Upper School, Englewood Cliffs NJ

Original Research by School Decision on Upper School

Upper School, the older-grades building of the two-school Englewood Cliffs School District, serves third through eighth graders in a small, affluent Bergen County borough perched on the Hudson Palisades. The community around it is shaped by corporate headquarters including LG Electronics, CNBC, and Unilever, and by residential streets with very high home values that have risen steadily in recent years. The population has been roughly stable. For families considering this school, the academic picture is unusually clear: proficiency rates across tested grades and subjects place the school in the top quartile of all districts in Bergen County, a competitive field.

State assessment results show consistent strength in English language arts across every grade that reported data. Third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth grade all posted proficiency rates well above the county median. Fourth and fifth grade ELA results were particularly high. In math, the pattern is strong through sixth grade, then softens in seventh grade before eighth grade math results were suppressed for data reasons—a parent may want to ask the school about that suppression. Science results, which are tested in fifth and eighth grade, are solid but less dominant than the literacy scores; both grades reported rates that are strong but not at the very top of the range seen in ELA. The overall proficiency index across all tested subjects and grades confirms that this school performs well above its peers.

The student body of the Upper School is relatively small for a school serving these grades, a size that often allows for close teacher-student relationships and a cohesive peer environment. Demographically, the student population is majority Asian, with a substantial white presence, and smaller shares of Hispanic, two-or-more-races, and Black students. Data on economic disadvantage, students with disabilities, and English learner status was not available, so a family trying to understand the full support picture will need to contact the school directly for that information. The school is a regular public school, not a magnet or charter, and Title I status was not reported.

Because the Upper School ends at eighth grade, families should plan for the transition to high school. The district has a sending-receiving relationship with the Englewood Public School District, so students attend Dwight Morrow High School in neighboring Englewood. That arrangement is a fixed part of the educational pathway for local families and is worth understanding early.

The housing market in Englewood Cliffs is among the most expensive in New Jersey. Home values are very high, and the borough has seen a recent rise in listings and a moderately paced market. Rents, while not directly reported here, are likely correspondingly high given the broader county context. The community has a low-density, suburban feel without a traditional downtown; the corporate campuses give it a distinct character. Growth has been stable, with the notable development of LG’s North American headquarters on the Palisades completed after legal adjustments. The street life is primarily residential and campus-oriented rather than walkable.

Civil rights and school environment data such as discipline, staffing ratios, and attendance were not available in the provided materials, so a family assessing safety and climate should seek those from the district directly. The school’s academic record is its clearest signal: strong proficiency across the board, with a slight dip in upper-grade math and science that may reflect the normal challenge of middle school content or something a family should explore further with the school. For a parent seeking a high-performing, smaller middle school in a wealthy, stable suburb with a defined high school destination, Upper School presents a straightforward picture. The missing pieces are the typical ones for a school that serves only elementary and middle grades—no graduation rate, no high school course access data—but the academic core is well documented and strong.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 389%

School 89% · District 89%

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

Grade 488%

School 88% · District 88%

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

Grade 586%

School 86% · District 86%

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

Grade 685%

School 85% · District 85%

▲ 51 pts above state median · ▲ 26 pts above county median

Grade 769%

School 69% · District 69%

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

English language arts

Grade 382%

School 82% · District 82%

▲ 37 pts above state median · ▲ 19 pts above county median

Grade 497%

School 97% · District 97%

▲ 42 pts above state median · ▲ 24 pts above county median

Grade 594%

School 94% · District 94%

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

Grade 694%

School 94% · District 94%

▲ 40 pts above state median · ▲ 17 pts above county median

Grade 783%

School 83% · District 83%

▲ 26 pts above state median · ▲ 5 pts above county median

Grade 888%

School 88% · District 88%

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

Science

Grade 566%

School 66% · District 66%

▲ 39 pts above state median · ▲ 24 pts above county median

Grade 870%

School 70% · District 70%

▲ 57 pts above state median · ▲ 43 pts above county median

This schoolEnglewood Cliffs 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.