Iprep Academy School No 8, Elizabeth NJ

Original Research by School Decision on Iprep Academy School No 8

iPrep Academy School No 8 is a regular public school in Elizabeth, New Jersey, serving students from kindergarten through eighth grade. It is part of the Elizabeth Public Schools district, the city’s single district. The school sits in an urban, densely populated city that serves as the Union County seat, with a historic downtown core, major transportation infrastructure including two NJ Transit rail stations and proximity to Newark Liberty International Airport and the Port Newark-Elizabeth Marine Terminal, and a mix of residential neighborhoods, large retail destinations such as The Mills at Jersey Gardens, and heavy industrial zones. Elizabeth’s population has grown in recent decades, and the city is notably diverse, with residents representing many countries and language groups.

The student body at iPrep Academy School No 8 is predominantly Hispanic and Black, with smaller shares of white and Asian students. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, placing the school in a high-poverty context. The school serves a single grade band from kindergarten through eighth grade, which means it does not have a high school and therefore has no graduation rate to report.

Academically, the picture is mixed and varies by subject and grade level. On the New Jersey Student Learning Assessments, the school’s overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades places it in a position below the midpoint relative to districts in Union County, the comparison set available. Within the school, performance in English language arts shows a notable upward trajectory as students progress through the grades. Upper elementary and middle school grades, particularly sixth, seventh, and eighth, reach proficiency at rates that are meaningfully higher than the lower elementary grades. In math, however, the pattern is less encouraging: proficiency rates are low across every tested grade, and in some middle school grades the share of students meeting the state’s proficient benchmark is very small. Science results, tested in fifth and eighth grades, are also low, with eighth-grade science proficiency particularly weak. A parent considering this school will want to examine these patterns closely, especially if math and science achievement are priorities, and may wish to ask the school about targeted supports and interventions in those subjects.

The school’s enrollment is of a size typical for an urban K-8 building, with relatively consistent class sizes across grades. Discipline, attendance, and staffing data were not available in the provided information, so a parent may want to inquire directly about those areas. The district brief did not surface any recent parent-relevant changes with lasting impact, though the city’s broader growth and economic development context, including significant investment near the port and retail corridor, suggests a dynamic community.

For a family, iPrep Academy School No 8 offers a neighborhood school in a diverse, urban setting with a concentrated student population. Its strongest showings are in middle school English language arts, where a majority of students meet or exceed state standards. The math and science results are areas where the school appears to have more work to do, and prospective parents should look into what academic supports the school provides for students who are not yet proficient. The school’s location in Elizabeth means students have access to the city’s transit network, parks, and civic amenities. Families weighing this school should also consider the broader Elizabeth district context, as middle school students will eventually transition to one of the district’s high schools for ninth grade, though this school does not serve those grades. The lack of high school data does not apply here, and the absence of civil rights and discipline data leaves open questions about school climate and equity that a parent may want to explore through a school visit or conversation with the principal.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 324%

School 24% · District 37% · ▼ 13 pts below district

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

Grade 428%

School 28% · District 32% · ▼ 4 pts below district

▼ 18 pts below state median · ▼ 7 pts below county median

Grade 529%

School 29% · District 33% · ▼ 4 pts below district

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

Grade 68%

School 8% · District 26% · ▼ 18 pts below district

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

Grade 715%

School 15% · District 21% · ▼ 6 pts below district

▼ 20 pts below state median · ▼ 7 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 316%

School 16% · District 30% · ▼ 13 pts below district

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

Grade 436%

School 36% · District 37% · ▼ 1 pts below district

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

Grade 542%

School 42% · District 40% · ▲ 2 pts above district

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

Grade 667%

School 67% · District 53% · ▲ 14 pts above district

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

Grade 771%

School 71% · District 56% · ▲ 15 pts above district

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

Grade 879%

School 79% · District 55% · ▲ 25 pts above district

▲ 22 pts above state median · ▲ 21 pts above county median

Science

Grade 519%

School 19% · District 15% · ▲ 4 pts above district

▼ 8 pts below state median · even with county median

Grade 86%

School 6% · District 9% · ▼ 3 pts below district

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

This schoolElizabeth Public Schools, 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.