The top reported proficiency rate is 52% in English language arts. The lowest is 6% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Phillip's Academy Charter School
Phillip’s Academy Charter School operates as a single-site charter district in Essex County, serving students from prekindergarten through eighth grade. Its enrollment is moderate for a school of this grade span, and the student body is overwhelmingly Black, with a smaller share of Hispanic students and very small numbers of other racial groups. Data on economic disadvantage, special education identification, and English learner status were not available in the profile, so a family may wish to ask the school directly about the support structures it offers those populations.
State assessment results from the NJSLA exams paint a mixed picture. In mathematics, proficiency rates across grades three through eight ranged from roughly a quarter to just under half, with grades seven and eight performing somewhat better than the lower grades. English language arts outcomes follow a clearer upward trajectory: third-grade proficiency was around a quarter of students, but by sixth grade more than three in five students met the bar, and by eighth grade about two-thirds did. That kind of improvement over the grade span is a strength and suggests that the school’s literacy instruction and supports may become more effective as students progress. Science results are a notable soft spot. In fifth grade, only a small share of students scored proficient, and in eighth grade no student reached that threshold. A parent interested in the school’s science program would want to look into this further.
When placed among Essex County’s districts, Phillip’s Academy sits below the midpoint in overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades, a position that reflects the math and science struggles more than the stronger upper-grade ELA performance. Chronic absenteeism is also a concern: the school’s rate falls below the county midpoint, meaning it is higher than the median. Per-pupil current spending is in the lower range of the county, which may affect resource availability.
The school has received public recognition from the New Jersey Department of Education as a Lighthouse Awardee for the 2023–2025 term in the category of Diversifying the Teacher Workforce. This award acknowledges a measurable shift in the racial and ethnic composition of the teaching staff, a change that can influence the classroom environment and student-teacher relationships. For families who value seeing a staff that reflects the diversity of the student body, this is a concrete point to consider.
Because the school ends at eighth grade, there is no graduation rate to report, and no high school program or graduation outcomes to evaluate. The school’s website and further details on programs such as arts, athletics, or after-school offerings were not included in the data reviewed. A family considering this charter would benefit from visiting the school and asking about how the school supports students in the earlier grades where math and science results are weakest, and what continuity or transition support is offered for students moving on to high school.
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