The top reported proficiency rate is 88% in English language arts. The lowest is 45% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Emil A. Cavallini Middle School
Emil A. Cavallini Middle School serves grades six through eight in the Upper Saddle River School District, a small suburban public system in Bergen County. The school sits in a borough that is almost entirely residential, with large one-acre lots, very high household incomes (among the highest in New Jersey), and no traditional downtown. Commerce lines Route 17 along the western border, and the Saddle River runs through the town. Upper Saddle River grew rapidly in the mid-twentieth century and has since been stable. The borough has its own elementary schools; high school students attend Northern Highlands Regional High School in Allendale. Cavallini is the only middle school in the district, drawing from the same compact, affluent community.
Academically, Cavallini performs at a high level relative to other districts in Bergen County, landing in the top quartile on an overall proficiency index that averages results across tested subjects and grades. In English language arts, a large majority of students in each grade score at or above the state proficiency standard; results are similarly strong in mathematics for grades six and seven, with a noticeable dip in grade eight, where a smaller share of students meet the benchmark. Science, tested only in grade eight, shows a lower proficiency rate, with less than half of students reaching the state standard. The state uses a different proficiency threshold for science (levels three and four versus levels four and five for ELA and math), so the comparison is not direct. A parent may want to ask the school about science instruction and whether the dip in eighth-grade math reflects course placement patterns or other factors.
The student body is predominantly white, with a substantial Asian population and smaller shares of Hispanic and Black students. The number of students who qualify for free or reduced-price meals is very low, consistent with the community's high-income profile. Data on students with individualized education programs and English learners was not available, so a parent seeking information on special education supports or multilingual services would need to contact the school directly. The school does not report chronic absenteeism rates, and as a middle school it has no graduation rate to report. Information on discipline, staffing ratios, and course access was also not provided.
The housing market in Upper Saddle River is among the most expensive in the region, with home values well above the state and national benchmarks. The borough's one-acre zoning limits dense development, and no major new housing projects were identified in publicly available sources. The departure of Pearson Education, a large employer that relocated several years ago, reduced the local job base; the borough functions primarily as a bedroom community. For families living in Upper Saddle River, the path through the district is straightforward: Reynolds Primary for grades pre-K through two, Bogert Elementary for three through five, Cavallini Middle for six through eight, and then Northern Highlands Regional High School.
Cavallini is a school that suits families already rooted in this high-cost, low-density suburb or those considering a move into it, who are looking for a middle school with strong academic outcomes in the core subjects and a student peer group shaped by a very high-income community. The eighth-grade math and science results are the main points worth a closer look, and the lack of publicly available data on special populations and school climate means a parent should plan to gather that information directly from the school.
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