RUTGERS UNIVERSITY ANNOUNCES MAJOR FINDINGS ON BEST PRACTICES IN NEW JERSEY SCHOOLS
May 11, 2004 (Monroe Township) Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey and the Business Coalition for Educational Excellence (BCEE) at the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce, today announced the results of a major study into the best practices of New Jersey’s top performing schools.
Using data reports from the Just for the Kids-New Jersey website (www.just4kids.org), six schools were selected for the study. The selected schools have consistently out-performed schools with similar or more challenging student populations in the content areas measured (math and language arts in grades 4, 8, and 11 and science in grade 8). The study sought to identify practices that have driven high performance with the ultimate goal of helping lower performing schools to adopt and implement those effective practices. Additionally, the BCEE will post the information on the website so that it can be shared by schools across New Jersey.
The schools that took part in this study were:
·William Allen Middle School Moorestown Burlington County
·Millburn Middle School Millburn Essex County
·Memorial Elementary School Eatontown Monmouth County
·Christopher Columbus Middle School Union City Hudson County
·Number 18 Elementary School Paterson Passaic County
·Horace Mann Elementary School North Bergen Hudson County
The New Jersey Principals and Supervisors Association (NJPSA), at their headquarters in Monroe Township, hosted today’s event. It comes less than two weeks after New Jersey’s business leaders and representatives of the education community unveiled full access to a new way of viewing performance on the state’s fourth grade New Jersey Assessment of Skills and Knowledge (NJASK), Grade Eight Proficiency Assessment (GEPA), and High School Proficiency Assessment (HSPA) through Just for the Kids-New Jersey. Based on the school data reports, 62 high achieving schools were honored as Just for the Kids-New Jersey Benchmark Schools.
The study identified effective education practices in three major clusters: School Cultures that Respect and Motivate Teachers and Students; Organization of Curriculum and Instruction; and Other Facilitating Factors that Support the First Two Clusters of Practices. Details and examples are provided from each of the six schools studied.
The Just for the Kids-New Jersey website allows visitors to view New Jersey school testing results by individual school, rather than by whole districts. Site visitors can follow several easy-to-read charts that show school performance over time. Individual school performance is shown in comparison only to schools that have similar or more challenging student populations to educate, so that the system is fair in helping underachieving schools learn more about high achieving schools and encouraging the sharing of best practices.
The free website, www.just4kids.org, provides schools, teachers, parents, and the public with a clear “apples-to-apples” comparison of school performance. The valuable information aids in school decision-making and fosters the sharing of what is working in other schools with similar student bodies.
“By collecting and making available this best practice information to educators and parents, we hope to help all schools reach a higher level of achievement,” said Dana Egreczky, president, Business Coalition For Educational Excellence and vice president, Workforce Development at the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce. “Our goal is to strengthen New Jersey’s education system, thus ensuring that all of our students are well prepared to enter the workforce.”
The Business Coalition for Educational Excellence (BCEE) at the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce is committed to ensuring that all students achieve at high levels, become productive citizens, and are well- prepared to succeed in the workplace. The BCEE serves as the voice of business in the education policy debate, and supports programs that address the business agenda in education reform. The BCEE is guided by its accountability to the business community. BCEE programs are supported by tax-deductible contributions made to the New Jersey State Chamber of Commerce Education Foundation, a 501(c)(3) organization. For more information please visit www.bcee.org
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NEW JERSEY BUSINESS COMMUNITY ANNOUNCES NEW WEB SITE DATA USED TO RECOGNIZE HIGH PERFORMING SCHOOLS
April 29, 2004 (Princeton, NJ) – New Jersey’s business leaders and representatives of the education community today unveiled full access to a new way of viewing performance on the state’s fourth grade New Jersey Assessment of Skills and Knowledge (NJASK), Grade Eight Proficiency Assessment (GEPA), and High School Proficiency Assessment (HSPA) through Just for the Kids-New Jersey at www.just4kids.org. Based on these school data reports, more than 60 high achieving schools were honored as Just for the Kids-New Jersey Benchmark Schools at an event held at the Doral Forrestal Conference Center and Spa in Princeton, New Jersey.
This free Web site, www.just4kids.org, provides schools, teachers, parents, and the public with a clear “apples-to-apples” comparison of school performance. This valuable information aids in school decision-making and fosters the sharing of what is working in other schools with similar student bodies.
