Governor's School of Excellence
 

Narrative     ---     Award Money Accountability Report

Jackson Avenue School received this award during the 2003-2004 school year.  [To read more information  click on:  NJDOE information.  Also, visit the Photo Gallery on this web site to see our pictures.]

2003-2004 Governor’s School of Excellence Nominee Narrative

Our Title I school serves approximately 415 students in Grades preK-4.  Limited English Proficiency (LEP) is of concern for 12% of the school’s children.  Although 12% are LEP, English is a second language for 63% of the student body.  Many parents are non-English speaking. In addition, 52% of our students qualify for federal free or reduced lunch program and we have a 21% mobility rate, which is well above the state average.  The dynamics of second language learners, as well as low socio-economics, produced a need for a concentration on Literacy and Mathematics skills.  The curriculum implements Balanced Literacy in Language Arts-Literacy.  The Everyday Learning Program is used in Mathematics, featuring: hands-on center activities, in depth concepts, applications, and problem solving skills (inclusive of open-ended word problems) within a spiraling curriculum framework.

Lasting change takes place slowly, over a period of time.  For the past several years we have instituted several Language Arts – Literacy initiatives.  This was accomplished with an emphasis on professional development and in providing additional in-class support for teachers, via Reading Coaches.  This resulted in student achievement gains.  A similar focus was implemented in Mathematics by 2001-2002 as well, also resulting in student achievement gains.  (See documentation of student test scores below.)  Moreover, all initiatives have aimed to build critical thinking skills (referencing Bloom’s Taxonomy and Mosaic of Mind) using the pedagogy model of coaching offered by Vygotsky.

The school has a child-centered philosophy of education.  It is believed that all students can and will learn, although they may learn at different paces and need varied methodology (differentiated instruction).   There is a focus on student learning and achievement which is evidenced in quality student work.  The leadership of the school is committed to empowering staff, involving teachers at all levels of decision-making.  Collaborative team meetings and planning, collegial viewing and sharing, staff turn-keying staff, take place throughout the year.  Subject area and grade level lead teachers are also school liaisons at district level curriculum planning meetings.  In addition, parent participation is on the increase, in both quantity and quality.

Significant growth in many criterion areas has been the hallmark of our school within the last 3 years.  This has been accomplished over the last 3 years, by intent and design   (even in the face of rising mobility rates, the dynamics of low socioeconomics, and the language barriers of LEP students and second language learners).  Documented below are these criterion areas with supporting evidence for each.

Outstanding Growth in Literacy:   (Please note that 2002-2003 NJ ASK results for grades 3 and 4 are not yet available, as of the date of this narrative.)

Quality Professional Development Growth:

Our teaching staff is comprised of highly motivated, dedicated, outstanding educators.  Our teachers seek out professional development opportunities above and beyond district provision and requirements.  This year, 2002-2003, the average teacher in our school put in over 40 hours of professional development hours beyond district in-service hours

Examples of professional development approach & activities:

§         Focus on student learning and achievement by examining student work and how students learn

§         Empowering staff, involving teachers at all levels of decision-making

§         Collaborative team meetings and planning, in class collegial viewing

§         After class sharing

§         Staff turn-keying staff

§         In class support via Reading Coaches

§         Consultants in specialized areas present on occasion at in-services

§         Subject area and grade level lead teachers serve as school liaisons at district level curriculum planning meetings

§         Summer Institute of Professional Development established by the district in 2003 (staff trainers are paid, whereas staff participants are paid for by the district)

§         Student and teaching successes are celebrated (It is necessary to take time to savor accomplishments.)

§         New teacher mentorship by veteran staff

§         Participate in college partnerships with student teachers

§         Focal topic areas of professional development have been; Balanced Literacy (Reading & Writing instructional strategies and centers management), Mathematics (skills, developing critical thinking skills, centers, effective use of manipulatives), Accommodating the Needs of Special Needs Populations, Effective Integration of Technology into the Curriculum

 The staff has now grown to a place of having become a self-motivated, on-going community of learners.  Often, independent of administrative request, teachers will initiate team meetings for collaborative planning.  For example, to analyze student writing samples in order to drive instruction, in light of student strengths, weaknesses, setting of target skills, NJRHSM, etc., or to arrange in class collegial visitations and viewing of instructional techniques and management of lessons. 

