Maria Varisco Rogers Charter School, Newark NJ

Original Research by School Decision on Maria Varisco Rogers Charter School

Maria Varisco Rogers Charter School serves students from kindergarten through eighth grade in Newark, New Jersey. It is a regular public charter school, meaning it is publicly funded but operates with its own board and governance structure outside the Newark Public Schools district. The school is located in the city's North Ward, a dense residential and commercial section of New Jersey's largest and most economically complex city. Newark is a major employment hub, home to corporate headquarters, universities, hospitals, a busy port, and Newark Liberty International Airport. The city has experienced a population rebound and significant reinvestment in its downtown core, though its neighborhoods vary widely in income and housing stock. Typical home values in the school's zip code are close to the statewide median, and rents have been rising, reflecting broader regional pressure on the housing market.

The student body is almost entirely Hispanic, with a very small share of Black students and even fewer from other racial backgrounds. A substantial majority of students come from low-income households, as indicated by the share qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch. This economic context matters for understanding the school's academic results and the support its families may need. Data on students receiving special education services or English learner supports was not available in the source material, so a parent may want to ask the school directly about how those populations are served.

On state assessments in English language arts, the school posted solid results across most tested grades. Proficiency rates were strong in the early and middle grades, with a slight dip in seventh grade and a recovery in eighth grade. In mathematics, the picture is more uneven. Third graders showed a moderate proficiency level, but rates fell sharply beginning in fourth grade and remained low through seventh grade. By eighth grade, no student met the proficiency standard on the state math assessment. In science, fifth graders had modest proficiency, while eighth graders tested very low. The pattern suggests a school with a clear strength in literacy but a challenge in math and science, particularly as students move into the upper grades.

When compared with other districts in Essex County, the school's overall proficiency index across all tested subjects and grades sits below the midpoint. That positioning is consistent with the academic profile described above: some bright spots in reading offset by weaker math and science performance.

Because the school ends at eighth grade, there is no high school graduation rate to report. No data on chronic absenteeism or disciplinary incidents were available in the source materials, either. A family considering this school may want to inquire about attendance patterns and school climate directly. The school environment section did not include staffing or course access information, so those details are also unknowns from this data.

This is a school where a family can expect a strong literacy program in the elementary and middle grades, but should be prepared for significant gaps in math and science achievement, especially as students approach the end of their time there. The high level of economic need among the student body means the school likely draws on community partnerships and wraparound supports, though specific offerings were not documented in what was reviewed. The charter structure gives the school some flexibility in curriculum and staffing decisions, though how it uses that flexibility is not captured here. A parent who values a tight-knit, urban charter environment with a clear literacy emphasis may find this school a good fit, while those seeking consistently strong math and science outcomes across all grades will want to look further into how the school is addressing those areas.

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Academic performance

How students perform on state tests, by grade, set against the district.

Math

Grade 353%

School 53% · District 53%

▲ 3 pts above state median · ▲ 14 pts above county median

Grade 425%

School 25% · District 25%

▼ 20 pts below state median · ▼ 13 pts below county median

Grade 530%

School 30% · District 30%

▼ 13 pts below state median · ▼ 2 pts below county median

Grade 630%

School 30% · District 30%

▼ 4 pts below state median · ▲ 5 pts above county median

Grade 717%

School 17% · District 17%

▼ 18 pts below state median · ▼ 6 pts below county median

Grade 80%

School 0% · District 0%

▼ 17 pts below state median · ▼ 12 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 368%

School 68% · District 68%

▲ 23 pts above state median · ▲ 27 pts above county median

Grade 490%

School 90% · District 90%

▲ 35 pts above state median · ▲ 37 pts above county median

Grade 568%

School 68% · District 68%

▲ 14 pts above state median · ▲ 20 pts above county median

Grade 668%

School 68% · District 68%

▲ 14 pts above state median · ▲ 18 pts above county median

Grade 762%

School 62% · District 62%

▲ 4 pts above state median · ▲ 12 pts above county median

Grade 865%

School 65% · District 65%

▲ 7 pts above state median · ▲ 16 pts above county median

Science

Grade 528%

School 28% · District 28%

▲ 1 pts above state median · ▲ 11 pts above county median

Grade 810%

School 10% · District 10%

▼ 3 pts below state median · ▲ 4 pts above county median

This schoolMaria L. Varisco-Rogers Charter School, same grade

Graduation rate (ACGR) reflects the federally published Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate for the most recent year available. We refresh this data annually at the close of each academic year in June. The federal source publishes a banded rate (for example, "90-94%") instead of an exact number for cohorts small enough to risk identifying individual students. The state distribution chart, where shown, plots every school in the state with a published rate or band; schools whose rate is federally suppressed are excluded. Where the federal source publishes a band rather than an exact rate, the school is placed within its band using a stable, ID-derived offset, so its position is consistent across visits.