In 2018, Highland Park High School was ranked 17th-best high school in New Jersey and 397th in the nation by U.S. News & World Report. In 2022, these rankings dropped to 82nd and 1,747th, respectively. What changed?
The U.S. News & World Report issues a list of national and state rankings for United States high schools every year. However, with the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2022 report is the most recent release since that for the 2018-2019 school year. This report is based largely on standardized test scores, such as AP exams, IB exams, and state exams such as the NJSLA. While Highland Park does not offer International Baccalaureate (IB) programs, 58% of the student body takes at least one AP exam during their high school career, and all students are expected to show up for state testing.
Some people attribute Highland Park’s large drop to the COVID-19 pandemic, which ubiquitously decreased student motivation and led to lower test scores. Ms. Zimmer, who has worked at Highland Park High School for almost 25 years, agrees with this proposition. “I’m thinking that perhaps the COVID or other entities may have contributed to that because, remember, children have the same feelings as an adult. Dealing with transition, that’s human nature, so sometimes there might have been a complication dealing with that.” A lack of face-to-face interaction with teachers and difficulties in acquiring school supplies interrupted learning for many Highland Park students, especially given that according to the U.S. News & World Report, more than a third of the student population is considered economically disadvantaged.
Every school in the world was affected by this devastating event, and despite this, many U.S. and New Jersey schools maintained their high rankings. Lydia Lekhal, the salutatorian of the senior class, believes that the lenient academic culture of non-AP classes is a major factor in decreased testing performance. “I think that it’s definitely due to the lack of work that a lot of classes have to do,” she told The Fling. “I know that with the new homework policies for CP classes, and I’m pretty sure honors classes, too, [students] don’t have to get homework. I think that’s definitely pretty detrimental to a lot of students and, you know, even makes them lose their sense of how to take exams.” With the removal of midterms and finals at HPHS since the COVID-19 pandemic, students have even less exposure to extended testing periods unless they elect to take the SAT, ACT, or APs.
In addition to a lack of in-class preparation, another hypothesis as to why Highland Park has dropped by over a thousand in national rankings is the shifting culture regarding test testing. The NJSLA and NJGPA are meant to show students where they fall in terms of college readiness and show the school, state, and country how well a particular district is preparing its students for the future. While all students are automatically slated to take these tests, opting out is popular in Highland Park, especially among high-achieving students.
Colleges and universities around the country are becoming test-optional, and many students do not see a benefit to sitting for state testing. Those who already have their SAT or ACT scores do not need these score reports to view their academic standing, and as NJSLA and NJGPA results are not factored into the college admissions process, there seems to be little point in taking another 6-hour test. “A lot of my friends and the higher-achieving students opt out of the testing,” senior Christine Chen attests to this from personal experience. The trouble with this attitude is that school rankings are then largely based on the scores of students who have not taken the SAT or ACT or are unaware of the opt-out option. Chen concludes, “If our school doesn’t have an accurate representation of our current demographic, then of course our ranking’s going to go down.”
School rankings are a key factor in improving the economic standing of HPHS and Highland Park as a whole. High test scores often open up opportunities for schools to access federal grants or funding. Additionally, many families take the quality of the school district into account when deciding where to live. Impressive rankings increase the desirability of Highland Park’s real estate, which raises housing values and attracts investors. Poor rankings can have the opposite effect and stifle growth in the community.
Any student or teacher knows that standardized testing scores do not accurately reflect a school’s quality. One number in a list of New Jersey schools cannot inform the casual observer of HPHS’ environment, classes, or culture. By only looking at its ranking, people miss out on our school’s vibrant student body, high-achieving sports teams, and countless other factors that make HPHS what it is. Despite this, it is impossible for the government or even for individuals looking for a new home to examine each and every school in-depth. Therefore, they rely on lists from “best” to “worst.”
Ms. Zimmer urges people to consider this issue with a broader perspective rather than pointing fingers at underachieving students. “It takes a joint effort to motivate a student…Educators, we need to also step up and encourage students…That can also make a big difference.”