Cresthaven Academy Charter School, Plainfield NJ

Original Research by School Decision on Cresthaven Academy Charter School

Cresthaven Academy Charter School is a K-8 charter school in Plainfield, New Jersey, serving students from kindergarten through seventh grade as of the most recent data, with eighth grade expected to be added to reach its full K-8 configuration. The school is part of a single-school charter district, meaning it operates independently of the Plainfield Public School District and is governed by its own board. The school was originally a K-5 institution and, after receiving a charter amendment from the state, has been expanding one grade per year, a publicly reported change that gives families the option to stay through middle school rather than transition after fifth grade.

Plainfield itself is a dense, majority-Latino city that functions as both a bedroom suburb of New York and a regional commercial and industrial hub. The city has a traditional downtown centered around its NJ Transit station, with a mix of historic 18th-century buildings and urban commercial corridors. Publicly reported redevelopment activity, described by the city as over a billion dollars in new projects, signals a period of growth and demographic change. The school is located on West 7th Street, within the city's residential fabric.

Cresthaven Academy serves kindergarten through seventh grade, with eighth grade expected to be added to reach its full K-8 configuration. The student body is predominantly Hispanic, with a smaller share of Black students and very small numbers of white, multiracial, and Native American students. Nearly half of the students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a measure of economic need. Data on students with disabilities and English learners was not available in the source data, so a parent may want to ask the school directly about those supports.

On state assessments, the school's results show a mixed picture that varies by grade and subject. In English language arts, proficiency rates in grades three through eight cluster in a range that includes a notable share of students meeting the state's bar, with the strongest results in grades five, six, and eight. In math, the pattern is weaker across the board, with proficiency rates that are lower than the ELA results in every grade, and the eighth-grade cohort had no students reaching the proficient level. Science results, tested in grades five and eight, show very low proficiency rates. When compared to other districts in Union County, the school's overall proficiency index places it in the bottom quartile. A parent may want to look into this further with the school to understand the academic support and intervention strategies in place.

Because Cresthaven Academy is a K-8 charter school, it does not have a graduation rate to report. The school's expansion means it now offers a continuous pathway through middle school, which may appeal to families seeking stability within a single school setting through the end of eighth grade. The school operates as its own charter district, separate from the Plainfield Public School District, and its governance structure is distinct from the local district school board.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 346%

School 46% · District 46%

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

Grade 415%

School 15% · District 15%

▼ 31 pts below state median · ▼ 21 pts below county median

Grade 516%

School 16% · District 16%

▼ 27 pts below state median · ▼ 19 pts below county median

Grade 629%

School 29% · District 29%

▼ 5 pts below state median · ▲ 2 pts above county median

Grade 712%

School 12% · District 12%

▼ 23 pts below state median · ▼ 10 pts below county median

Grade 80%

School 0% · District 0%

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

English language arts

Grade 336%

School 36% · District 36%

▼ 9 pts below state median · ▼ 5 pts below county median

Grade 433%

School 33% · District 33%

▼ 22 pts below state median · ▼ 14 pts below county median

Grade 549%

School 49% · District 49%

▼ 5 pts below state median · even with county median

Grade 649%

School 49% · District 49%

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

Grade 729%

School 29% · District 29%

▼ 28 pts below state median · ▼ 26 pts below county median

Grade 849%

School 49% · District 49%

▼ 9 pts below state median · ▼ 9 pts below county median

Science

Grade 55%

School 5% · District 5%

▼ 22 pts below state median · ▼ 15 pts below county median

Grade 88%

School 8% · District 8%

▼ 5 pts below state median · even with county median

This schoolCresthaven Academy 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.

Proficiency by household income

English language arts

Grade 3Lower-income28%Higher-income73%46 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income44%Higher-income67%23 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income29%Higher-income27%3 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income35%Higher-income93%59 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income19%Higher-income7%12 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income29%Higher-income30%1 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income10%Higher-income20%10 pp gap