South Brunswick School District Education Summit 2008

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South Brunswick School District Education
Summit 2008

• Schools Only Succeed When Students Achieve

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District Goals

• Curriculum Instruction
• Professional Development
• Information Technology
• Facilities
• Cost Effectiveness and Cost Containment
• School Safety
• Miscellaneous
• Policy Manual
• NJQSAC New State Monitoring System
• NCLB Adequate Yearly Progress and Highly
  Qualified Staff
• Education Foundation

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Curriculumand Instruction
Standards, Strategies and Strands
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South Brunswick Curriculum Review2007-2008
State-Mandated 5-Year Cycle Board-Approved
Sequence Flexible Model Standards-based Review
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Refined Implemented

• Mathematics
• K-5 Investigations
• 6-8 Connected Math and Middle School Math/Pre
  Algebra
• 9-12 Math Navigator Lab
• Health Education
• 5th Grade Units
• 12th Grade Health Survey Research Task
• World Language
• K-12 Spanish
• 6-12 French
• Gifted and Talented Program
• K-5 Enrichment Support
• K-5 Math for All Kinds of Minds

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Piloted Curriculum in draft.Resources aligned.
Training as needed.

• Social Studies Grades 5-11
• Science HS Biology
• Character Ed Elementary Responsive Classroom
• Special Education Replacement Program Middle and
  High School

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Being Revised Writing curriculum. Examining
resources.

• World Language Latin
• Social Studies K-4
• Science K-12
• Art K-12
• English Language Learning (ELL)
• Character Education Grades 6-12

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Under Review Unpacking the standards.
Determining alignment and gaps.

• Language Arts K-12
• Music K-12
• Gifted and Talented Education 6-12
• Business Education 7-12 (Tech Prep Grant)
• Math Basic Skills K-5
• Library/Media Program K-12

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SpotlightWorld Language

• Early Language Learning
• SALSA K-2 Embedded video program with support
• Spanish 3-5 Formal thematic study in target
  language
• Middle Level Learning
• Spanish, French and Latin
• Concept-based communication, festivities and
  universalities
• Target Language
• Language Labs
• Equivalent of Language Level I

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World Language continued

• High School
• HS Level I (Spanish, French, Latin/Ancient Greek)
• HS Language II-IV
• Concepts increase in complexity from fashion and
  geography to social classes and literature
• Honors and Advanced Placement Levels
• Language for Native Speakers
• Y con mucho orgullo (and, with much pride)
• iPod Technology
• World Language Awareness Activities
• World Language Honor Societies
• K-12 Articulation

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Curriculum Instruction

• CHALLENGES
• Making room for more content
• No Child Left Behind (NCLB)
• NJQSAC (State Monitoring System)

• STRENGTHS
• Standards-based
• Technology integrated
• Builds enduring understandings
• Systematic
• Flexible
• Aligned resources
• Shaping professional development

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Assessment
Raising Student Achievement
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Student Achievement

• State Assessments (NJASK, GEPA, HSPA)
• District Assessments (Portfolios, Research
  Tasks, Timed Writing)
• S.A.T.
• A.P. Tests (Advanced Placement)
• College Acceptances
• Merit Scholar Recognition

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No Child Left BehindMaking Adequate Yearly
Progress (AYP)
AYP is a moving target set by the State.
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Terminology

• Cohort Same group of students over time
• DFG N.J. District Factor Grouping
• Districts designated A-J
• Based on factors related to socio-economic status
  (census data)
• Compares demographically similar districts
• Grouping updated every 10 years
• South Brunswick is an I district

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Literacy MathSame Group of Students Over
Time2004 to 2007
Our scores have been comparable with DFG
Districts over this span of time.
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Grade 11 Literacy Comparison with Similar
Districts (DFG)2003 to 2007
This is our most challenging comparison group
districts like ours.
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Grade 11 Mathematics Comparison with Similar
Districts2003 to 2007
Again, our students results in math and literacy
are comparable to those of students in districts
similar to South Brunswick!
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SAT Critical Reading and Writing Mean Scores for
2007
91 of Class Took SAT in 2007 (Up 7)
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SAT Math Mean Scores for 2007
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Assessment

• CHALLENGES
• With limited resources
• Continuing to make AYP for all 41 indicators in
  all 10 schools (410 in total!)
• New Improving performance in each subgroup by
  at least 5 each year (NJQSAC)
• Ensuring that all students enter Grade 3 as
  fluent readers and writers
• Improving research skills over time

