The Franklin Reporter & Advocate Eight Villages, One Community
Submitted by Central Jersey College Prep
As classroom doors open throughout the Garden State, marking the beginning of a new school year, U.S. News and World Report announced its annual nationwide ranking of high schools, naming Central Jersey College Prep (CJCP) as the top public charter high school in the State of New Jersey. In addition to its top public charter designation in the State, CJCP also ranked 29th as the overall best high school in New Jersey and tied for 1st in the entire country in graduation rate. The annual national report also goes on to cite CJCP’s student body, with over 89 percent minority enrolment and over 25 percent of its student body as “economically disadvantaged.”
“For generations, families in Central Jersey lacked resources, opportunity, and consistency regarding their public education system, especially for minority families in our area. CJCP is proud that our teachers, staff, students, and parents have been instrumental in changing the learning paradigm in our local communities,” stated Dr. Namik Sercan, CJCP’s Chief Education Officer. “Whether it be the awards, graduation rates, test scores, or college acceptance, there is no question that together, we are truly changing lives for students who have been ignored for far too long and providing real hope to Franklin, North Brunswick, and New Bunswick’s most at-risk students. While CJCP is so proud to have received top honors from U.S. News and World Report’s annual high school rankings, we also fiercely believe that every student in our area deserves a great education. We hope these kinds of accolades may hopefully provide justification and approval from the State to serve more students in the future.”
“As the waiting lists to attend CJCP piles up each year, it truly pains me that more students are not allowed to attend CJCP,” stated Makeda Fryson, CJCP PTSO President. “Parents should have the ability to choose which school best serves the needs of their child(ren). They shouldn’t be concerned about availability nor backlash when having to make such a crucial decision. It is about a parent’s choice; a choice that is not taken lightly. While I love celebrating the kinds of results U.S. News and World Report indicated in their rankings, I am not surprised because their focus has always been the students. Everyone’s focus should be the students.
Today’s announcement continues CJCP’s long standard of national excellence. The U.S. Department of Education has previously named the public charter school a “2016 National Blue-Ribbon School,” the highest possible designation granted to a K-12 school. CJCP has also been widely cited for exemplary high-performing classrooms and their work closing the achievement gap within the Central Jersey region. In addition, CJCP has also been awarded by the New Jersey Department of Education with a Tier 1 designation, the highest possible ranking for a public charter school in the State.
For more information on how U.S. News evaluates public high schools, please see the methodology.
