Cedarbrook Elementary School, Plainfield NJ

Original Research by School Decision on Cedarbrook Elementary School

Cedarbrook Elementary School serves students from kindergarten through eighth grade in the city of Plainfield. It is a regular public school within the Plainfield Public School District. The student body is predominantly Latino and Black, and a substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. The school’s enrollment spans a wide age range, a less common configuration that keeps children in the same building from elementary through middle school.

On state assessments, Cedarbrook’s results fall well below the midpoint of the Union County school district comparison set. In English language arts, the share of students scoring proficient or above is generally modest across the grade levels, with eighth grade showing a somewhat higher rate than the earlier grades. In math, the proficiency rates are lower across every tested grade. Science results are particularly low, with a very small percentage of students meeting the state’s standard. A parent considering this school will want to look into the academic support and intervention programs in place, especially in math and science.

Plainfield is an urban center and a bedroom suburb of New York, with a mix of historic homes, commercial corridors, and industrial uses. The city has a traditional downtown near the NJ Transit station, which offers rail service to Newark and New York. The population is majority Latino, and the city has seen significant redevelopment activity in recent years, including over a billion dollars in new projects. This context of growth and demographic change shapes the community that the school serves.

The district itself has recently completed a major facility project. In 2023, the new Charles and Anna Booker Elementary School opened, replacing the former Cook and Woodland Avenue schools. This is a tangible capital investment in the district’s physical plant, though it does not directly affect Cedarbrook’s facility.

Because Cedarbrook serves grades K through 8, it does not have a graduation rate to report. The school also does not offer the kind of Advanced Placement or career-focused pathways found at a high school. The curriculum is a standard elementary and middle school program within the district.

The school environment data, including discipline rates and staffing ratios, was not available. Chronic absenteeism data was also missing. A family looking at this school may want to ask the school directly about class sizes, teacher turnover, and what systems are in place to support students who are below grade level in reading and math. The comparison data places Cedarbrook in the bottom quartile of Union County districts for overall proficiency, which is a clear signal that the academic outcomes are a concern.

For a family weighing this school, the primary consideration is whether the academic support structure can meet their child’s needs. The school serves a diverse, high-needs population in a city undergoing visible economic renewal. The limited state test results suggest a significant number of students are not yet meeting grade-level benchmarks, particularly in math and science. A parent may want to visit, talk to teachers, and understand how the school is working to address these gaps before making a decision.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 325%

School 25% · District 29% · ▼ 4 pts below district

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

Grade 418%

School 18% · District 21% · ▼ 3 pts below district

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

Grade 521%

School 21% · District 19% · ▲ 2 pts above district

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

Grade 623%

School 23% · District 14% · ▲ 9 pts above district

▼ 11 pts below state median · ▼ 3 pts below county median

Grade 719%

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

▼ 16 pts below state median · ▼ 3 pts below county median

Grade 819%

School 19% · District 10% · ▲ 9 pts above district

▲ 2 pts above state median · ▲ 6 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 331%

School 31% · District 23% · ▲ 8 pts above district

▼ 14 pts below state median · ▼ 10 pts below county median

Grade 425%

School 25% · District 22% · ▲ 3 pts above district

▼ 30 pts below state median · ▼ 22 pts below county median

Grade 523%

School 23% · District 26% · ▼ 2 pts below district

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

Grade 629%

School 29% · District 26% · ▲ 3 pts above district

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

Grade 735%

School 35% · District 25% · ▲ 10 pts above district

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

Grade 838%

School 38% · District 24% · ▲ 14 pts above district

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

Science

Grade 58%

School 8% · District 8%

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

Grade 85%

School 5% · District 3% · ▲ 3 pts above district

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

This schoolPlainfield 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 3Lower-income35%Higher-income22%12 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income24%Higher-income27%3 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income24%Higher-income23%1 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income21%Higher-income40%19 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income38%Higher-income29%8 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income30%Higher-income50%20 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income28%Higher-income17%12 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income18%Higher-income18%1 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income26%Higher-income15%10 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income21%Higher-income26%5 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income16%Higher-income24%7 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income17%Higher-income21%4 pp gap