• Woodbridge Academy Magnet School is modeled as a small school with a curriculum targeted to a career that meets very high academic standards. The Academy offers high-level academic preparation focusing around career themes for students who qualify.

    Admission to the Woodbridge Academy Magnet School is competitive. Students are selected based on grades, references, standardized test scores, and an interview on campus. Students must also endorse the philosophy of the school, which demands a commitment to a very rigorous program. The Academy has a core curriculum that is supplemented by coursework in the selected career field. A wide range of electives and co-curricular activities are available to students.

    Middlesex County Magnet Schools career academies are designed for students with strong academic skills who plan to pursue a baccalaureate education. The mission of the academies is to provide a challenging curriculum in a technology-infused, structured learning environment. Studies are multi-disciplinary with technology integrated throughout each program. Students are afforded the opportunity to earn college credits through the Middlesex College High School Scholars program, as well as from Rutgers University and other postsecondary institutions.

    Faculty, students and parents are empowered to be actively involved in a collaborative, interdisciplinary process in which students:

    • Develop critical-thinking, problem-solving, teamwork and presentation skills needed for living in the 21st century.
    • Prepare to continue their education at the college level.
    • Acquire a broad background in the humanities and the arts.
    • Experience social, ethical and personal growth.
    • Learn to use technology to access, organize, compile, analyze, and create new information.

    As part of the requirement for graduation, seniors are required to participate in a senior project that promotes student-centered independent learning and establishes standards of academic/technical excellence. Students demonstrate a completed project that they design, construct and develop as a prototype model. Students must be able to demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of their prototype model through an oral presentation. This project promotes a higher level of academic and technical education that integrates instruction in their career major through the development and delivery of a prototype model. 

    All graduates have been accepted at very prestigious colleges and universities. While our students indicate they enjoy learning about careers in their chosen career field, a number of seniors express an interest in changing career fields or pursuing other interests in college. Because the curriculum is broad and academically challenging, they are well-prepared for many careers and have many options. Woodbridge Academy Magnet School graduates have been accepted and are attending many post-secondary colleges and universities.

     

  • Career and College Readiness

    In our technical high school programs, students have the opportunity to embark on a dual career path.  For those who qualify, college preparatory academic subjects will permit entry into college upon graduation.  It is important to understand that technical high school education is not a substitute for an academic education – it is an enhancement and expansion of it.  An increasing number of our graduates are attending college each year, with on average 60% of graduates being accepted to post-secondary schools.

    Job Placement:

    Our most recent placement report validates the relevance and quality of the technical, academic, and career preparation provided by our schools: 

    • 95% of the recent graduates available for employment were employed.
    • Approximately 86% of graduates available for employment were employed in the career area for which they were trained.
    • 150 firms employed more than 235 of our graduates.  Roughly 77% of the employers were in Middlesex County.

    For more information: 

    Please visit the Department of Career and Technical Education at Middlesex County Magnet Schools. 

    Cooperative Education

    • Middlesex County Magnet Schools students are an important part of the Middlesex County community. Our Cooperative Vocational Education Program provides students the opportunity to gain valuable work experience at local business and industry sites throughout the greater Middlesex County area. During the school year, students are employed by approximately 150 local businesses.

      Participating students receive a half-day of academic instruction at their Magnet School and a half day of work experience at a supervised job site. Cooperative education coordinators inspect the work site, supervise the placement, provide related classes, and make worksite visitations.   

     

    Industry Partnerships

    • The five Middlesex County Magnet Schools are proven providers of career and technical education. These innovative schools collaborate with employers to provide a wide range of programs that respond to local, regional and statewide employment and economic needs and prepare students for the technology-driven jobs of today and tomorrow. Our schools work closely with active members of the business community to ensure maximum relevancy. 

      Maximum Relevance Achieved by Consulting Advisory Committees

      Advisory committees, composed of some 250 active members from business, labor, and industry, lead to program effectiveness. Input from the committees helps keep programs and services current. The groups review curriculum and make recommendations for program and equipment modifications. This input keeps programs realistic and closely related to the employment needs in Middlesex County. Committees generally have at least five members who represent employers, organized labor, the business community, and the general public. Many members employ our students.

      “Staying connected to business and industry and the community means staying current. The quality of our programs and students can readily be seen by the number of graduates who either enter employment or continue their education at the postsecondary level.”

      For more information:

      Please visit the Department of Career and Technical Education at Middlesex County Magnet Schools. 

     

    Focus on Technology

    • Middlesex County Magnet Schools believe focusing on technology provides our students, faculty and administration the opportunity to achieve a valuable educational experience. Technology has become an integral part of the educational process, and it is imperative that all our students and staff have secure and ample access to technological tools that will aid in both teaching and learning. The district boasts a near two-to-one computer-to-student ratio, with desktops, laptops, tablets, projectors, and other educational technology consistently and readily available to all members of our learning community.

      Meeting Tomorrow's Challenges

      Technology has fueled a fundamental change that requires a shift in instructional approaches. The daily use of technology in the classroom affords our students the opportunity to make the invaluable connection between their educational experience and real-life applications. This incorporation of assistive technologies, as well as digital resources in the learning process of our students, allows them to develop the necessary skills, knowledge and capacities to ensure they are successful in their post-graduate endeavors. Our purpose is to prepare our students to be active, contributing participants in our competitive 21st century society by providing them with an engaging and empowering learning experience resulting from a rich, technology-driven, student-centered curriculum.

      For more information: 

      Please visit the Department of Instructional Services at Middlesex County Magnet Schools. 

    About the District

    • Established in 1914 by the Middlesex County Board of County Commissioners as the nation's first vocational-technical high school district, Middlesex County Magnet Schools fulfill an essential need for free occupational training in the State of New Jersey. The district receives high school and adult education applications from nearly 118,000 families throughout Middlesex County. Students in the district benefit from over 30 distinct career program offerings on campuses situated in five local municipalities: East Brunswick, Edison, Perth Amboy, Piscataway, and Woodbridge.

      Middlesex County Magnet Schools are one of the state's 21 county vocational-technical school districts. These high schools are free public schools that offer hands-on, integrated learning opportunities for students in grades 9-12 interested in all types of careers as well as higher education.

      Any student who resides anywhere in Middlesex County's 25 municipalities student may apply to the school district. If accepted, the home school district will permit the student to attend and will organize daily transportation at no cost to the student's family. For more information about career and technical education in the state, please visit the New Jersey Council of County Vocational-Technical Schools to learn how each county school district operates independently with governance by their Board of Education and support from the County Board of Commissioners.

      District Performance Reports

      School performance reports are available for each high school from the New Jersey Department of Education.
      The district's performance report can also be found in the New Jersey School Directory on the NJDOE website.