CULTURAL COMPASS: BARNEGAT TWP SCHOOL DISTRICT (8 points of a compass)

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• CULTURAL COMPASS BARNEGAT TWP SCHOOL DISTRICT
  (8 points of a compass)

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Clear focus and high expectations

• We have a clear focus on academic learning
  combined with engaging and creative instruction
  and a culture of high expectations for all
  students embedded in the conviction that all
  students can achieve these expectations with
  effective support. Learning activities are
  authentic and applicable to life outside of
  school and to future learning. Learning
  standards, which encourage students to become
  productive citizens, are known by staff,
  parents/caregivers, and most importantly,
  students. Every stakeholder and the students are
  responsible and accountable for establishing and
  sustaining a quality learning experience which
  requires an effective teacher in every
  classroom, administration that are educational
  leaders not just managers, a challenging
  curriculum, adequate resources, continuous
  improvement, and a safe, secure, non-threatening
  environment.
• Following the NJCCCS
• Teacher Observations
• Differentiated Instruction
• Utilizing different teaching strategies in the
  classroom
• Technological Resources and Training
• Professional Development for Administration and
  Staff
• Guidance/Bully Prevention
• Mentor/Mentee Program

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Personalized Learning Environment

• KIDS FIRST-there is no exception. Our decisions
  are student centered, data driven, and research
  based. We are constantly asking ourselves (a)
  What are we doing? (b) Is it working? (c) How do
  we know? Every student enjoys strong
  relationships with their peers, school, and
  community. Students can expect support both
  academically and social emotionally. Students are
  treated with respect, dignity, and warmth so they
  want to learn. We take students as they come to
  us and provide for differences in abilities,
  needs and learning styles.
• Place students in the least restrictive
  environment
• Centers and Differentiated Instruction
• NJCCCS/Standardized Testing
• Create a healthy, comfortable learning
  environment

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Professional growth

• As professional educators we believe in creating
  lifelong learners in our classrooms, therefore we
  must model this belief within ourselves. We know
  as professionals, we have a responsibility to
  grow and expand our content knowledge,
  instructional practices, and classroom
  strategies. We are effective ambassadors for our
  schools and our success is assessed on the basis
  of results rather than intentions. We actively
  make the shift from beliefs to behaviors by
  emphasizing collegiality over congeniality and
  focusing on learning through professional
  communities rather than just teaching.
• Professional Development
• PD360
• Use of webcasts through Smartboards
• School Wide Meetings/Individual and Grade Level
  Meetings
• Observations
• Classroom Visitations
• TAR
• CAR

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Partnerships

• We actively forge strong bonds with students'
  families or caregivers and community knowing that
  parents/caretakers and community are their
  children's first teachers and most central to
  their lives therefore, they must be participants
  in the education process. We cultivate
  partnerships by acting as extraordinary effective
  ambassadors for our schools. We make sure
  parents/caregivers and communities have voice and
  input to shape all components of the school
  district. Most importantly we are transparent,
  knowing that shared knowledge deepens the
  benefits of communication.
• PTA Involvement
• Back to School Night
• Progress Reports
• Awards Night
• Barnegat CARES
• Parent Information Nights
• Open Door Policies School-wide

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Student voice and participation

• Students are participants in the education
  process. They are given significant opportunities
  to collaborate with school staff/community,
  exercise leadership, and make school wide choices
  and decisions. Students have clear areas of input
  and participation and are actively involved in
  decisions regarding their learning, classrooms,
  school, campus, and community.
• Student Council
• Safety Patrol
• Pizza with the Principal
• Students participate in morning/event
  announcements
• Leaders in Training
• Collections/Fundraisers for outside organizations
  and school wide events

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Technology Integration

• All students are provided the tools to access and
  analyze information, communicate ideas, and
  express themselves creatively. Teachers have
  equipment and professional development to enable
  them to implement technology enhanced
  instruction. Students learn to navigate diverse
  information sources, including print, visual,
  kinesthetic, and audio materials, through the
  integration of information literacy skills.
• Mini Lap tops/Classroom Computers
• Skype/Webcam
• Accelerated Reader
• Study Island
• DRA2Tango
• Genesis
• Engrade (Online Grading)
• Ipods/Leap Frog
• Smartboards/Elmos
• Electronic Field Trips

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Dynamic

• As an effective organization, we are nimble-we
  embrace change and often reject the familiar. We
  are never static realizing that in the 21st
  century education is changing everyday. We honor
  the simple reality of another person's experience
  because it is an instant connection to the larger
  world outside of our selves. We ignore critics
  yet utilize their criticism. We stay relevant by
  remembering to continually ask, listen, and act.
  And instead of focusing on things that are easy
  to measure, we focus instead, on those things
  that are important to measure. We focus on the
  journey and all of its ups and downs.
• Differentiated Instruction
• Meet the Needs of EVERY student
• Professional Growth and Development
• School-Wide Committee
• Principal Liaison Committee
• Continuous Self Evaluation
• Monitor/Adjust to the School Needs
• Always preparing for the FUTURE to grow as a
  whole

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The Why?

• We realize that the single most efficient
  strategy for improving our operations is in
  answering the "why" questions! We embrace people
  who ask these questions-we treat them as
  stakeholders and collaborators.
• We create prognostications that allow us to
  prepare and grow as educators.
• It is vital to be trained in all areas of
  technology and curriculum to further the learning
  of each individual student.
• The world of education is constantly growing and
  changing. We need to be up to date with the
  standards and strands.
• Implement the School Wide Plan to help grow as a
  school and be on the same page, as a district.