t do math at grade level.
FACT: 64% of sixth graders can’t do math at grade level.
FACT: Even before COVID-19, less than 1/3rd of underperforming students ever catch up.
FACT: 50% of fifth graders in Cherry Hill can’t do math at grade level, yet Cherry Hill schools receive an “A” rating.
FACT: 1 in 3 (36%) of fifth graders in Montclair can’t do math at grade level. Only 38% of Algebra students demonstrated grade level achievement.
FACT: Even in Princeton, ranked as the second smartest city in the country, more than 25% of fourth graders can’t do math at grade level.
National Performance. Every two years, the U.S. administers The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), often called the "Nation's Report Card," to students in grades 4 and 8 in math and reading. The scores released in 2025 show that although New Jersey is comparatively a high-performing state, our actual student achievement levels in public schools are staggeringly low and have been getting worse.
FACT: According to the nationally administered test, 56% of fourth graders can’t do math at grade level.
FACT: When adjusting for demographics including poverty, NJ’s fourth grade math proficiency ranks 21 out of 50 states.
Success After High School
Preparing NJ Students for Success in College. There are three independent assessments to determine if New Jersey students are ready for college: (1) The state-issued NJ Graduation Proficiency Assessment (NJGPA), (2) the SAT, and (3) the ACT. As evidenced by the assessments above, too many of New Jersey’s incoming college freshmen aren’t prepared for college-level coursework. This means they have to take remedial coursework which is expensive, time-intensive, and often leads to increased college debt and dropouts.
FACT: Less than 56% of eleventh grade students demonstrated proficiency in the math section of the NJGPA. The other 44% are classified as "not graduation ready."
FACT: Even though many New Jersey public school students do not meet proficiency requirements, over 90% still receive a high school diploma.
FACT: More than 20,000 New Jersey students are placed into remedial education at two- and four-year colleges each year.
FACT: Almost half of all full-time NJ college students have to take remedial classes for content they should have learned in high school.
FACT: 15% of students entering four-year institutions enroll in at least one remedial class.
FACT: 57% of college students in NJ who enroll in remedial coursework don’t complete their program of study.
FACT: Only 44% of SAT test-takers in NJ demonstrated college readiness in both math and evidence-based reading and writing. This means only 44% of students who took the SAT could receive a “C” or higher in college coursework.
FACT: 40% of New Jersey’s ACT test-takers did not meet the ACT College Readiness Benchmark in math.
Preparing NJ Students for Success in the Armed Services. Military careers after high school are marked by honor, discipline, and achievement. Recruits must demonstrate specific physical abilities, lack criminal records, and pass a standardized test - the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB). Unfortunately, too many New Jersey public high school graduates can’t meet the required academic eligibility.
FACT: In New Jersey, 1 in 4 applicants to the armed services cannot pass the ASVAB.