Rumson-Fair Haven Ranks Among NJ Schools With Highest SAT Scores

RUMSON, NJ - How well do Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School District students rank on the SAT compared to students elsewhere in the state?

Better than most, according to new data released by the New Jersey Department of Education.

The SAT is still considered the primary standardized test that judges a student's college qualifications. And even in the middle of a pandemic, they play an important role for New Jersey seniors who are already looking at colleges – even as testing has been delayed, or centers have been closed because of the coronavirus.

Patch compiled the combined SAT scores of districts across New Jersey, as well as the lists of scores in the two sections identified as "math" and "reading and writing." Rumson-Fair Haven ranked at No. 39 of 307 in combined scores with an average score of 1204. The district also ranked No. 39 in math (an average score of 604) and No. 38 in reading (an average score of 600).

A perfect score would be a combined 1600, or 800 in each section.

The district in the state that scored the highest on the overall average combined score was Bergen County Vocational Technical School District with a score of 1381 (it also ranked the highest in math with an average score of 706. Monmouth County Vocational School District ranked the highest in average reading scores with an average score of 682).

The lowest-ranking district was Irvington Public School District with an average combined score of 796 out of 1600, followed by Camden City School District (797), Trenton Public Schools (801), Academy Charter High School (815) and Marion P. Thomas Charter School (820).

The new SAT data comes as part of the state Department of Education's School Performance Reports for the 2019-20 school year. The reports include figures on enrollment, proficiency scores, PARCC scores, graduation rates, substance abuse rates and SAT scores. Read more: NJ School Districts With Most Drug, Alcohol Cases: New Data 2021

These reports are designed to inform parents, educators and communities about how well a school is performing and preparing its students for college and careers, according to the DOE.

"We have always stated that the annual School Performance Reports serve as a springboard for discussion," said Angelica Allen-McMillan, acting commissioner of education. "These discussions are more important now than ever before as students, staff, and others in the school community navigate this difficult time."

With reporting by Tom Davis.