John Adams Middle School, Edison NJ

Original Research by School Decision on John Adams Middle School

John Adams Middle School is a regular public school in Edison, New Jersey, serving grades six through eight within the Edison Township School District. It sits in a community that is both a residential suburb of New York City and a significant commercial center, home to a large South Asian cultural corridor along Oak Tree Road and one of the largest industrial parks on the East Coast. Edison is one of the most diverse towns in New Jersey, with a very large Asian American population, a substantial share identifying as Indian American, and more than seventy-five ethnic communities represented. The housing market reflects this desirability: home values in the zip code are high and rents are elevated, meaning families moving into the attendance zone typically have considerable financial resources. School taxes in the district have been kept stable for several years, a fact publicly reported as providing property tax predictability.

The student body at John Adams Middle School is overwhelmingly Asian, with very small shares of students who are Black, Hispanic, white, or multiracial. A modest portion of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating that while there is some economic diversity, the school serves a largely middle-class and upper-middle-class population. Data on students with disabilities and English learners were not available in the materials reviewed, so a reader may wish to ask the school directly about support services.

Academically, the school shows a striking pattern. In English language arts, students perform at a very high level across all three grades, with proficiency rates that are strong and climb higher from sixth to eighth grade. This is a clear strength. In mathematics, the picture is more uneven. Sixth-grade math proficiency is strong. Seventh-grade math drops to a more moderate level. Eighth-grade math, however, shows a very sharp decline, with only a small fraction of tested students reaching proficiency. That result is an outlier compared to the school’s other scores and stands out as a point a parent would want to investigate further with the school. Science proficiency in eighth grade is around the midpoint. When all tested subjects and grades are combined into an overall proficiency index, the school places in the top quartile relative to districts in Middlesex County, a reflection of its strong ELA performance lifting the composite.

Because the school serves only middle grades, there is no graduation rate or chronic absenteeism data, and those measures do not apply here. Information about advanced coursework, extracurricular programs, discipline, and staffing was not included in the available data, so families interested in those details should seek them directly from the school or district.

John Adams Middle School offers a rigorous academic environment in a community that is both affluent and culturally rich. The standout ELA results and the high overall proficiency index will appeal to families who prioritize reading and writing skills. The math performance, particularly in the final middle school year, is a more complex story, and prospective families should ask how the school supports students who struggle with math as they prepare for high school.

See more original research from School Decision →

Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 673%

School 73% · District 53% · ▲ 20 pts above district

▲ 40 pts above state median · ▲ 40 pts above county median

Grade 755%

School 55% · District 38% · ▲ 17 pts above district

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

Grade 86%

School 6% · District 4% · ▲ 2 pts above district

▼ 11 pts below state median · ▼ 1 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 684%

School 84% · District 67% · ▲ 18 pts above district

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

Grade 786%

School 86% · District 72% · ▲ 14 pts above district

▲ 28 pts above state median · ▲ 34 pts above county median

Grade 891%

School 91% · District 74% · ▲ 16 pts above district

▲ 33 pts above state median · ▲ 36 pts above county median

Science

Grade 852%

School 52% · District 36% · ▲ 16 pts above district

▲ 39 pts above state median · ▲ 39 pts above county median

This schoolEdison Township 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 6Lower-income42%Higher-income90%48 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income49%Higher-income90%42 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income46%Higher-income97%50 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 6Lower-income16%Higher-income81%65 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income25%Higher-income64%39 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income0%Higher-income13%13 pp gap