Salem Middle School, Salem NJ - Test Scores & Data

Original Research by School Decision on Salem Middle School

Salem Middle School is a regular public school in the city of Salem, New Jersey, serving students from third through eighth grade within the Salem City School District. It is the only middle-grades school in the district, housed in the county seat of Salem County, the state's most rural county. The school building sits in the city's downtown area, close to the historic Old Salem County Courthouse and the commercial core along Broadway and Market Street.

The student body is small and economically disadvantaged. Nearly all students come from low-income households, with a very high share qualifying for free or reduced-price meals. Most students are Black, with a substantial Hispanic minority and a small White population; those identifying as two or more races and American Indian make up the remainder. Data on students with disabilities and English learners was not available, a gap families may want to discuss directly with the school.

Academic performance on the state's NJSLA assessments is low across all tested subjects and grade levels. In mathematics, proficiency rates are far below statewide norms, with the highest grade showing about a quarter of students meeting the standard and several grades showing very small single-digit percentages. In English language arts, performance is also low, though a couple of grades reach roughly a quarter proficient. Science results, tested in grades five and eight, are similarly low. Participation rates for the assessments were not reported. In the context of the county's fifteen districts, Salem Middle School's overall proficiency index falls in the bottom quartile, meaning it ranks among the lowest in Salem County.

Because the school does not serve high school grades, there is no graduation rate to report. No chronic absenteeism data was available, nor any information on discipline, staffing, or course access. The district brief turned up no recent major changes or strategic initiatives to report.

The community of Salem has experienced population decline over several decades, with a notable share of housing units sitting vacant. The city had one of the highest property tax rates in New Jersey. Its economy once centered on glass manufacturing and tomato canning; today the Port of Salem remains an active employer, and county government offices provide jobs. The city is compact with a historic street grid, but car dependence is likely for most daily needs beyond the immediate downtown. These economic conditions help explain the high level of poverty in the school's enrollment.

For a family considering Salem Middle School, the picture is straightforward. The school serves a student population facing significant economic challenges, and its state test results reflect those challenges, placing it well behind most other districts in the county. A parent may want to look into what academic interventions, tutoring, or support programs the school offers and how the district is working to improve outcomes. Without data on special education or English learner services, those are also areas worth asking about directly. The school itself is integrated into the town's historic center, and its small size means students receive a relatively intimate setting through the middle grades.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 317%

School 17% · District 17%

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

Grade 419%

School 19% · District 19%

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

Grade 53%

School 3% · District 3%

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

Grade 65%

School 5% · District 5%

▼ 28 pts below state median · ▼ 32 pts below county median

Grade 74%

School 4% · District 4%

▼ 31 pts below state median · ▼ 38 pts below county median

Grade 82%

School 2% · District 2%

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

English language arts

Grade 310%

School 10% · District 10%

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

Grade 427%

School 27% · District 27%

▼ 28 pts below state median · ▼ 29 pts below county median

Grade 56%

School 6% · District 6%

▼ 48 pts below state median · ▼ 38 pts below county median

Grade 613%

School 13% · District 13%

▼ 41 pts below state median · ▼ 34 pts below county median

Grade 711%

School 11% · District 11%

▼ 46 pts below state median · ▼ 45 pts below county median

Grade 825%

School 25% · District 25%

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

Science

Grade 55%

School 5% · District 5%

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

Grade 81%

School 1% · District 1%

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

This schoolSalem City 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-income10%Higher-income10%0 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income16%Higher-income20%4 pp gap