Ocean City High School
The Ocean City School District got its "report card" on Friday and received a mixed bag of grades.
The state uses statistics each year to give every school district in the state a "School Performance Report." The state Department of Education released the reports on Jan. 30.
"Each year the School Performance Reports present information designed to give local districts a more complete snapshot of where their schools stand in terms of how well their students are moving toward college and career readiness," Education Commissioner David C. Hespe said. "The extensive amounts of information in the reports also provide citizens and parents with meaningful data with which to judge how well their schools are doing in educating their children."
The reports measure "a range of college and career-ready metrics" — from average standardized test scores to participation rates in various programs.
Read the full school performance reports:
Any attempt to make an objective comparison of districts and students involving so many variables should be taken with a grain of salt, but the report's statistics on enrollment alone provide a good glimpse at some of the trends and challenges the district faces.
- Enrollment: The Ocean City High School student population continues to fall — despite the addition of 194 out-of-district students (most at the high-school level) as part of the new state School Choice program. Enrollment fell from 1,440 (2005-06) to 1,258 (2011-12), 1,227 (2012-13) and 1,218 (2013-14). The trend matches a general population trend in Ocean City, where the median home price is more than $500,000 without the high-paying jobs to match.
- Hispanic Population: The student body at Ocean City High School shows little diversity with 91.1 percent white students and 3.8 percent Hispanic students (2.4 percent black and 1.9 percent Asian). In only 1.3 percent of high school students' homes is Spanish the primary language. But the trend changes at the Intermediate School and Primary School levels — reflecting the growing number of young Hispanic families moving to Ocean City. Ocean City Intermediate School has 11 percent Hispanic students with 5.2 percent speaking primarily Spanish at home. Ocean City Primary School has 18.5 percent Hispanic students with 13.1 percents from Spanish-speaking homes.
Some sample information from the reports includes the following:
OCEAN CITY HIGH SCHOOL
- The official summary: “This school's academic performance is about average when compared to schools across the state. Additionally, its academic performance is about average when compared to its peers. This school's college and career readiness is high when compared to schools across the state. Additionally, its college and career readiness is high when compared to its peers. This school's graduation and post-secondary performance is high when compared to schools across the state. Additionally, its graduation and post- secondary readiness is high when compared to its peers.”
- SAT scores: The school average is 1,541 (on a scale of 2,400) compared to a statewide average of 1,514. Ocean City students averaged: 511 (on a scale of 800) in critical reading (state avg. 496); 534 on math (state avg. 521); and 496 in writing (state avg. 497). The school was in the 68th percentile among its peer group for students who scored 1,550 or better.
- High school proficiency test (HSPA): 96 percent of seniors were proficient in language arts (23rd percentile in peer group) and 91 percent in math (58th percentile).
- Post-secondary: 80 percent of graduates attend college (56 percent of them to four-year colleges and 44 percent to two-year colleges).
- The peer group: "Peer Schools are schools that have similar grade levels and students percentage of students qualifying for Free/Reduced Lunch, Limited programs," according to the state DOE. Some of the schools in Ocean City's group include Lenape, Cherry Hill East, Cinnaminson, Washington Township, Manasquan and Metuchen.
OCEAN CITY INTERMEDIATE SCHOOL
- The official summary: “This school's academic performance is high when compared to schools across the state. Additionally, its academic performance is very high when compared to its peers. This school's college and career readiness lags in comparison to schools across the state. Additionally, its college and career readiness is about average when compared to its peers. This school's student growth performance is very high when compared to schools across the state. Additionally, its student growth performance is very high when compared to its peers.”
- Enrollment: Student population grew from 470 in 2011-12 to 499 in 2013-14. That trend included the addition of Sea Isle City students and new School Choice students.
- ASK scores: On the standardized NJASK test, 77 percent were proficient or above in language arts (91st percentile in peer group) and 85 percent proficient or above in math (97th percentile).
- The peer group: Some school in the group include Alder Avenue Middle School in Egg Harbor Township and Woodruff Middle School in Upper Deerfield Township.
OCEAN CITY PRIMARY SCHOOL
- The official summary: “This school's academic performance is high when compared to schools across the state. Additionally, its academic performance is very high when compared to its peers. This school's college and career readiness lags in comparison to schools across the state. Additionally, its college and career readiness significantly lags in comparison to its peers.”
- ASK scores: On the standardized NJASK test (for third-graders), 81 percent were proficient or above in language arts (100th percentile in peer group) and 87 percent proficient or above in math (94th percentile).
- “College and Career Readiness”: Apparently the only measure at the primary school level is a chronic absenteeism rate, which was high at the primary school.
