N.J. schools shake 'persistently dangerous' label Two institutions show enough improvement in 2005-06 to be dropped from the list . Thursday, August 30, 2007 • BY JOHN MOONEY • Star-Ledger Staff For the first time in five years, New Jersey has no "persistently dangerous" schools -- at least as defined by the state. The controversial tag comes out of the federal No Child Left Behind Act, with each state setting the definition. New Jersey for the last four years was among the few states to have any at all. But in releasing statistics on school violence and substance abuse in 2005-06, state officials yesterday said the two remaining "persistently dangerous" schools from last year -- Trenton Central High School and Eastside High School in Paterson -- each saw their numbers drop enough to come off the list. "The schools have shown improvement and we felt good we don't have to identify any this year," said Susan Martz, director of educational support services in the state Department of Education. Paterson officials said they were pleased to have the black mark removed from one of their high schools, and said that not-yet-reported 2006-07 statistics continue the positive trend. "Over the last year and a half, we have seen the whole Eastside community come together: law enforcement officials, school officials, students and parents," said spokeswoman Laura Constable. But the announcement only added to questions about the process nationwide of identifying unsafe schools, which even federal officials have said needs an overhaul. The U.S. Department of Education's inspector general this month said the varying definitions by states has led to few if any schools ever being identified. At the end of last year, only 46 schools nationwide had been tagged, it reported. New York this month added 17 to the list, most in New York City. New Jersey officials yesterday said they already planned to revisit the state's current definition, which says a school must have three consecutive years of either seven or more serious incidents, such as assaults or weapons, or a high rate of lesser incidents. State officials yesterday also released the state's annual report on violence, vandalism and substance abuse, compiling districts' reported incidents from 2005-06. The report said incidents were up slightly that year, but remained relatively uncommon in a majority of schools. Nearly three in four districts reported fewer than five incidents, and a third reported none at all, officials said. "Any incidence of violence, vandalism and substance abuse are matters we need to be concerned with, but for the most part they are infrequent and that is obviously good news," said state Education Commissioner Lucille Davy. A total of 18,796 incidents were reported statewide in the state's 2,400 public schools, an increase of 2 percent over 2004-05. Most of the increase was in a 2 percent rise in reported cases of violence, and a 9 percent increase in reported vandalism, including a 14 percent rise in thefts. Districts' reports of weapons offenses and substance abuse each declined by three percent. Although the latest data are a year old -- officials said it takes that long to compile and analyze the numbers -- the report did document a changing nature of violence being reported in the schools. For instance, within the violence numbers was a 24 percent increase in cases of bullying and harassment, totaling more than 1,400 reported incidents. Officials said that may be due to the heightened focus on bullying in schools, with New Jersey two years earlier joining about 20 states that now mandate districts have anti-bullying policies. But one advocate said it was small consolation to what he saw as pervasive bullying in schools. "The reporting system is so very, very flawed and incomplete," said Stuart Green, a Summit psychologist and director of New Jersey Coalition for Bullying Awareness and Prevention. "Bullying is so common everywhere that fluctuations in the numbers don't even begin to capture it." The report's overall numbers also remain circumspect, with the state tightening definitions over the last several years and now double-checking districts for any inordinate drops. In last year's report, for instance, Camden went from almost 1,000 incidents overall in 2003-04 to 13 in 2004-05, and Bound Brook fell from 54 to four. Both drew state inspectors, and yesterday officials validated Bound Brook's numbers and commended it for its work in reducing violence through gang prevention and additional staffing and training. Camden, on the other hand, was found to have "inconsistent" reporting, officials said, and an investigation was ongoing. John Mooney may be reached at jmooney@starledger.com, or 973-392-1548. © 2007 The Star-Ledger. Used by NJ.com with permission.