• STRENGTHS
• Our students are
• Attending schools that are meeting the
  challenging NCLB standards with high levels of
  success
• Performing in ways that are comparable with our
  DFG group
• Benefiting from thoughtful action plans
• Receiving academic support as needed
• Participating in acceleration enrichment as
  identified

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Technology
Children, Computers and Powerful Ideas -Seymour
Papert
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Technological Literacy in South Brunswick is

• Informed by research
• Shaped by the International Standards for
  Technology Education (ISTE)
• Based on the State Core Curriculum Content
  Standards (NJCCCs)
• Guided by the State-mandated, District Three-Year
  Tech Plan

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Off the ground!

• Family Connect (online gradebook)
• Automated Dialer System (emergencies)
• AppliTrack (online application system)
• Online Friday Folder
• Emergency E-mailer
• Making the Grade Season II (VTN production)
• E-mail, Ethics Etiquette Training
• Acceptable Use Media Release Forms
• Updated carts of Computers on Wheels
• NJ SMART Database

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Ready to roll!

• 8th grade tech proficiency rubric
• 4th grade tech inventory
• PDExpress
• Increased use of Web 2.0 tools
• Internal plan for recovery of major information
  systems disaster recovery plan
• Cyber Safety at all levels

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Spotlight Communication

• Family Connect
• Online grades, assignments, attendance
• Middle and High School students and parents
• Help Lines
• Online Support
• Increased home-school communication
• Increased parent-child communication
• Equals impact on achievement

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Spotlight Emergency Communication

• Auto Dialer
• Telephone up to six numbers
• For emergency use
• For unplanned changes to schedule
• Thousands of calls go out simultaneously
• Before After School is being set-up
• Staff Auto Dialer is being set-up
• Supplement traditional communication systems

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Technology

• CHALLENGES
• Safe and caring environment
• Keeping up with new technologies
• Training
• Integration
• Funding

• STRENGTHS
• Computers on Wheels
• Online databases/research
• Interactive technologies
• Assistive technologies
• Real-life simulations
• Presentational software
• Productions
• Sharing via the Web
• Home-school connections
• Text support

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Professional DevelopmentA processnot an
event.
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Professional Development in South Brunswick is
shaped by

• NJ Professional Development Standards
• NJ Professional Standards for Teachers
• NCLB Eight Key Elements of Highly Qualified
  Professional Development for Teachers (PD
  Defined)
• NJ Core Curriculum Content Standards
• South Brunswick District Annual Goals
• Other State Mandates, Needs Assessments/Evaluati
  ons, Best Practices Research

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The Landscape . . .

• 1. Provide instructional and content training
  relative to the 5-Year Curriculum Review Cycle
• 2. Integrate training in the three instructional
  strands (Character Education, Technology,
  Differentiation)
• 3. Foster Professional Learning Communities
  (PLCs)
• 4. Be accountable ethically and legally for all
  State and Federal required policy trainings

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. . . determining our path

• 5. Use data to drive our instruction for adults
  and students
• 6. Strategically plan for professional
  development long-range
• 7. Promote equitable access and self-empowerment
  through automated services PDExpress
• 8. Attend to the PD elements outlined in all
  District and State plans
• 9. Annually train, implement and monitor
  operational procedures dealing with safety

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Spotlight

• Professional Learning Communities
• Job Alike Groups, Steering Committees, Design
  Teams, Book Groups, Curriculum Development
  Committees, Team Planning, Training Teams,
  Councils, Research Groups, Instructional Council,
  etc
• PDExpress Information Management System
• 24 /7 access to targeted professional learning
  opportunities
• Focused on supporting individuals,
  department/grade and building- level needs
• Efficient and fiscally responsible

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Professional Development

• CHALLENGES
• Making room for more
• NCLB
• NJQSAC
• Meeting wide-range of staff needs
• Long-range planning
• Funding

• STRENGTHS
• Standards-based
• Goal Oriented (meeting system and job-embedded
  needs)
• Accountable
• Influenced by many voices
• Becoming flexible to meet the needs of all

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Safe and Caring Schools
The Physical, Social Emotional Well-Being
of All
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Safe Caring Over Time

