The top reported proficiency rate is 41% in English language arts. The lowest is 5% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Achieve Community Charter School
Achieve Community Charter School was a single-school charter district in New Jersey, serving elementary and middle grades. As of July 2023, it merged with People’s Preparatory Charter School, a high school in Newark, to form a new K‑12 entity called People’s Achieve Community Charter School. The merger was approved by the New Jersey Department of Education in February 2023, meaning that the standalone version of Achieve Community Charter School no longer exists. The narrative below describes the school as it operated during the 2022‑23 school year, the last year for which state assessment data is available before the combination.
The school’s academic performance on New Jersey’s state assessments in 2022‑23 shows a mixed picture. In mathematics, proficiency rates were low across all tested grades. Third grade had a modest share of students meeting the state’s proficient benchmark, but rates dropped sharply in fourth and fifth grades and fell further in sixth grade, where only about one in ten students reached proficiency. Eighth grade math results were also weak, with fewer than one in five students proficient. English language arts results were stronger, though still below state averages. In third grade about one‑third of students were proficient, and the rate rose in fourth and fifth grades to around two‑fifths. Sixth grade ELA proficiency was similar, and eighth grade reached exactly half of students meeting the standard. Science scores were especially concerning: fifth grade saw roughly one in ten students proficient, and in eighth grade no student scored at the proficient level. Because participation rates were not reported, it is unclear whether these results reflect nearly all enrolled students or a narrower tested group.
Demographic and enrollment data for the school were not available in the record, so it is not possible to describe the student body composition, the share of students qualifying for free or reduced‑price meals, or the proportion receiving special education or English learner services. Similarly, information on discipline, attendance, staffing, course access, and the school’s Title I status is missing. Families considering a similar program today should seek these details from the new merged entity.
The merger with People’s Preparatory Charter School is the most consequential recent change. According to publicly reported information from the New Jersey Department of Education, the two charters combined assets and created a single K‑12 school, People’s Achieve Community Charter School. For families in Newark, this means there is now a charter pathway that spans elementary through high school under one district, rather than requiring a transition from a K‑8 charter to a separate high school. The academic results described here reflect the pre‑merger Achieve Community Charter School; the performance and offerings of the new combined school may differ.
Because no locale brief or community context was provided, this narrative cannot speak to the surrounding housing market, local economy, or neighborhood characteristics. The school’s state‑level comparison data were also absent, so it is not possible to place its proficiency rates in a county or regional context. The available information is limited to state assessment scores and the merger timeline. Parents interested in the current incarnation of this charter should contact People’s Achieve Community Charter School directly for updated enrollment figures, program offerings, and student outcomes.
See more original research from School Decision →