School #6/middle School, Cliffside Park NJ

Original Research by School Decision on School #6/middle School

School #6/Middle School is the sole middle school in the Cliffside Park School District, serving students in grades five through eight. It is a regular public school, not a charter or magnet. The school sits in a densely built borough atop the Hudson Palisades, a compact one-square-mile community that is among the most densely populated places in New Jersey. Most families here are New York City commuters, and the main commercial strip, Anderson Avenue, is lined with restaurants and shops that reflect a diverse mix of residents.

The student body is predominantly Hispanic, with a substantial white minority and smaller shares of Asian and Black students. More than half of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a sign that the school serves a student population where economic need is common. Data on English learners and students with disabilities was not available in the materials reviewed, so a parent may want to ask the school directly about the share of students receiving those services and how they are supported.

On state assessments, the picture varies by subject. In English language arts, across grades five through eight, proficiency rates range from roughly half to two-thirds of students meeting the state bar. The strongest showing is in sixth grade, and the weakest is in seventh. In math, proficiency rates are lower, in the range of about a third to two-fifths, with eighth grade the softest spot. Science results, tested in fifth and eighth grades, show about one in five students proficient. Taken together, the school’s overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades places it in the bottom quarter among districts in Bergen County, a comparison set that includes many higher-performing districts. This does not mean the school is failing; it means the typical student here scores below the county median. A parent considering this school may want to understand what academic supports are in place, particularly in math and science, and whether the school offers enrichment for students who are ready for more.

Because the school serves only middle grades, there is no graduation rate to report, no AP or dual-credit programs, and no career pathways of the kind found in high schools. The school’s academic program is necessarily focused on the core middle-school curriculum. No information was available about course offerings beyond what is typical for a regular public middle school, such as electives or advanced math tracks. This is a gap a family would want to fill by visiting or contacting the school.

The community context is important. Cliffside Park is extremely dense and walkable, with bus routes along the main streets and views of the Hudson from Palisade Avenue. Housing is expensive: typical home values and rents in the zip code are well above national medians, reflecting the borough’s proximity to Manhattan. The district underwent a property tax revaluation in 2022 that lowered the overall tax rate, which has since remained stable. For families moving into the area, this affects the total cost of living. The schools are embedded in neighborhoods rather than set on a campus, and the civic center along Anderson Avenue is within walking distance of most homes.

What is missing from the available data may be as important as what is present. There is no reported chronic absenteeism rate, no discipline data, no information on staffing ratios or teacher experience, and no breakdown of how student subgroups perform on tests. A parent who wants a full picture will need to ask the school directly about these areas.

For whom does this school fit? A family looking for a middle school in a dense, walkable, commuter-friendly borough with a diverse student body and a moderate-to-high level of economic need. The academic results suggest that while many students meet state expectations in reading, math and science achievement is more uneven. A parent whose child may need extra support in those subjects will want to confirm that the school has the resources to provide it. A family that values high test scores relative to the county would likely find stronger options elsewhere in Bergen County, but for those anchored in Cliffside Park by housing or commute, this is the neighborhood middle school that serves the vast majority of local students.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 535%

School 35% · District 41% · ▼ 6 pts below district

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

Grade 641%

School 41% · District 41%

▲ 8 pts above state median · ▼ 18 pts below county median

Grade 733%

School 33% · District 33%

▼ 2 pts below state median · ▼ 24 pts below county median

Grade 830%

School 30% · District 30%

▲ 13 pts above state median · ▼ 6 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 555%

School 55% · District 61% · ▼ 6 pts below district

▲ 1 pts above state median · ▼ 17 pts below county median

Grade 666%

School 66% · District 66%

▲ 12 pts above state median · ▼ 11 pts below county median

Grade 753%

School 53% · District 53%

▼ 4 pts below state median · ▼ 25 pts below county median

Grade 852%

School 52% · District 52%

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

Science

Grade 521%

School 21% · District 24% · ▼ 2 pts below district

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

Grade 818%

School 18% · District 18%

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

This schoolCliffside Park School District, 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-income56%Higher-income62%6 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income62%Higher-income75%13 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income52%Higher-income69%17 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income60%Higher-income81%21 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income44%Higher-income74%30 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income49%Higher-income58%9 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income69%Higher-income77%8 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income62%Higher-income82%20 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income35%Higher-income37%2 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income34%Higher-income63%29 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income24%Higher-income54%31 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income22%Higher-income49%27 pp gap