School 28, Paterson NJ - Test Scores & Data

Original Research by School Decision on School 28

School 28 is a regular public school in Paterson, serving children from prekindergarten through eighth grade. It is part of the Paterson Public School District, the citywide system. The school sits on Presidential Boulevard in a residential neighborhood of this dense, historically industrial city.

The student body is diverse and reflects Paterson’s immigrant-rich population. Hispanic students make up the largest share, followed by Asian students, Black students, and White students, with a small number of students identifying as two or more races. More than three-quarters of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a marker of the economic reality for many families in a city where poverty has been a persistent challenge. The school’s enrollment is moderate for a PK-8 building, with the largest numbers in prekindergarten and kindergarten and then smaller cohorts through the upper grades.

Academically, School 28 stands out sharply. On the state’s NJSLA assessments in math and English language arts, essentially all students in every tested grade scored at the proficient level. In math, every grade from third through seventh posted proficiency rates at or very near perfect, and the same holds for ELA across grades three through eight. The pattern is consistent enough to be a clear strength: the school is producing strong foundational skills through the elementary and middle years. In science, the picture is more mixed. Fifth-grade science results are solid, but by eighth grade the proficiency rate drops substantially. A parent considering this school may want to ask how the science curriculum and instruction shift between those grades and what support is available for students as they approach high school.

Compared to other districts in Passaic County, School 28 lands in the top quartile for overall proficiency across all tested subjects and grades. That is a strong position relative to its peers, especially given that the district as a whole serves a student population with a high concentration of poverty.

Because the school ends at eighth grade, there is no graduation rate to report, and the data do not include details on chronic absenteeism, discipline, or course access. Those are gaps a family might want to investigate directly.

The district context matters here. Paterson Public Schools recently adopted a new five-year strategic plan focused on student achievement and post-graduation readiness, a signal that the system is working on coherent goals. At the same time, the school board approved a budget that includes the maximum allowed property tax levy increase under a state waiver, a cost that falls on district residents. The district is the city’s largest employer, along with local government and the major hospital, but Paterson’s economy has long shifted from its historic silk and manufacturing base to smaller-scale production and immigrant-owned businesses.

The housing market in the zip code shows rising home values and rents, with inventory tight. For a family looking to live in the attendance zone, the market is competitive.

School 28 does not offer high school programs because it does not serve those grades. There is no information about magnet or charter status; it is a regular neighborhood school. For a family seeking a strong academic track in the elementary and middle years within the Paterson public system, the test results are compelling. The high poverty rate and the eighth-grade science dip are real considerations, but the consistency of math and ELA proficiency across a diverse student body makes this school an outlier in a positive direction within its county.

See more original research from School Decision →

Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 3100%

School 100% · District 23% · ▲ 77 pts above district

▲ 50 pts above state median · ▲ 59 pts above county median

Grade 497%

School 97% · District 20% · ▲ 77 pts above district

▲ 52 pts above state median · ▲ 65 pts above county median

Grade 5100%

School 100% · District 15% · ▲ 85 pts above district

▲ 57 pts above state median · ▲ 74 pts above county median

Grade 6100%

School 100% · District 13% · ▲ 87 pts above district

▲ 66 pts above state median · ▲ 84 pts above county median

Grade 795%

School 95% · District 14% · ▲ 82 pts above district

▲ 61 pts above state median · ▲ 76 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 3100%

School 100% · District 22% · ▲ 78 pts above district

▲ 55 pts above state median · ▲ 65 pts above county median

Grade 494%

School 94% · District 27% · ▲ 67 pts above district

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

Grade 597%

School 97% · District 24% · ▲ 73 pts above district

▲ 43 pts above state median · ▲ 59 pts above county median

Grade 697%

School 97% · District 28% · ▲ 69 pts above district

▲ 43 pts above state median · ▲ 59 pts above county median

Grade 7100%

School 100% · District 30% · ▲ 70 pts above district

▲ 43 pts above state median · ▲ 56 pts above county median

Grade 897%

School 97% · District 34% · ▲ 64 pts above district

▲ 39 pts above state median · ▲ 49 pts above county median

Science

Grade 584%

School 84% · District 10% · ▲ 75 pts above district

▲ 57 pts above state median · ▲ 70 pts above county median

Grade 854%

School 54% · District 4% · ▲ 50 pts above district

▲ 41 pts above state median · ▲ 47 pts above county median

This schoolPaterson Public 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-income95%Higher-income100%5 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income100%Higher-income100%0 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income95%Higher-income100%5 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 5Lower-income100%Higher-income100%0 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income92%Higher-income100%8 pp gap