Montclair Graduation Rate Jumps Nearly 4% in 2012

The high school graduation rate in Montclair increased nearly 4 percent in the last year using the new federally-mandated formula. 

The 2012 Montclair High School graduation rate was 92.49 percent, compared to 88.98 percent in 2011, according to the New Jersey Department of Education. This was the second year the state calculated graduation rates using the updated “four-year adjusted cohort” system.  

Scroll down to see how Montclair stacked-up against other Essex County high schools. 

The new formula was introduced by the state in May and was used to recalculate 2011 graduation rates. The new calculation lowered many districts' graduation rates for 2011, and drastically dropped the overall graduation rate in New Jersey from 94.7 percent to 83 percent. 

The new system places more of a burden on districts because every student is now be tracked until graduation whether he or she remains in the same district.

Every student is given a state identification number and placed in a four-year cohort starting in ninth grade. When a class graduates, the number of students is compared to the number of students who were enrolled in ninth grade four years earlier.

For example, if a parent indicates to a district that his or her student is transferring to another school in the state but never enrolls there, and the student is lost track of, that student is still counted against the original district. 

However, Montclair High School’s student mobility rate (or percent of students that transfer) has remained low the past three years, averaging 2.5 percent. This is well below the state average of 9.3 percent during the same time, according to the district’s annual report card. 

In addition, special needs students and students whose native language is not English are also calculated into the new graduation rates. While less than 1 percent of Montclair High School students are classified as speaking limited English, more than 18 percent of the students are classified with some disability. 

How Did Montclair Stack-Up?

Here are the graduation rates of other high schools in Essex County.

• Belleville: 85.57 percent
• Bloomfield: 89.70 percent
• Caldwell/West Caldwell: 96.15 percent
• Cedar Grove: 95.35 percent
• East Orange (total): 70.79 percent
• Glen Ridge: 96.67 percent
• Livingston: 98.28 percent
• Millburn: 97.97 percent
• South Orange-Maplewood: 85.34 percent
• West Essex Regional: 97.13 percent
• West Orange: 85.59 percent
• Verona: 95 percent