The Bridge

A monthly newsletter for educators from the

New Jersey Department of Education

Issue 4 - April 2013

Download the April edition of The Bridge (pdf).

Additional information can be found on our Education Spotlight page.

In This Issue

In this issue of The Bridge we discuss measures of school performance, which take many forms. in this issue. To help provide clear information about New Jersey’s schools, we have information about the new School Performance Reports which build upon and replace the previous annual School Report Cards. These new reports present a more complete picture of school performance, with the ultimate aim of helping schools and stakeholders Providing timely and useful data to districts is important so that schools can track their own progress both at a student and district level, but also so that districts can participate in shared goal setting for the future. Over the past two years, we have worked extensively to improve the type and timeliness of data to districts, much of which is discussed engage in local goal setting and improvement.

We want all of our students to be college and career ready when they graduate from high school, but we also know that a one-size-fits-all approach to education does not work for every student. To fill this need, we are committed to providing a range of educational options for students, including both district and charter schools, and holding both accountable for results. Charter schools are public schools that are given flexibility in order to creatively problem solve and innovate, but they are held to strict standards throughout their life cycle. You will learn more about these standards, which are outlined in the Charter Performance Framework, in this issue. Those that do not meet these rigorous standards are closed, and over the past three years we have closed eight underperforming charter schools.

To help facilitate goal setting and improvement on all levels, draft regulations for educator evaluation were proposed at the State Board of Education meeting on March 6. These proposed regulations support the TeachNJ Act and outline the requirements for the statewide implementation of the evaluation system, known as AchieveNJ, in 2013-14. These guidelines were shaped by the feedback from pilot districts and the state Evaluation Pilot Advisory Committee (EPAC). The evaluation team is currently holding informational meetings across the state to effectively communicate the details of AchieveNJ and the proposed regulations.  Presentations will provide an opportunity for educators to not only learn more about the system, but also to provide feedback to the Department on how best to support local districts as they implement changes. For Remaining regional presentations dates and locations – please register here:

http://www.nj.gov/education/AchieveNJ/resources/events.shtml

All of this, along with our Common Core update, “Notes from the Road” providing insights from the New Jersey Teacher of the Year, our Education Spotlight series featuring an inspirational student from Perth Amboy, and our news and resources are included in this month’s issue of The Bridge. Enjoy.

Articles:

·       Notes from the Road

·       Graduation Rates

·       Charter Schools and the Performance Framework

·       School Performance Reports

·       AchieveNJ: Teach. Lead. Grow.

·       Common Core Q&A

·       Student Spotlight

·       Resources

o   New Jersey School Climate Survey

o   Reporting Child Abuse and Neglect

·       In the News

Dear Colleagues,

The primary focus of AchieveNJ is to assist educators in strengthening their practice by using evaluations to create more meaningful professional growth opportunities. The evaluation system includes more structured and frequent conversations among teachers, principals, and supervisors – as well as valuable data about teacher practice and student learning.  The confluence of increased dialogue between educators and access to more useful data is intended to better connect the professional learning goals of teachers and school leaders to student learning outcomes. 

Over the past month, the Department has released several resources providing more information about the various elements of AchieveNJ; these are posted on the website and can be accessed directly at the bottom of this message.  This week, we have posted two new resources outlining additional information about professional development, mentoring/induction, and other supports in AchieveNJ.

·       The Professional Development and Support Overview describes several opportunities for enhanced educator support through new evaluations.

·       The Roles in Planning for and Implementing Evaluation, Professional Development, and Mentoring Overview describes changes to current school and district level professional development planning processes proposed in new regulations scheduled for adoption by the State Board in May, 2013.

In the coming weeks, the Department will release an overview of the School Improvement Panel with additional guidance on activities for this group.

Please share this information and the many resources available on the AchieveNJ website widely with teachers, administrators, and others to help ensure all New Jersey educators understand the new system and have opportunities to provide comments, questions, and feedback.

Thank you for your collaboration in this important effort and your commitment to helping all New Jersey students reach their highest potential.

Sincerely,

Peter Shulman

Assistant Commissioner and Chief Talent Officer