• Ongoing Fire/Evacuation Drills
• 1990 Community Response Team (CRT)
• 1998 Mental Health Awareness Week
• 1999 School Resource Officer (SRO)
• 2001 Introduction to Responsive Classroom (RC)
• 2002 Incident Command Training
• 2002 Safe Caring Schools Committee
• 2002 Violence Awareness Month
• 2002 Core Team training in RC K-5
• 2003 Community Resource Team (CRT)
• 2004 AED/MERT Teams
• 2004 Photo ID Badge System
• 2005 Mandate for Character Education K-12
• 2005 Communication (radios, mobile phones, pagers)

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Safe Caring Recent Initiatives

• 2006 Lock-down Drills
• 2006 Suicide Awareness Training
• 2006 Cameras and Buzzers
• 2006 Building-access Proximity (Prox) Card
  installation
• 2007 Building-by-building school safety surveys
• 2007 Cyber Safety Initiatives for Students
• 2007 Middle School S.A.F.E. Program (replaced
  D.A.R.E.)
• 2007 Core Values adopted for South Brunswick
• 2007 Systematic Plan for K-5 Responsive
  Classroom
• 2007 Coordination w/S.B.P.D. of emergency
  protocols
• 2007 Active Shooter Protocol training for
  Administrators
• 2007 Systematic plan for Character Education K-12
• 2007 Systematic Training for Staff in Policies
  Mandates
• 2007 Emergency Response Procedures Staff
  Flip-Chart
• 2007 Police Radios in all schools

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Safe Caring in 2008

• 2008 Gang Awareness training of Administrators
• 2008 Submission of School Safety Plan to State
• 2008 Finalizing of Pandemic Flu Plan
• 2008 Finalizing plans for Character Ed 6-12
  (Think Tank)
• 2008 Continuing Character Ed/Responsive Classroom
  Teacher Institutes (summer and winter)
• 2008 Development of District-wide Traumatic Loss
  Protocols
• 2008 Creation of District-level Emergency
  Response Team

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Community Connections

• Electronic Communications
• Spotlight Newsletter (award winning!)
• District Calendar (award winning!)
• VTN (award winning!)
• South Brunswick Parent Academy
• Senior Citizen Outreach
• Student Service Projects

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Community Education Connections

• Before and After School Program
• Community Service Project (March Madness Cookie
  Bake)
• Club 678 Family Feud Transition for 6th Graders
• Support Groups for Parents (example- Parents with
  Adopted Children)
• Summer Camps
• Opening of Camp DECKA
• Siemens volunteers at hands-on Science Day
• Community School
• Expanded offerings for adult enrichment

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Spotlight Prevention

• CYBER SAFETY
• (personal safety, intellectual property, cyber
  community
• citizenship, cyber predators)
• County Training in i-SAFE
• Curriculum Development Team
• NJ State Law
• Harassment Policy Revised
• Mandated Training for Staff in September
• Parent Outreach presentations
• State Training in NET Safety
• Long-range Plan for Systematic Training of
  Students
• Elementary
• Middle School
• High School

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Spotlight Response

• Development of Traumatic Loss Protocols for the
  District
• Robert Macy training of staff members in
  traumatic loss
• K-12 Committee to coordinate response at school
  levels
• Creation of District Lead Response Team

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Safe Caring

• STRENGTHS
• Safe and caring environment supports high
  academic achievement
• Strong relationship with the police and community
  agencies
• Staff commitment to safety protocols

• CHALLENGES
• Maintaining vigilance
• Continuing to review, revise and practice safety
  procedures
• Character Education as an approach and not a
  program

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Facilities Build Maintain
Form Follows Function
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Student Facility UseDuring the Day

• K-12 Student Enrollment in 2007-08 8,827 (as of
  10/15/07)
• Number of Instructional Days 181
• Total during-the-day instructional use of
  facilities by students
• 1,597,687

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Student Use of Facilities Beyond the Day

• SBHS
• Athletics 1,267
• Clubs 2,519
• Other Activities 7,604
• Music 945
• 12,335
• Crossroads N S
• Sports 460
• Clubs 1,260
• Athletics 950
• Music 3,904
• 6,574

• Elementary K-5
• Clubs and Activities 4,656
• Community Ed (Youth)
• Before/After School 1,593
• Camps 2,647
• Total Number of Student
• Participants in 2007-08
• 28,073

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Total Student Facility Use

• Instructional
• (during the day)
• Extracurricular
• (beyond the day)
• 1,625,492

