The school district plans to follow up with community listening tours.
CAMDEN -- Performance data released Tuesday by the Camden City School District revealed that five of the city's 39 schools are under-performing, according to test scores and on-site visits.
Superintendent Paymon Rouhanifard plans to follow up on the School Information Card (SIC) results -- which includes five "on-track" schools -- with an eight-date city-wide State of the Schools listening tour.
"We wanted to make it easier for [parents] to figure out how schools were doing," schools spokesman Brendan Lowe said Tuesday of the SIC program that was launched by the district in 2014 and grades charter, Renaissance and district schools.
According to the 2015 results, which gauge academic performance based largely off state testing scores and visits that focused on how well the schools were set up to serve students and staff, a total of 20 schools received "needs improvement" or "making progress" designations.
"Under-performing" schools, the lowest ranking possible, include Henry L. Bonsall Family School, Cooper B. Hatch Family School, Woodrow Wilson High School, Yorkship Elementary School and Camden High School.
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"On-track" schools, the highest ranking possible, include LEAP Academy University Charter School (kindergarten through 8th grade), Camden's Pride Elementary School, Katz-Dalsey Academy Charter School, Camden's Promise Middle School and LEAP Academy University Charter School (9th through 12th grades).
According to district officials, all Renaissance schools were required to share information for the SICs. Some could not be rated because they didn't serve grades 3 through 11, which take the PARCC tests. Further, all but two charter schools chose to fully participate in the program.
District officials say this year's results show improvement over last, with eight out of the 24 elementary and middle schools earning an "on track" or "making progress" designation over last year's total of three.
In all, 23 schools improved their score over 2014 while two saw their ratings knocked down. The district hopes to see see 85 percent of its nearly 9,000 students attending an "on track" or "making progress" school within the next five years.
"Overall, our schools are making progress, but we have a long way still to go before every child in Camden is attending a high-quality school," said Rouhanifard, who was appointed by Gov. Chris Christie after the state took over the district.
"Meeting directly with parents is the best way to hear what is happening in our schools," said Camden City Council President Frank Moran, who will partner with school board member Taisha Minier to host a community meeting in his ward.
Lowe said Tuesday that the superintendent hopes the listening tour -- which "largely" involved the district "pushing into community meetings" -- teaches him more about the student and family experience both at school and home.
Community groups interested in hosting an additional parent meeting as part of the State of the Schools Listening Tour should contact Lowe at blowe@camden.k12.nj.us.
A complete list of listening tour dates throughout November and December will be available on the school district's website at www.camden.k12.nj.us.
Greg Adomaitis may be reached at gadomaitis@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @GregAdomaitis. Find NJ.com on Facebook.