More than 20 New Jersey schools have failed to meet federal standards required by the No Child Left Behind Act for years.

The list contains 22 schools that have failed for the past eight years, including School Number 20 in Paterson. Paterson Board of Education member Dr. Joseph Atallo partially blames crime and poverty levels.

?Many of the issues are not educational,? says Atallo. ?We have a fine teaching staff and a fine administration. A lot of the issues are socio-economic.?

The results are based on standardized test scores.

Atallo says his district may incorporate after school programs and teaching method changes to help improve its students? education.