Increased Partnerships & Community Involvement:

Community involvement has increased from 2001-2003.  Building bridges of community has been by intent.  Training is provided as a requisite for our volunteers, in order to ensure continuity with the overall educational program.  Special Volunteer Recognition Days are held annually as of 2002-2003.  Examples of our community involvement are:

• Bergen Reads – one on one reading tutors volunteer weekly to work with at-risk students
• Bergen Community College students and the Johnson Public Library staff volunteer community service time to the school in various areas of need
• Students corresponded with troops stationed in Iraq, upon returning home soldiers visited our school and its classes
• Students enter local art exhibits and poster contests (winning top placements in the county)
• An alumni of our school continues his relationship with the school, establishing an essay contest with a $1,000 college scholarship award, personally presenting the award
• Students participate in American Legion art contest (receiving 1^st place awards)
• Local American Veteran’s of Foreign Wars make assembly presentations on Veteran’s Day
• Partnership with local colleges in their student teaching mentorship program

 Increase in the Quality & Quantity of Parental Involvement:
Administration, teachers, and the PTA worked together to increase facilitate parental involvement during the school day as well as at after school meetings and functions.  During the 2002-2003 school year parents were integrally involved in:

• Conducting Read-A-Louds during indoor lunch periods
• Leveling classroom books for Guided Reading
• Leveling and sorting books for classroom libraries
• Representing the school at Board of Education meetings
• Integrally involved in decision-making and planning for our PASS in Literacy Family Night (inclusive of dinner, student performances, and family reading workshops) [PASS = Parent And Student Success]
• Increase in parent turn-out at evening meetings, for example over 75% of our parents (approximately 300 families) attended the PASS in Literacy evening, inclusive of family reading workshops
• Planning, facilitating, participating in quality educational assemblies
• Planning, facilitating, participating in social and academic events bridging the home and the school as partners in the educational process

 Creative & Increased Use of Technology:

Effective integration of technology has been made a priority along with literacy efforts.  This is evident in; budgeting, curriculum, professional development, and global community access.  All classrooms have Internet connectivity.  (As seen in the table below a radical improvement was made, within 1 year, in the number of students per computer for instruction).  Furthermore, the Internet via SmartBoards and LCD projectors are being utilized daily in classroom instruction – bringing the world into the classroom in a powerful, instructional, manner.

More important than a plethora of equipment is the attention that we are currently giving to professional development of integrating technology into the curriculum.  Attention is being given to Constructivism, Problem Based Learning (PBL) using a cross-curricular, interdisciplinary approach.  Pearson Learning’s Knowledge Box program has been made accessible to all staff for use in facilitating creative, innovative lesson planning for effective integration of technology. The aim is not solely in acquisition of equipment, but rather to effect how we teach, in order to positively impact student engagement and learning.

Recently in 2003 a school web-site was created and published.  This web site was intentionally designed with relevance for parents regarding daily classroom assignments and information for the school family at large with links to educational activities, sorted according to appropriate grade levels, that reinforce the NJCCCS covered in classes.

Success in Providing Improved Learning Opportunities for At-Risk Students:

Knowing that “The single strongest predictor of whether students will drop out of school is whether they have been retained in grade.” (NRC, 1999) we have developed ‘alternative’ classes within our school to minimize retentions.  Instead of retention students are promoted and placed in an alternative classroom with a low student to teacher ratio in order to provide enhanced personalized instruction for these students.  Also, professional development efforts in concert with Reading Coaches now facilitate greater individualized instruction that meets students on their reading levels and specific skills needs.  Moreover, we have also established bi-lingual classroom instruction for our students who come to us speaking little to no English.  This has proven invaluable to our LEP students.  When necessary, students with true learning disabilities are classified in order to receive specialized instruction from an LDTC.  We have seen steady gains in achievement in our special needs population – a trend we believe will continue.

Improvement in Facilitating Multi-Culturalism Through Fine & Performing Arts:

Through the arts messages of tolerance and multiculturalism touch the hearts and minds of students.  Many opportunities are presented for students to both enjoy watching multi-cultural Fine & Performing Arts performances as well as to be performers before a live audience.  Students have viewed live performances of professional caliber plays on immigration topics and cross-cultural dynamics, African dance troupes, African story-telling, and music.  The student body has also had equal opportunities to participate as performers in all of the above.  This has proven especially beneficial to our special needs population.  As conceived by Howard Gardner, multiple intelligences are different ways to demonstrate intellectual ability.  Some of our students’ giftedness, that isn’t measured on traditional assessments, is obvious and evident on stage in the Fine & Performing Arts.

Student Mobility, Attendance, Suspension, Retention & Drop Out Rates:
Our student attendance rate is above the state average, we have a 100% Retention Rate and a 0% Drop Out Rate, as stated on the School Report Card, which is on record with the NJ DOE.

The 2002-2003 suspension rate remains below 1%.

 The school has also endeavored to reduce class size, having been over the state average in 2000-2001, we were under the state average by 2001-2002.

Violence & Vandalism:
The school has a 0% incidence of violence and vandalism from 2000-2003.  This is supported by the Annual Violence & Vandalism Report records.

