Township of Ocean Intermediate School, Ocean NJ

Original Research by School Decision on Township of Ocean Intermediate School

Township of Ocean Intermediate School serves grades five through eight in the Township of Ocean School District, a suburban Monmouth County community that describes itself as “The Community of Gracious Living.” The township is primarily residential, with neighborhoods such as Oakhurst, Wayside, Wanamassa, and several others spread across an area of modest size. It has no traditional downtown; schools, parks, a library, a community pool, and a municipal golf course are distributed across the township. The area is car-dependent, and its housing market reflects a suburban New Jersey coastal setting with property values that the township notes have been supported by the school system and municipal amenities. The district itself is a single entity covering the township, and no recent parent-relevant changes such as referendums, curriculum updates, or budget shifts were found in publicly available information.

Township of Ocean Intermediate School is a regular public school serving grades five through eight. Its enrollment is large for a middle-grades school, and the student body is predominantly white, with a substantial Hispanic population and smaller shares of Black and Asian students. About a third of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a measure of economic need that is moderate for the area.

State testing results from the New Jersey Student Learning Assessments show a mixed picture that varies notably by grade and subject. In English language arts, the school posts its strongest results in fifth and seventh grade, where a majority of students meet the state’s proficiency benchmark. Sixth and eighth grade ELA results are lower, with roughly half of students reaching proficiency. In math, the pattern is more uneven. Fifth grade math is a relative bright spot, with a majority of students scoring proficient. Seventh grade math is lower, and sixth grade math is lower still. Eighth grade math is the weakest area, with a small share of students meeting the proficiency standard. Science results follow a similar grade-level pattern: fifth grade science shows a moderate proficiency rate, while eighth grade science is markedly lower. Overall, the school’s proficiency index across all tested subjects and grades places it below the midpoint relative to other districts in Monmouth County. A parent may want to look into this further with the school, particularly around how math instruction and support are structured as students move through the grades.

The school is a regular public school and is not a charter or magnet. It does not serve high school grades, so there is no graduation rate to report. Data on special education identification and English learner status were not available in the source materials, nor were discipline, staffing, or course access details. A parent who wants to understand the full range of academic supports and program offerings would need to follow up directly with the school.

The community context is suburban and car-dependent. Township of Ocean is a primarily residential area with neighborhoods such as Oakhurst, Wayside, and Wanamassa. It has no traditional downtown; schools, parks, a library, a community pool, and a municipal golf course are spread across the township. The area is bordered by Asbury Park and Long Branch, giving residents access to those cities’ amenities and transit. Housing values in the area are high, and the market shows a mix of demand and supply that is typical for a desirable suburban New Jersey community near the coast. Rents are also high, and the overall cost of housing is a significant factor for families considering the area.

For a family looking at this school, the central question is how the academic experience matches a student’s needs. The school’s ELA results are generally stronger than its math results, and the drop in math proficiency from fifth to eighth grade is a pattern worth exploring. The school does not offer high school programs, so there is no graduation rate or advanced course data to consider. The setting is a stable, residential suburb with a range of municipal amenities and proximity to the Jersey Shore. A parent considering this school would want to understand how the intermediate school prepares students for the high school experience in the same district, and what academic supports are available for students who are not yet meeting proficiency, particularly in math and science.

See more original research from School Decision →

Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 558%

School 58% · District 58%

▲ 15 pts above state median · ▲ 3 pts above county median

Grade 629%

School 29% · District 29%

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

Grade 734%

School 34% · District 34%

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

Grade 811%

School 11% · District 11%

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

English language arts

Grade 561%

School 61% · District 61%

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

Grade 645%

School 45% · District 45%

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

Grade 767%

School 67% · District 67%

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

Grade 852%

School 52% · District 52%

▼ 5 pts below state median · ▼ 16 pts below county median

Science

Grade 538%

School 38% · District 38%

▲ 10 pts above state median · ▲ 2 pts above county median

Grade 821%

School 21% · District 21%

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

This schoolTownship of Ocean 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 5Lower-income51%Higher-income65%14 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income28%Higher-income56%28 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income50%Higher-income76%26 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income28%Higher-income62%33 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 5Lower-income50%Higher-income61%11 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income16%Higher-income37%21 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income17%Higher-income43%26 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income4%Higher-income17%13 pp gap