Fords Middle School, Fords NJ - Test Scores & Data

Original Research by School Decision on Fords Middle School

Fords Middle School serves students in grades six through eight within the Woodbridge Township School District. It is a regular public school located in the densely settled census-designated place of Fords, a compact residential community in Middlesex County that is defined by major highway corridors—the New Jersey Turnpike, the Garden State Parkway, and U.S. Route 1—and that lacks a traditional downtown district. The school sits within the neighborhood fabric rather than on a separated campus. Around the school, the housing market shows a mix of owner-occupied homes and rentals, with a median home value that sits near the middle of the state range; the county market has been active, with a modest seasonal pattern in listing activity.

Enrollment is consistent across the three middle grades, and the student body is racially and ethnically diverse. Hispanic students make up the largest share, followed by White students, Asian students, and Black students, with a small percentage identifying as two or more races. Just over half of the students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a measure that places the school in a context of moderate economic need. Data on students with disabilities and English learners was not available in the records reviewed, so a parent may want to ask the school about the specific support structures for those populations.

On state assessments, Fords Middle School’s proficiency rates fall below the midpoint among the county’s school districts. In math, proficiency across grades six, seven, and eight hovers in the low to mid-twenties; in English language arts, proficiency rates are in the high twenties to low thirties. Science proficiency, tested in grade eight, is notably lower. When the school is placed against other districts in Middlesex County, its overall proficiency index sits in the bottom quarter. A parent interested in academic rigor or competitive high school preparation may want to inquire further about how the school addresses these outcomes and what interventions or enrichment opportunities are in place. Because the school serves only middle grades, there is no graduation rate to report.

The data did not include information on course access, including advanced, career, or dual-credit offerings, which are less common at the middle school level but still relevant for families. No information on staffing ratios, chronic absenteeism, or discipline was available; those are gaps a parent may wish to fill by contacting the school directly. The district itself has had no major publicly reported changes that would affect day-to-day operations at the school.

Fords is a commuter-oriented community with a high rate of residential stability and limited new housing development. The school reflects that stability in its steady grade-level enrollment. For a family considering this school, the peer environment is diverse and economically varied, the setting is suburban and car-dependent, and the academic profile, based on state test results, is one where a majority of students are not yet reaching proficiency benchmarks. That does not define the school’s full value—it leaves unmeasured the quality of teaching, extracurriculars, and climate—but it is a central fact a parent should weigh alongside their own priorities.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 623%

School 23% · District 32% · ▼ 9 pts below district

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

Grade 722%

School 22% · District 34% · ▼ 12 pts below district

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

Grade 825%

School 25% · District 21% · ▲ 4 pts above district

▲ 8 pts above state median · ▲ 18 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 633%

School 33% · District 40% · ▼ 7 pts below district

▼ 21 pts below state median · ▼ 17 pts below county median

Grade 729%

School 29% · District 42% · ▼ 14 pts below district

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

Grade 834%

School 34% · District 42% · ▼ 8 pts below district

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

Science

Grade 810%

School 10% · District 14% · ▼ 3 pts below district

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

This schoolWoodbridge 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-income24%Higher-income43%19 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income23%Higher-income34%11 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income35%Higher-income33%3 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 6Lower-income11%Higher-income36%25 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income10%Higher-income34%24 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income26%Higher-income24%2 pp gap