Perhaps if the State threw money at schools such as these it would provide an incentive for marginal schools in other districts to emulate their success by reaching out to Watchung Elem (and others) to learn the secrets of their success.

NJ has been doing quite the opposite for 30+ years and there's not much success to be measured.

Congratulations to Watchung Elem! Keep up the good work.

Congratulations to the students, teachers and parents at Watchung Elementary for this notable achievement.

congrats to all at watchung! let's remember, however, that these ratings are largely meant not to laud schools like watchung, but as a sorting tool to then "reform" the "lower-performing" schools through "turnaround" procedures (firing staff, closings, charterization, etc.) - do the homework, folks...

This award is due more to the demographics of its students not to the instruction and curriculum at the school.

Test scores generally reflect socioeconomics so Watchung's primary accomplishment is having many wealthy students.

from 2012: http://www.nj.gov/education/news/2012/0411rac.htm
Com. Cerf is quoted in the above: "....But let me clear; we will be impatient if schools are unwilling or unable to improve, and we must be willing to close or use any other means necessary to give students assigned to those schools better options."

http://www.edlawcenter.org/news/archives/other-issues/new-jersey-reward-schools-rewarding-community-affluence-selective-enrollment.html

“The Commissioner has created a perverse accountability regime, one that rewards low poverty, highly selective schools, while threatening high poverty, neighborhood schools with sanctions and closure,” Mr. Sciarra added. “It is hard to imagine how this will improve educational opportunities and outcomes for our most disadvantaged schoolchildren.” -From the last link above.

Rhionnon, Mtcmom - Are there stats that bear out your claims that Watchung parents really are richer? And if money makes the difference, shouldn't Northeast score as well or better instead of falling short of goals, as the state reported? Wondering, too, about the affluent families with kids in Newark's high performing schools and in the vocational school in Bloomfield. Socioeconomics can't be the whole story. Maybe Watchung's administration and teachers deserve congratulations for their school's standout success.

http://montclair.patch.com/articles/are-montclair-schools-truly-integrated-and-diverse