East Orange, NJ — October 29, 2025 — At the October 28th Board of Education meeting, the East Orange School District presented data showcasing positive trends in student achievement levels across grades, subjects, and schools. During the Board presentation, Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction, Dr. Nicholas DeStefano, shared the results from various 2024-2025 assessments including New Jersey Student Learning Assessments (NJSLA), WIDA ACCESS 2.0, Dynamic Learning Maps (DLM) and Advanced Placement (AP) testing.
District Performance Includes:
- Overall, AP scores increased by 33% over the 2023-2024 school year, continuing a 5-year trend of increased achievement;
- The district exceeded the State requirement of 95% participation for state testing in all content areas;
- Grade 6 had remarkable growth in ELA, increasing proficiency from 26% to 41%;
- Math scores improved this year with most grade levels reaching pre-COVID levels;
- The doubling of our ML population over the course of two years presents challenges to the district, but our ACCESS scores from 2025 show exponential growth from grades 3-12 (HS scores increased from 5% of students scoring 4+ to 39%);
- Scores are trending upward but have not recovered to pre-COVID levels in all grades or content areas.
East Orange School District Superintendent, Dr. Christopher Irving, noted, “Last school year was a challenging year for this school district, yet our students demonstrated what I believed all along - that they can perform at higher levels when given the opportunity. Many of these results indicate that we are finally recovering from some of the losses during COVID, but our work is not done. We need to see our students perform at their absolute best, and it is our collective mission, as educators and a community, to raise the bar and give them the resources to soar beyond recovery and into remarkable achievement."
School Highlights Include:
ELA Performance (Meeting/Exceeding NJ State Performance Levels)
Grade 3: Garfield Jackson Academy & Langston Hughes Elementary
Grade 4: Whitney Houston Academy
Grade 5: Dionne Warwick Institute
Grade 6: Benjamin Banneker Academy, Cicely L. Tyson MS/HS & Sheila Y. Oliver Academy
Grade 7: STEM Academy & Sheila Y. Oliver Academy
Grade 8: Cicely L. Tyson MS/HS, STEM Academy & Sheila Y. Oliver Academy
Grade 9: Cicely L. Tyson MS/HS & STEM Academy
Math Performance (Meeting/Exceeding NJ State Performance Levels)
Grade 3: J. Garfield Jackson Sr. Academy
Grade 8: Sheila Y. Oliver Academy
Algebra I: Whitney Houston Academy
Advanced Placement Performance (Achieved a “3” or above)
All 2-D Art & Design Students - Cicely L. Tyson Middle/High School
All Spanish Language & Culture Students - East Orange Campus High School
Initiatives Moving Forward: East Orange School District plans to address ongoing improvements in student achievement in several ways.
For literacy, the district recently announced an award of two highly competitive grants from the New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE), totaling more than $1.1 million. These funds will advance the district’s ongoing comprehensive literacy plan by expanding instructional coaching, refining curriculum resources, and providing teachers with sustained, high-quality professional development opportunities. Other initiatives focused on accelerating literacy growth and promoting equitable student achievement include its fall “Race to Read” program, and partnering with the East Orange Public Library to ensure every first grade student has a library card.
For math, the district is addressing the achievement gap in multiple ways which includes creating a committee composed of teachers, coaches, administrators, and specialists to audit all aspects of curriculum, instruction, assessment, and staff development for math teachers.
“I want to personally commend our teachers, administrators, and staff for the extraordinary commitment that made these achievements possible,” commented Dr. Nicholas DeStefano. “Your dedication has set a new standard, and I know that working together, we are all ready to accelerate our progress, ensuring every student reaches their full potential.”
About East Orange School District
The East Orange School District is located in Essex County, New Jersey, and serves approximately 9,000 students. For more information on the district and its 20 public schools (pre-k through grade 12), visit the district website: www.eastorange.k12.nj.us . Follow us on Facebook, Instagram & LinkedIn.
Media Contact:
Terry Corallo, Director of Communications & Community Relations
E-Mail: [email protected]
Phone: 862-233-7300 X28401