Woodbridge High School Makes NJ Monthly's Top 20 Most Improved Schools List

One of Woodbridge Township's three high schools under investigation for allegations of cheating on standarized tests was just listed as one of the state's '20 most improved high schools' on a NJ Monthly report ranking secondary schools.

In 2010, came in 229th out of New Jersey's 328 public high schools, according to the magazine's rankings. 

This year, Woodbridge High jumped 59 points to achieve a ranking of 170th among the state's public high schools. NJ Monthly took special note of Woodbridge as one of the "Top 20 Most Improved High Schools" for 2012.

For the first time, Woodbridge beat one of the two other high schools in the township in the magazine's ranking of secondary institutions by the dramatic 59-point improvement in its school ranking. One township high school still outstrips WHS by 38 points.

climbed 10 points from its 2010 rank of 192 to 182 this year, and in Iselin - while still higher than WHS in the NJ Monthly high school rankings - shaved 14 points off its score, going from 146th place in 2010 to 132nd in 2012.

NJ Monthly explained that it changed some of its methodology in how it achieves the rankings. They eliminated calculating the ratio of computers to students, because the high prevalence of computers no longer makes it a factor in the ratings.

More significantly, they said they "increased the weighting for data on test results", which would include the High School Proficiency Assessment (HSPA).

That is the standardized tests students take in their junior year. It is also said to be the test for which Woodbridge High has fallen under the examination of state officials.

At a special Board of Education meeting August 7, Woodbridge Schools Superintendent John Crowe publicly said that the by the NJ Department of Education (NJDOE) because of irregularities in its standardized test score results.

That followed of Assistant Schools Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction Lois Rotella earlier this month. Rotella's job was immediately posted; Colonia High School principal Dr. Robert at the regular August 17 BOE meeting.

The NJ Monthly issue with the school ranking article is due out on newsstands this week.

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