The Just for the Kids-New Jersey Web site allows visitors to view New Jersey school testing results by individual school, rather than by whole districts. Site visitors can follow several easy-to-read charts that show school performance over time. Individual school performance is shown in comparison to only those schools that have similar or more challenging student populations to educate, making this a fair system that helps underachieving schools learn more about high achieving schools and encourages the sharing of best practices.
“By providing this information to educators and parents, we intend to recognize and commend all high achieving schools and help improve those who may not be doing as well,” said Dana Egreczky, vice president, Workforce Development at the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce and head of the Business Coalition for Educational Excellence. “Our goal is to strengthen New Jersey’s education system and help all students become high achievers who are well prepared to enter the workforce.”
The Business Coalition for Educational Excellence (BCEE) at the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce is committed to ensuring that all students achieve at high levels, become productive citizens, and are well-prepared to succeed in the workplace. The BCEE serves as the voice of business in the education policy debate, and supports programs that address the business agenda in education reform. The BCEE is guided by its accountability to the business community. BCEE programs are supported by tax-deductible contributions made to the New Jersey State Chamber of Commerce Education Foundation, a 501(c)(3) organization. For more information please visit www.bcee.org.
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Press contact RobertSunga
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16 NEW JERSEY TEACHERS RECEIVE NATIONAL CREDENTIAL FOR EXCELLENCE IN TEACHING
April 22, 2004 (Cranbury, NJ) – Sixteen New Jersey teachers were awarded crystal apples at an event sponsored by The Business Coalition for Education Excellence (BCEE) at the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce, for recently earning National Board Certification from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. New Jersey State Department of Education Commissioner, William Librera, representatives from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, and New Jersey business leaders from the BCEE attended the recognition ceremony held today at The Courtyard Marriott in Cranbury, New Jersey.
National Board Certification is considered the hallmark of excellence for accomplished teachers. Those that achieve this credential have truly demonstrated their commitment to the highest levels of teaching and student achievement. In order to achieve National Board Certification, teachers must undergo a qualification process that takes approximately 200 to 400 hours, over the course of one or more years, to complete. They are required to complete an extensive series of performance-based assessments that probe the depth of their subject matter knowledge as well as their ability to manage, measure, and improve student learning.
A recent study was conducted in North Carolina where test scores of more than 600,000 students in three grades over
three academic years were examined. The research found that teachers who achieve National Board Certification do a
measurably better job in the classroom, and students of these certified teachers improved an average of seven
percent more on their year-end math and reading tests than students whose teachers attempted but failed to earn
certification. This performance differential was most pronounced for younger and lower-income students whose gains
were as high as 15 percent.
Before the BCEE became involved in New Jersey’s efforts in 2002, only 18% of teachers who applied for National Board Certification actually achieved the credential. In an effort to help more New Jersey applicants attain this distinction, the BCEE, with the support of Washington Mutual; Prudential Financial, Inc; the Merck Institute for Science Education; Johnson & Johnson; Fleet Bank; State Farm; and Infineum, created a recruitment and mentoring program for teachers interested in working toward National Board Certification. The program, called the National Board Network, is a service that links mentor teachers who have already achieved National Board Certification with teachers seeking certification. Through this program and ongoing recruitment efforts, the BCEE has helped New Jersey’s passing rate climb to 31% and quadrupled the number of applicants.
“One of the best ways to improve schools and student learning is to strengthen teaching,” said Dana Egreczky, vice president, Workforce Development at the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce and head of the Business Coalition for Educational Excellence. “By completing this rigorous assessment program, these teachers have attained one of the highest hallmarks of excellence in teaching and helped to raise the bar for teaching standards.”
The Business Coalition for Educational Excellence (BCEE) at the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce is committed to ensuring that all students achieve at high levels, become productive citizens, and are well-prepared to succeed in the workplace. The BCEE serves as the voice of business in the education policy debate, and supports programs that address the business agenda in education reform. The BCEE is guided by its accountability to the business community. BCEE programs are supported by tax-deductible contributions made to the New Jersey State Chamber of Commerce Education Foundation, a 501(c)(3) organization. For more information please visit www.bcee.org
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Press contact RobertSunga
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