A new national report tells a complicated story about Newark Public Schools students’ learning and growth

Newark Public Schools students are improving faster than most U.S. districts, gaining 1.23 grade levels annually in reading and math post-pandemic, but remain 2.36 grade levels below the 2019 national average. The district ranks in the 93rd percentile nationally, outpacing similar districts, though performance lags with 34% of students passing English Language Arts and 21.1% passing math tests in 2024.