A Paterson public middle school is ranked No. 1 in NJ by US News

PATERSON — The city’s magnet program for “gifted and talented” students was named New Jersey’s top-ranking elementary and middle school by U.S. News & World Report last week.

School 28 won the same honor in 2021. It also was named a “blue ribbon school” by the U.S. Department of Education in 2018 and “a distinguished school” by state education officials in 2016.

Principal Nancy Castro said she was “humbled” by the top New Jersey ranking.

“This prestigious honor is the result of the hard work and dedication of the entire community,” Castro said in a news release issued by the city school district Monday afternoon. “I am deeply appreciative of the collective efforts of our students, their families, and staff.”

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School 28 operates as a traditional neighborhood school for children in the earlier grades. But students wishing to enter its gifted program, which covers all classes from grades two through eight, must go through a rigorous application process.

Want to expand School 28’s success elsewhere

Paterson Board of Education members and local education advocates said they would like to find ways to duplicate School 28’s success elsewhere in the city.

“We definitely need to look at ways to expand this program,” said board Vice President Kenneth Simmons, suggesting that maybe there should be “gifted and talented” school hubs in each of Paterson’s six wards.

Rosie Grant, executive director of the Paterson Education Foundation advocacy group, said the district ought to replicate some of the best practices from School 28 at other schools, including smaller class sizes and advanced certifications for teachers.

“Let’s try to benefit all of our kids,” Grant said.

School 28 came on top of the U.S. News list for public school districts. The media company ranked School 28 at the top in middle school math scores, tied for first in elementary school reading and math scores, and tied for second in middle school reading.

The school, at the corner of Presidential Boulevard and Temple Street in the 1st Ward, has an enrollment of about 484 students. About half of them are in the lower grades that don’t participate in the state standardized testing. The rest are part of the gifted program.

U.S. News said the rankings are based on a formula. “Half of the formula assessed the scores themselves and the other half incorporated the test results in the context of socioeconomic demographics,” said the publication.

Paterson district is among lowest-performing in NJ

School 28 has managed to win accolades despite the fact that the Paterson district is among the lowest-performing in New Jersey.

School board President Manny Martinez said the top ranking reflected what he described as city students’ potential.

“They don’t lack the ability. Sometimes they lack the opportunity,” Martinez said. “But when given the opportunity to shine, they always rise to the occasion.”

Superintendent Laurie Newell echoed Martinez’s assessment. “The dedication of the staff and the hard work of the students have created a learning environment that truly exemplifies excellence,” she said.

Paterson launched its elementary school program for gifted students in 2012. Castro has been the principal for more than a decade.

“She’s a wonderful principal, focused on academic performance,” said Grace Giglio, president of the union that represents Paterson principals.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Paterson middle school ranked No. 1 in NJ by US News

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