Newark Public Schools Earns Top Rankings Nationwide in Student Attendance and School Climate, According to Council of the Great City Schools Report

NEWARK, N.J. – Newark Public Schools is one of the nation’s urban school districts receiving high ranks in several academic key performance indicators, according to the Council of the Great City Schools 2025 report.

The report, which is based on data from the 2023-2024 school year, compares Newark Public Schools with the other CGCS member districts. The report focused on academic key performance indicators across four sections: elementary achievement, secondary achievement, attendance, and discipline. Newark Public Schools ranks in the top tier across multiple indicators in the report, including high student attendance rates and low suspension rates.

The CGCS’s report is the latest indicator that Newark Public Schools is successfully implementing its historic 10-year strategic plan to completely transform the district. In August, the N.J. Department of Education rated Newark Public Schools as high-performing district on its Quality Single Accountability Continuum (QSAC). The district has also achieved a 90 percent high school graduation rate (2024-2025), increasing attendance, and a chronic absenteeism rate that has remained well below the state’s average three years in a row.

“This national recognition by the Council of the Great City Schools’ report means that our work is transforming Newark Public Schools,” said Superintendent León. “It is clear evidence that the district is leading its students in the essential indicators of academic success. These outcomes reflect the dedication of our teachers and staff, the resilience of our students, and the trust of our families. We will continue to raise the bar for what is possible in public education and to serve as a model to all where the schooling of children serves as a priority.”

“Newark Public Schools’ students are thriving because our schools are focused, our staff is committed, and our community believes in the potential of every student,” said Board of Education President Hasani K. Council. “Being first in the country for lowest suspension rates and among the very best for attendance is the result of intentional leadership and a collective belief that our students deserve the highest quality education. The Board of Education is incredibly proud of this progress and remains fully committed to supporting the continued success of every school in our district.”

What follows are the highlights of the CGCS’s 2025 Academic Key Performance Indicators Report.

Leading the Nation in Improved Attendance

Newark Public Schools is also among the top three districts nationally with the lowest student absenteeism across Grades 3, 6, 8, and 9, including:

• the 2nd lowest absenteeism in grades 8 and 9
• the 3rd lowest absenteeism in grades 3 and 6

Nation’s Lowest Suspension Rates

Across every reported student group – overall, Black and Hispanic, male and female – Newark ranks 1st out of districts reporting in both:

• the lowest percentage of students with out-of-school suspensions
• the lowest number of school days missed due to suspension

High Pre-K Enrollment Strengthens Early Childhood Foundation

The district ranks third nationally for pre-K enrollment as a percentage of kindergarten enrollment, and it ranks:

• 1st for Black male students
• 2nd for Black female students
• 4th for Hispanic male
• 5th for Hispanic female students

Academic Outcomes Show Upward Momentum

The CGCS’s report further highlights Newark Public Schools’ progress in critical high school academic transition points.

In terms of students who failed one or more courses in the ninth grade, the district is ranked the sixth lowest in the nation, and the:

• lowest among Hispanic females
• 2nd lowest among Hispanic males
• 5th lowest among Black males
• 7th lowest among Black females

In high school graduation rates, Newark Public Schools ranks 16th overall.

In Advanced Placement (AP) achievement, Newark Public Schools ranks in the top third nationally for scores of 3 or higher among Black females and Hispanic students.