Parents, students, teacher and administrators all described one school's "instructional rigor" as a weakness, the state found.
TRENTON -- Dismal test scores and ineffective teaching led to the downfall of four New Jersey charter schools ordered to shut down at the end of this school year, according to state documents.
The state Department of Education this week announced the closure of three charter schools in Newark and one charter school in Camden. Those decisions come after three of the schools had been placed on probation and the state completed a comprehensive review of each school.
Here's a closer look at the problems that led to the closure of each school, according to notices sent by acting Education Commissioner Kimberley Harrington.
Paulo Freire Charter School
The Newark charter school, which opened in 2012, served about 200 high school students as of 2014-15, according to state data.
The state placed the school on probation for academic deficiencies last February and visited the school this fall for a review.
Test scores lagged compared to Newark Public Schools, the school failed to provide proper special education services and teachers complained about a lack of respect from school leaders, according to the state's review.
Parents, students, teacher and administrators all described the school's "instructional rigor" as a weakness, the state found.
"Low-level instructional activities were observed in most classrooms and observed instructional was primarily whole group, direct instruction and below anticipated grade levels standard," Harrington wrote in her notice of closure.
What to know about N.J.'s school budget
The school claimed that 97 percent of its graduates went on to four-year colleges, but the state found that 18 of the 66 students in the Class of 2016 failed to graduate on time.
In a statement, the school said it was working hard and showing signs of improvement since being placed on probation. It said the state's observations were anecdotal and accused the Department of Education of being unsupportive of smaller-independent charter schools
"We are quite disheartened," the school said. "We feel that the decision is not reflective of the School's true accomplishments or the efforts of our hardworking students, parents/guardians, and staff".
Newark Prep Charter School
Another Newark charter school that opened in 2012, Newark Prep had about 400 high school students as of 2014-15, according to state data. It was put on probation last January.
A state review found that just 64 percent of students graduated on time in 2016, and the school failed to make progress to improve it's "weak academic program."
"This school continues to struggle to institute rigorous instructional practices as required by the remedial plan," Harrington wrote.
Only 2 percent of students met grade level expectations on the state math exams.
Jeff Kwitowski, a spokesman for K12 Inc., which provides curriculum and school programs for Newark Prep, said the school had already fixed some problems highlighted by the state and was working to correct others.
"This has come as quite a shock," Kwitowski said.
Merit Preparatory Charter School
The third of the Newark charter schools ordered to close, Merit Prep also opened in 2012. It had about 325 middle school students as of 2014-15, according to state data, and had since expanded to high school.
The school's overall performance on state exams was among the lowest in the state as were its scores for student academic growth, according to Harrington's letter.
"This facts suggests that the school has not been accelerating student learning, which is a perquisite for closing the achievement gap," Harrington wrote.
Only 7 percent of the school's students met grade-level expectations on the state math exams in 2015-16.
Camden Community Charter School
The school opened in 2013 and had about 400 students in kindergarten through sixth grade as of 2014-15, according to state data. It applied to have its charter renewed in September.
The state's review found that the school is "not offering its student a high quality education," Harrington wrote. The school's scores for student academic growth were among the lowest 0.1 percentile in all of elementary schools in the state, according to the closure notice.
Classroom visits by the Department of Education found few instances of high expectations in classrooms.
"Many observed classrooms were characterized by low levels of student engagement and disruptive behavior, such as students talking over the teacher or knocking books off others' desks," Harrington wrote.
In a statement, the school called the decision "extremely disappointing and completely unwarranted."
"In its three-and-a-half short years of educating Camden's students, CCCS and its dedicated teachers have helped stabilize one of Camden's most troubled neighborhoods," the school said.
The school its considering its options, including litigation, it said.
Adam Clark may be reached at adam_clark@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on twitter at @realAdamClark. Find NJ.com on Facebook.