Developing a Community School (P.S.#22)

Rev. Dr. Ercel Webb, P.S. #22, is located in the Bergen-Lafayette section of town. The neighborhood has been an integral part of Jersey City’s history. Demographics in the Bergen-Lafayette neighborhood are changing in a manner that parallels other sections of Jersey City. Approximately 85% of our students receive free and reduced lunch. Our school consists of approximately 55% Hispanic, 40% African American with the remaining few percentages representing White and Asian. The majority of our Latino students are first generation in the United States. Within their homes, Spanish is the primary language. It is further substantiated by 20% of those students identified as ELL, which due to The Every Student Succeeds Act, require four years of monitoring. Additionally, we also have a small percentage of students who have refused bilingual services and are currently enrolled. In addition to our growing ELL population, we are the second largest receiving school for students with disabilities. Approximately 20 % of our students are classified as special education. This includes 7 inclusion classes and 13 self-contained classrooms. As a school, approximately 30% of our students are functioning on grade level. The results of the 2018-19 NJSLA assessment show that 37% of our students in grades 3-5 are meeting or exceeding expectations for ELA. Mathematics results show that 3rd grade outperforms the other 2 grade levels with 31% of the students meeting or exceeding expectations. Grade 4 has 27% and Grade 5 21%. As we focus on educating the whole child, social and emotional education is a priority in our community. By addressing the need for equity amongst our students and their families, opportunities to support basic needs like housing, nutrition, employment and mental wellness are a must if we expect our children to succeed educationally in our efforts to close the achievement gap.