Do You Understand the New Jersey 2011 - 2012 School Report Card?

Trenton, NJ - The Department of Education today released Report Cards for each public school in the state for the 2010-11 school year.

The Report Cards are released annually to provide user-friendly information to the public about school performance. The information in these Report Cards also provides useful data to educators and districts to help develop local improvement plans.

Based in part on these results, the Department of Education has already begun interventions in Priority Schools - the lowest-performing 5 percent of schools in the state over the past three years - with full support to begin in September through the state's new Regional Achievement Centers.

The Report Card contains information in the five areas below.
 1. School environment
 2. Student information
 3. School performance
 4. Staff information
 5. District financial data

Beginning next school year, the Department will develop and publish new school performance reports for every school in New Jersey to replace the current bifurcated School Report Card and NCLB Report Card publications.

Through these reports, the Department will set specific school and subgroup performance targets for both language arts and math, and will report annual progress towards meeting those goals. In addition, the reports will include a number of new data points including;

•  progress towards closing achievement gaps, 
• comparison to "peer schools" with similar demographics, 
• growth as measured through Student Growth Percentiles on state tests over time,
• and additional college and career readiness data points. 

These public reports will help districts and schools to:

• engage in local performance management by setting local performance goals, 
• identifying strengths and weaknesses, 
• and developing local plans to focus on areas of low performances in their districts.... 

The School Report Cards for the 2010-11 school year can be found at the link below: http://education.state.nj.us/rc/rc11/ 

The full press release is here: 
http://www.state.nj.us/education/news/2012/0531rc.htm

Guide to the New Jersey Report Card 2011:
http://education.state.nj.us/rc/rc11/guide.htm

Suggestion Box EPSD: Branding & Yet Another Broken Promise

This year makes 42 years since the South building on the Dwight Morrow High School Campus was named Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Hall. It was the year I graduated from high school. We called it King Hall. Isn't it about time that those letters appeared on the outside of the building facing the street? Paint is quite reasonable these days. Another promise gone and drying  up by the wayside like a raisin in the sun.

You would not believe how much such a seemingly small thing can do to help healing begin. 

                               How are the children?

Suggestion Box: EPSD

In source the Public Relations position. Give the responsibility to someone who cares.

And the beat goes on...

13 NJ Students Honored by NJ State Board of Education

May 16, 2012

Our students ARE capable of
achieving as as well as those
from any other town in NJ.

Trenton, NJ – Thirteen students from high schools and a middle school were honored today for outstanding academic and community achievements by the New Jersey State Board of Education in Trenton. Accompanied by their Executive County Superintendent, the superintendent of their district, local school officials, family and friends, the students were formally recognized for academic success as well as leadership qualities and volunteerism both at school and within their communities.

Acting Commissioner Chris Cerf said the students represent some of the finest young people in the Garden State. “Through self-discipline and determination, kindness and conscientiousness, they have proven to themselves, their families and their teachers that they have the qualities necessary to achieve success in school and in life,” Acting Commissioner Cerf said.

State Board President Arcelio Aponte said students are selected on the basis of scholarship, stewardship and leadership. “The students honored today by the State Board of Education represent the best and brightest in New Jersey’s public schools,” said President Arcelio Aponte. “Their achievements in the classroom, on the athletic field and in their communities exemplify the level of dedication, talent and motivation that can be found in classrooms throughout the state.”
Students who received honors are listed below. To see the award presentation photos click here.

Atlantic County - Ceili Burdhimo, Egg Harbor Township High School
Bergen County - Alexandra Schulsinger and Scott Nolasco, Northern Highlands Regional High School
Cumberland County - Megan Hallquist and Steven Cirri, Cumberland Regional High School
Essex County - Tevan Denis, Essex County Vocational-Technical Schools, Bloomfield Tech Campus
Gloucester County  - Sarah McAlister, Delsea Regional High School
Hudson County - Mervy Michael and Christian Ugaz, Union City High School
Middlesex County - County Hansel Rodriguez, North Brunswick Township High School
Ocean County - Andrew Ruff, Point Pleasant Borough High School
Somerset County - Courtney Smith, Bedminster Township School
Sussex County - Brandi Braico and Brittany Vrindten, Glen Meadow Middle School