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Facilities

• STRENGTHS
• Eight of twelve schools upgraded since the year
  2000
• Can accommodate increasing student population
• Crossroads North addition allows for more
  balanced enrollments between two middle schools
• Advanced security measures in place at all
  locations
• Automated energy systems in all school locations
• Student use of facilities is exceptional
• Community use of facilities is vast

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Facilities

• CHALLENGES
• Legislation capping budget growth will greatly
  limit or curtail Capital Projects (e.g. roof
  replacement, HVAC upgrades, parking lot
  restoration)
• Capital Reserve depletion
• Acquisition of acreage next to South Brunswick
  High School is important
• Most South Brunswick schools do not have
  emergency generators

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Finance
Budgeting School Funding
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Revenue By Fund SourceSchool Year 2007-2008
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Impact on Local Taxes
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NJ Cost Per Student Comparison 2007
12,180
11,093
1,087 below the NJ State Average
Cost per Pupil
NJ State Average
South Brunswick
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2007-08 Budget Appropriations
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Comparison with Similar Districts

• SB versus 103 districts (K-12)
• of similar size in 2007
• Overall cost per pupil (near the middle)
• Student/Teacher Ratio of 11.2 to 1 (near the
  middle)
• State Average Administrative Salary 108,369
  District Average 93,106 (one of the lowest )
• Facilities/Operations above the State Average (on
  the higher end)
• Extracurricular cost of 228 per student
  (higher than most)

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Of further note

• 18 student enrollment increase over last seven
  years
• Minimal (10.4) increase in State Aid since 2001
• State Aid shortfall of more than 5 million since
  2001-02
• Maximum permitted General Fund Balance as of
  6/30/07 (2,207,436 2 of GF Budget)

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Strengths Balancing the Interests of Taxpayers
and Students

• Student Transportation efficiencies
• Cooperatives for supplies, insurance, natural gas
• Competitive bidding and quoting practices
• Utilities management program
• Restructuring of Debt (3 million
  savings)

• Partnership with the community
• Shared services agreements with SB Township and
  other districts
• And, remembering that behind every numberthere
  is a child.

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Challenges Moving Forward

• Impact of the New State Funding Formula for
  2008-09 and beyond
• State Deficit Impact (pension contributions,
  unemployment, unfunded mandates)
• S-1701 (administrative cap, limit on fund
  balance, capital reserve restrictions)
• Financing capital projects
• NCLB restrictions w/reduced funding
• Inflation (utilities, healthcare, transportation)

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FuturisticForecast
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FUTURISTIC FORECASTFebruary 28, 2008

• We must continue to provide our students with
  learning opportunities that encourage and develop
  creative thinking, collaborative efforts and
  interpersonal relationships.
• - The world is getting smaller
  and success will be secured for
• individuals with a broad skill-set
• extending beyond the acquisition
• of knowledge.

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FUTURISTIC FORECASTFebruary 28, 2008

• The future success of our Nation is and will
  continue to be secured by the work of classroom
  teachers who shape, daily, our next generation.
• Under the Board of Education leadership, South
  Brunswick School District has become a
  goal-driven enterprise that values a systematic
  approach to providing instructional experiences
  for students. This commitment has and, more
  importantly, will continue to provide significant
  levels of student achievement.

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In Conclusion
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Contacts

• Human Resources Michael.Lacey_at_sbschools.org
• Professional Development LynneAnn.Fox_at_sbschools.or
  g
• Curriculum Instruction Joanne.Kerekes_at_sbschools.
  org
• Assessment Joanne.Kerekes_at_sbschools.org
• Student Services James.Warfel_at_sbschools.org
• Gifted Talented Education LynneAnn.Fox_at_sbschools.
  org Nicole.Pormilli_at_sbschools.org
• Technology Aaron.Bryan_at_sbschools.org
• Joanne.Kerekes_at_sbschools.org

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Contacts

• Safe Caring James.Warfel_at_sbschools.org
• LynneAnn.Fox_at_sbschools.org
• Nicole.Pormilli_at_sbschools.org
• Community Catherine.Kujawa_at_sbschools.org
• Communications Rebecca.Leonard_at_sbschools.org
• Facilities Anthony.Tonzini_at_sbschools.org
• Finance Anthony.Tonzini_at_sbschools.org

For further information, please
contact Madeline.Daniels_at_sbschools.org
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South Brunswick School DistrictEducation
Summit2008

• Schools Only Succeed When Students Achieve