Report: MHS Suspensions up to 20 Percent in 2010-11

saw a large increase in the number of suspensions doled out to its students in the 2010-11 school year, according to the latest statistics in the New Jersey State Report Cards, released on Thursday.

In 2010-11, 20 percent of MHS students were suspended, an increase of 15 percent from the previous two years. It also surpassed the state average of 13 percent.

A pair of students at the high school also were expelled in 2010-11. In total, 32 students were expelled from school in New Jersey that year.

The graduation rate in the Morris School District also took a dip, dropping to just under 92 percent. .

Advanced Placement participation in Grades 11 and 12, however, increased both in the Morris School District and statewide, with the District's average far exceeding that of New Jersey as a whole. 

In 2010-11, 53 percent of 11th and 12th grade students here participated in AP studies, with 39.9 percent participating statewide. Both jumped significantly from 2009-10, where 23.3 of Morristown High School's juniors and seniors participated, compared to 19.9 percent on average in New Jersey.

Advanced proficiency in the High School Proficiency Assessment (HSPA) for language arts rose to 27.8 percent from 24.2 percent the previous year. The state average is 21.2 percent.

In mathematics on the HSPA, advanced proficiency dropped slightly, to 31 percent from 31.8. The number of those classified as partial proficient (or failing) dropped, as well, to 20.3 from 22.6. The state average for advanced proficiency in math is 25.7 percent, while partial proficiency is 23.8 percent. 

The number of students taking the SAT test rose, to 79 percent compared to 78 percent in 2009-10. However, average test scores dropped across the board. Mathematics dropped to 536 from 557; verbal dropped to 523 from 533; and essay scores dropped to 519 from 532. All scores remained, however, above the state average.

For the complete 2010-11 NJ State Report Card on the Morris School District, visit the state Department of Education website.