In summary, this school, which services a high minorities population, is the type of school worthy of becoming a Governor’s School of Excellence.  It is a school where obstacles to student achievement are viewed as opportunities for innovation, and problems become solutions to be implemented.  In spite of the various dynamics that we have had to face, which tend to hinder student achievement, this school has found keys to overcoming.  We have demonstrated steady school improvement.  It is our desire that tomorrow may truly belong to the children of today.

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Jackson Avenue School

2003-2004

Award monies report

Award Monies Accountability Narrative

 Funding from the 2003 Governor’s School of Excellence Award has provided continued school improvement efforts at Jackson Avenue School.  The $25,000 award was used to facilitate improvement primarily in the areas of:

 ·        Technology integration

·        Reduction of class size

·        Literacy mastery levels (in both Language Arts-Literacy & Mathematics)

·        School Climate

·        Fine and Performing Arts

·        Family Involvement

 In the area of technology integration Jackson Avenue continues to increase effective integration of technology into the curriculum, not only through equipment, but also through innovative practice.  Prior to the GSOE (Governor’s School of Excellence) Award Monies,  Jackson Avenue’s “Student/Computer Ratio” is noted here:  

 Through 2003-2004 STAR-W Grant funding 

• 12 laptops were added with wireless Internet connectivity
• plus 4 LCD projectors which facilitate whole class, multi media presentations offline and/ or online
• However, prior to the STAR-W Grant the school only owned 2 LCD projectors.  We now have a gross total of 6 LCD projectors, which is a 300% increase. 

With the GSOE monies we created, purchased, and established 4 “Tech A La Carte Programs”.    It is not simply a matter of the increase in the student/ computer ratio, but the increase of the creative use and presentation capability as well.  “Tech A La Cartes” are portable, lockable carts that house; a lap top (with Internet connectability), an LCD projector, and a printer.  All staff were provided with professional development in the care of equipment, how to connect the equipment, and effective use of the equipment.  These are available to all staff throughout the school on a requisition basis.  In other words there has been a dramatic increase in the manner in which we are effectively using and integrating technology in all core content areas.  The addition of LCD projectors facilitated whole class multi-media presentations and instruction.  This has had a positive whole school impact for the effective expansion and integration of technology in the curriculum.

GSOE monies facilitated the reduction of class size in Jackson Avenue School’s Kindergarten classes.  Kindergarten enrollment was unexpectedly high by November-December of the 2003-2004 school year.  This jump in enrollment caused Kindergarten class size to be approximately 25 students per class, which we believed to be too high.  Fortunately, our superintendent and school board were able to allocate monies from within the district budget to hire an additional teacher.  The GSOE monies were used to purchase classroom supplies that were needed.  This enabled us to adequately reduce class size and provide optimum equipment of instructional materials for the additional Kindergarten classroom.

Literacy mastery on state assessment testing remains a priority, both instructionally, and reflected in the budget appropriately, at Jackson Avenue School.   GSOE monies were also used to purchase additional instructional texts and workbooks for all grade 3 and 4 students.  These texts, along with continued diligence in our instructional curriculum, were very beneficial in yielding student results, as evidenced in the data below.

• Only General Ed. Populations can properly be compared over time as the ESPA did not report out on various sub-groups.
• Jackson Avenue’s Special Ed. Population and LEP population’s sub groups were numerically too small to be constitute a sub group for accountability.
• We are working to

 School Climate has also been positively impacted through the GSOE award monies.  Recognition and celebration of student achievement and citizenship is emphasized at Jackson Avenue.  Formal certificates of Student Achievement and Appreciation were purchased with GSOE monies, thus adding prestige to the Student of the Month and General Awards school assembly programs. Furthermore, equipment was purchased in order to upgrade Jackson Avenue School’s sound system in the auditorium.  These purchases have added to the momentum and caliber of the positive school climate within the school.

Our Fine and Performing Arts Program, as well as Family Involvement have also been dramatically improved through the GSOE monies.  A new sound system for the auditorium was purchased through the GSOE monies.  This enhanced our overall Music program, student performances, assemblies, concerts, etc.  Parents were better able to hear and appreciate their children on stage, guest speakers and performers.

 Spreadsheet from Business Administrator, Dr. J. Amatuzzi:

JACKSON GOVERNOR OF EXCELLENCE AWARD

FISCAL YEAR 2003-2004 

 A Note of Thanks

The Jackson Avenue School community is honored and grateful to have been selected as a 2003-2004 Governor’s School of Excellence.  The award monies have benefited the entire school and have further facilitated school improvement efforts in many areas.  We are thankful for the NJDOE's most meaningful contribution to the educational success that is taking place here at Jackson Avenue School. 

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My e-mail address is:  jamesjan@shu.edu
Last Update:  10/25/2005