Camden schools' failing grades

Almost a year after the Camden City School District gave itself highly favorable scores in a performance evaluation, the state Department of Education has come back with its own review, and the scores aren't pretty.

In the latest Quality Single Accountability Continuum (QSAC) performance review, the district received failing grades in four of the five categories - instruction and program (7 percent); operations (47 percent); personnel (9 percent); and governance (33 percent).

It received 79 percent in fiscal management, which acting Education Commissioner Chris Cerf said was mostly because the district was checked daily by a state-appointed fiscal monitor.

The Inquirer obtained a copy of the report in advance of its planned release this week.

The scores aroused new concern among city officials.

"I'm greatly dismayed with the recent QSAC scores," Mayor Dana L. Redd said in an interview. In recent weeks, she has been openly critical of the school administration. "The district is in disarray, and we need help."

For several months, officials with the Education Law Center, the advocacy group that has repeatedly sued to increase state funding for poor-performing districts, have said that the state should do more under QSAC to force change in Camden.

"The children have effectively lost a year," David Sciarra, the group's executive director, said last year after a previous evaluation.

Gov. Christie has said he has no intention of taking over Camden's schools but told reporters last month that he would not "relinquish my authority" to do so.

Separately from the QSAC evaluations, the state has set up an accountability system linked to a federal waiver from the No Child Left Behind law. The waiver was granted Thursday after the state proposed various actions, including declaring "priority" status for 23 of Camden's 26 schools. Christie said that would make them eligible for "intensive intervention from the state in the coming year."

On Friday, School Superintendent Bessie LeFra Young, who returned Feb. 1 after a long sick leave, did not return calls for comment. QSAC is a periodic review of districts' performance launched by the state in 2007. The process involves a self-evaluation by the district followed by the state.

Under it, the state has the authority to intervene in problem areas or mount a full takeover if a district scores less than 50 percent in all categories.