By the numbers, schools show a sharp drop in violence But officials are double-checking to make sure state statistics are accurate and complete Friday, July 28, 2006 • BY JOHN MOONEY • Star-Ledger Staff Student violence and other misbehavior continues to drop in New Jersey schools, according to the state's annual survey, but the good news is tempered by continued questions about the truth in the numbers. In Paterson schools, the number of violent incidents dropped by half over three years. The same in Jersey City and Dover schools. In Bound Brook, the numbers fell from 54 incidents in 2002-03 to just four in 2004-05, according to the state. Camden went from nearly 1,000 incidents to 13. The schools largely credit clearer reporting rules and better programs. But they are among 19 districts also getting a second look, as the state seeks to improve how incidents are reported in the public schools. State officials announced the stepped-up reviews yesterday with the release of New Jersey's annual report on violence, vandalism and substance abuse in the schools. The report was an encouraging survey of the school climate in the Garden State. Reported incidents of violence -- from simple assaults to property damage -- were down about 20 percent, and the smaller numbers of reported weapons and substance abuse violations were largely unchanged. In total, there were 18,409 incidents in 2004-05, a 9 percent drop and representing about one incident per 100 children. More than 70 percent of New Jersey school districts reported five or fewer incidents, and 38 percent listed no instances, officials said. "Overall, the picture is pretty good," said acting Education Commissioner Lucille Davy. "Generally speaking, I think we are making progress." Yet the annual report brings questions to the veracity of the numbers reported by the districts. And state officials yesterday were more outspoken than usual regarding the need to ensure the numbers are true. They stressed that the ongoing reviews -- which will include checking with police records -- are as much about finding out what works in the schools and sharing it with others as they are about determining accuracy. But they also recognized the doubts that have been raised by the public and others when the district-reported numbers fall precipitously or seem lower than expected. "Because they are self-reported, there is always the question to how accurate they are," said Susan Martz, the director who oversees the department's school safety office. "We are certainly looking at that ... to make sure they are done accurately and consistently." The stakes in the reporting have heightened in recent years with the increased public attention on school safety. There also are new sanctions that can fall on schools deemed "persistently dangerous" under the rules of the federal No Child Left Behind Act. Three schools were tagged with the mark yesterday, identified for their high number of serious incidents over the last three years. They were Trenton Central High School, East Side High School in Paterson, and Wilbur Watts Intermediate School in Burlington City. It was a drop from four such schools named last year, with Trenton's high school the only repeat. The first state to release its list of "persistently dangerous" schools for this year, New Jersey is among a handful of states that listed any at all in previous years. Last year, just 36 schools nationwide fell into the category, which is largely defined by each state. Federal officials have begun to pay closer attention to the reporting, with plans to set some standard guidelines to determine, for example, the differences between a scuffle, a fight and an assault. "We are seeing whether or not we can come up with common core definitions so that we are all speaking the same language," said Bill Modzeleski, who oversees the U.S. Department of Education's school safety office. "Reporting is always a concern for us," he said yesterday. "The life-blood of any good program comes from good reporting, but we also understand that with 15,000 districts, there are still 15,000 ways to do this." Local officials yesterday stressed their programs are working. Paterson is among those getting the extra review, and it is also home to one of the "persistently dangerous" schools. But officials said the picture is improving. "From the home to the classroom, Paterson's efforts to promote student safety and violence awareness have strengthened and solidified in the last few years," said spokeswoman Laura Constable. "We are experiencing momentum in this area and know that this has a positive impact on student achievement." The full report and district results may be found online at the state Department of Education's Web site: www.state.nj.us/education. John Mooney covers education. He may be reached at jmooney@starledger.com or (973) 392-1548. © 2006 The Star-Ledger. Used by NJ.com with permission.