As we work to build a more robust and successful education system in New Jersey, we must ground our work in where our state’s education landscape currently stands. Below you will find an in-depth analysis of how New Jersey is currently rated across each of 50CAN: The 50-State Campaign for Achievement Now’s four dimensions of a healthy and dynamic learning system.
Rating summary
- Community (2 point out of 4) – Our nonprofit and community leaders are engaged in bettering learning outcomes, but we must keep them more regularly, thoroughly informed. Student diversity is our greatest asset—yet our teaching force lacks rich diversity, and we could do more to correct this problem.
- Competition (2 point out of 4) – We offer students and families a range of education options, but most students are still enrolled in traditional public schools. We could do far more to ensure that parents and children know their options, can readily access them and can easily learn about their quality.
- Performance (3 points out of 4) – With rigorous standards, aligned assessments and easy-to-understand state report cards, performance is one of our strengths. Yet there is plenty of room for improvement, from increasing supports for educators to ensuring pay and job protection are related to educator quality.
- Pluralism (2 points out of 4) – We have made progress in developing a diversity of educational programs. However, we must ensure that the types and numbers of schools and educational approaches are not limited. We should also strive to develop a more well-rounded definition of student success.
