Two Schools Designated Reward Schools

and were designated as reward schools under a statewide accountability system through the No Child Left Beyond waiver, according to a release from the district.

According to the release, the Department of Education was developing designations to take into account growth of the schools and proficiency when determining a picture of school performance. The final list from the 2011-2012 school year was released April 11, 2012, with three categories.

Those three categories are priority, which means it's among lowest performing 5 percent of Title 1 schools; focus, which means there is room for improvements; and reward, which means there is outstanding student achievement and growth over three years.

Both the high school and Adamsville are considered to be reward schools, among 112 in the state.

According to the release, the high school is a highest performing school, meaning it is high performing in terms of school-wide proficiency, subgroup proficiency and graduation rates.

Adamsville, the release said, is highest progress, meaning it has high levels of student growth.

The remaining schools in the district, like about 2,500 schools in New Jersey, do not fall into a category. In these schools, the release said, districts have the autonomy over investments and supports to sustain performance.

Beginning with the 2012-2013 school year, the Department of Education will be developing individual growth targets for all schools and subgroups, all of which will be reported in the school performance report.

According to the release, reward schools will be recognized for high overall performance or significant growth through public recognition and they will receive Title 1 funds or be eligible for financial rewards.