Copeland Middle School, Rockaway NJ

Original Research by School Decision on Copeland Middle School

Copeland Middle School is a regular public school serving grades six through eight in the Rockaway area, part of the Rockaway Township School District. Its enrollment draws from a surrounding community that includes both a historic borough with a walkable downtown and a larger township with suburban residential character. The student body is largely White, with a substantial Hispanic population and smaller shares of Asian, Black, and multiracial students. About one in nine students qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch, a lower share than is typical statewide, reflecting the area's above-average housing costs.

Academically, the school shows a clear split between English language arts and math. In ELA, across all three grade levels, a strong majority of students meet state proficiency standards, with the sixth grade performing particularly well. This is a clear strength for the school. Math results are more mixed. In sixth grade, roughly half of students are proficient, but that rate drops in seventh grade and falls further in eighth grade, where only about a quarter reach proficiency. Science, tested only in eighth grade, shows a similar pattern to eighth-grade math, with a modest share of students scoring proficient. The state assessment uses the New Jersey Student Learning Assessment, and participation rates were not reported in the data available.

When compared to other districts in Morris County, Copeland Middle School's overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades places it in the bottom quartile. A parent may want to investigate what supports are available for math and science instruction, especially in the upper grades, and whether there are targeted interventions or accelerated pathways.

The school offers a standard middle school program for its grade band. No information on course offerings, advanced coursework, or elective programs was provided, so it is not possible to assess breadth of curricula here. Similarly, data on staffing ratios, chronic absenteeism, and discipline was absent from the available record.

The community context matters for families considering this school. The Rockaway area is a mix of a small historic borough and a larger township, with some homes dating to the 1800s and a downtown district of shops, restaurants, and cafes. The Rockaway River and Parks Lake walking trail are popular local features. The housing market is active, with median home values above the national average and a high demand score relative to supply, meaning inventory is limited and homes sell quickly. This is not an area where housing is inexpensive, and the cost of living is a meaningful factor for anyone looking to move into the district.

The school itself sits in a suburban setting without a separate campus feel; civic and school buildings are integrated into the town fabric. Copeland serves as the middle school for Rockaway Township, feeding into Morris Hills High School for grades nine through twelve, which is part of the Morris Hills Regional District.

Overall, Copeland Middle School offers a solid ELA program against a backdrop of weakening math and science performance as students advance through the grades. Families whose children are strong readers may find the school a good fit, while those whose children need math support should look closely at how the school addresses the drop-off in proficiency. The community is stable, with modest population growth, and the housing market reflects a desirable, built-out suburban area with historic charm and convenient highway and bus access.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 651%

School 51% · District 51%

▲ 18 pts above state median · ▼ 4 pts below county median

Grade 736%

School 36% · District 36%

▲ 1 pts above state median · ▼ 24 pts below county median

Grade 825%

School 25% · District 25%

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

English language arts

Grade 673%

School 73% · District 73%

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

Grade 765%

School 65% · District 65%

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

Grade 867%

School 67% · District 67%

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

Science

Grade 825%

School 25% · District 25%

▲ 12 pts above state median · ▼ 5 pts below county median

This schoolRockaway Township 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 6Lower-income62%Higher-income76%14 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income50%Higher-income68%18 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income47%Higher-income73%26 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 6Lower-income31%Higher-income55%25 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income16%Higher-income41%25 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income12%Higher-income29%17 pp gap