THREE DISTRICT SCHOOLS REMAIN UNDER "FOCUS" DESIGNATION FOR ACHIEVEMENT GAP

As the school year drew to a close, three South Orange Maplewood schools remained on the state's list of Focus schools, which means those that are underachieving in certain areas such as a wide gap in performance among students.

According to the Department of Education, Maplewood Middle School, South Orange Middle School and Clinton School are designated as Focus schools, which are described as:

Focus Schools comprise about 10% of schools with the overall lowest subgroup performance, a graduation rate below 75% and the widest gaps in achievement between different subgroups of students. Focus Schools receive targeted and tailored solutions to meet the school's unique needs.