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P.O. Box 909 ● Trenton, NJ 08605-0909 ● Phone: 609.695.7600 ● Fax: 609.695.0413 ● Web: www.njsba.org/PI |
TRENTON, September 29, 2008 — The New Jersey School Boards Association is honoring seven school districts for outstanding educational programs through its 23rd annual School Leader Awards. “The School Leader Awards are designed to showcase the unique and creative approaches that today’s schools use to educate children,” said Harry J. Delgado, president of NJSBA, a federation of the state’s local boards of education. “The 2008 awards recognize programs that are tapping into community resources, using technology and the arts and, most important, boosting academic achievement.” The 2008 School Leader Awards drew 36 entries. This year’s recognized programs come from the following school districts: Bergen County Special Services; Bridgewater-Raritan Regional; Delaware Township; Egg Harbor Township; Irvington; North Brunswick Township; and Passaic Valley Regional. The judges based their evaluations on the level of innovation, results, how well the programs address specific needs, and the relationship to the state’s Core Curriculum Content Standards. NJSBA will honor the school districts during the closing general session of Workshop 2008 on Oct. 30 in Atlantic City. Workshop is the state’s major training conference for local school board members and administrators. The judges for the 2008 School Leader Awards were Peter Calvo, a member of the Glassboro Board of Education, NJSBA’s vice president for county activities, and former chairman of the Association’s Standards and Assessment Committee; Anne H. Gallagher, communications director for the New Jersey Association of School Administrators; and Laura Quinn, director of communications and public relations for the New Jersey Principals and Supervisors Association. Founded in 1985, the School Leader Award recognizes New Jersey school districts that improve student learning through unique educational efforts. The awards program is named after the New Jersey School Boards Association’s bi-monthly magazine, which provides information and research on educational trends and issues to the state’s local school leaders. Summaries of the recognized programs follow. 2008 School Leader Award Winners
A community-centered program focusing on academic and vocational training, Gateway serves students with mild to moderate cognitive and learning disabilities. It uses community and vocational settings to engage students in building their academic skills through functions requiring writing and mathematics. Students bring the learning back to the classroom for integration into the curriculum. Based on student academic records, the program anticipates a 100 percent graduation rate for this year’s seniors.
Contact: Susie Budine, Vice Principal, (201) 343-6000, ext. 3502, or susbud@bergen.org
An environmental education program, Habitat Partners connects fifth- and sixth-grade students in the Somerset County district with their counterparts in East Orange, as well as with students in foreign countries such as Panama and Tanzania. Students explore their hometown habitat, and use technology to share their findings.
Contact: Katrina Macht, Enrichment Specialist, (908) 231-1905, or kmacht@brrsd.k12.nj.us
DISCOVER is an example of home-grown academic excellence. The gifted-and-talented program in this small K-8 school district has yielded academic results that touch on each of the state’s curriculum standards. Through group projects and independent investigation, students take part in projects such as a family science night, a literacy journal, fund-raising for an animal shelter, and a robotics competition.
Contact: Lenore Cortina, Gifted and Talented Teacher/Supervisor of Instruction, (609) 397-3179 or lcortina@dtsk8.org
An alternative education program focusing on environmental studies, No Child Left Inside involves otherwise disengaged students through Internet research and outdoor activities, such as transforming a dumping grounds into a community park. The program has resulted in 100 percent of students taking the language arts high school graduation test—and it has had a positive impact on student attitudes, as well as the community’s perception of alternative education students.
Contact: Bob Zentmeyer, Supervisor, (609) 926-1235, or zentmeyr@eht.k12.nj.us
The CUSHenrichment program offers after-school learning, but on Saturdays it extends to Montclair State University. The program—designed for middle school students—partners the children with award-winning college professors and college student mentors. Program evaluations show that students build a positive attitude toward school, improve academic achievement, discover role models in college and develop an interest in higher education.
Contact: Albert J. Joy, Director of Government Programs/Special Projects, (973) 399-6948 or ajjoy@irvington.k12.nj.us
RADAR was a proactive move by the district to raise academic achievement and successfully move a majority of the district’s schools out of No Child Left Behind’s “in need of improvement” category. The effort—implemented by staff, from the top down—is driven by data reports from student assessments that help identify students who need assistance. It also helps identify teachers’ strengths and areas for professional staff development.
Contact: Chad Marcus, Supervisor of Academic Support and Enrichment, (732) 289-3037, or cmarcus@mail.nbtschools.org
Students set up and run their own virtual candy company called Favor-It, Inc., and they learn the mechanics of small business and economics as they market their product through activities such as trade shows. The program also partners with a local confectionary company, Bromilow Chocolates, a family-operated business that assists students with tours and real-world business insights.
Contact: Melissa Monte, Business Educator, (973) 890-1388, or pvmmonte@yahoo.com
Six other programs received honorable mention in the 2008 School Leader Award:
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The New Jersey School Boards Association, a federation of district boards of education, advocates the interests of school districts, trains local school board members, and provides resources for the advancement of public education. ###
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