What We Covered in 2025 Part 2: Schools, Rankings, and What the Data Really Says  

In 2025, our reporting on education metrics continued to explain school data in a way families and residents could actually use. NJ21st provided side-by-side comparisons and context on outcomes that made the numbers meaningful and usable.

Five of our six top education articles came from a Teacher within our District.

One of the 2025 most-read education articles ranked proficiency outcomes across comparable districts in Union County and pointed out patterns that were easy to miss when looking at district releases by themselves.

#2-From Top-Performing Elementaries to Troubled Middles: Union County School Proficiency Scores Ranked
https://nj21st.com/2025/06/15/from-top-performing-elementaries-to-troubled-middles-union-county-school-proficiency-scores-ranked/

We also continued publishing our original dashboard comparing seven neighboring districts across the same performance indicators, helping readers interpret state data in a practical, informed manner.

#3-2025 7-District Dashboard – NJ School Performance Report Comparisons
https://nj21st.com/2025/04/03/2025-7-district-dashboard-nj-school-performance-report-comparisons/

Our reporting on SAT scores highlighted inconsistencies between what one community reported and state date while maintaining our 7- District Comparisons.  

#5-7-District Dashboard Comparison of SAT Scores
https://nj21st.com/2025/04/21/7-district-dashboard-comparison-of-sat-scores/

While our article on the ACT was the first look many residents had at how their community’s students performed on the test.

#15-7-District Dashboard Performance on the ACT
https://nj21st.com/2025/04/29/7-district-dashboard-performance-on-the-act/

Finally, we continued our coverage of Niche school rankings and helped readers understand how those lists are built and why they don’t always align with state data.

#7-Niche Releases 2025 School Rankings
https://nj21st.com/2024/10/01/2025-niche/

#30-2026 7-District Niche Rankings
https://nj21st.com/2025/10/07/2026-7-district-niche-rankings/

Taken together, these pieces reflect our contribution in making education data accessible, comparable, and useful for the people who live with the consequences of school policy and spending – a core component driving our work from the very beginning.