MANY RACIALLY DIVERSE COMMUNITIES encounter gaps in performance among minority and non-minority students. At the end of the 2002-2003 school year, the South Plainfield Public School District realized that it also faced this dilemma when it reviewed results on the math portions of state-required tests, administered in fourth, eighth and 11th grades.

At each grade level, scores were below expectations. District-wide, the vast majority of our fourth graders and high school students still scored at proficient levels or above on the tests. However, minority students in these grades lagged behind.

Our particular concern, however, was a wide achievement gap on the Grade Eight Proficiency Assessment. District-wide, a slim majority (51 percent) of students scored at proficient or advanced proficient levels on the mathematics portion of the test. Our African American and Hispanic students fared worse, with proficiency levels 22 and 33 percentage points lower, respectively, than district-wide results.

Focus on Achievement Our immediate response was to mobilize our staff so that they understood that we could do better and, most important, that we could narrow this achievement gap.

Dedication is not lacking among South Plainfield’s staff. What we needed, however, was a comprehensive long-term strategy to address the achievement gap and data analysis to keep us on point. In many cases, where data existed, it was not useful or had not been analyzed across grade levels and schools.

The district’s new director of curriculum and superintendent began an extensive analysis to –

• Identify short-term initiatives, and
  
  
• Establish a five-year improvement program.

The long- and short-term efforts used strategies that anchor curriculum to state standards, provide professional development, encourage collaboration across grade levels, differentiate instruction according to student need, make data-driven decisions, and provide extra support for struggling learners.

We kicked off the initiative during the first staff meeting of the 2003-2004 school year. The superintendent presented year-to-year comparisons of test scores at various grade levels. His data clearly showed that student achievement could improve if we took steps to prevent the dramatic drop in proficiency levels that occurred between the fourth and eighth grades.

Since then, the superintendent has opened each year’s initial staff meeting with a review of student achievement.

Buy-in Essential Meetings for teachers in grades 5 through 8 followed. We presented data from demographically similar school districts, which had higher achievement levels than ours.

Subsequent meetings encompassed staff in grades 5 through 12, as we revamped the sequence of courses and the process for selecting students for pre-algebra in grade 6. We also addressed the issues facing students in the upper grades, who experienced problems in mathematics classes.

Once the staff and administration accepted the fact that we could do a better job, the planning for improvement began in earnest.

Aligning with Standards South Plainfield’s efforts to increase achievement in mathematics included –

• Aligning the seventh- and eighth-grade curricula with the New Jersey Core Curriculum Content Standards;
  
  
• Developing instructional strategies, and
  
  
• Aligning assessment with the proficiencies measured by the state’s eighth-grade exam.

Our effort was supported through a Comprehensive School Reform Grant, administered by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Academic Improvement and Teacher Quality Programs. The grant funded our work with ENI, an Arizona-based educational consulting firm, which provides teachers with research, data analysis and curriculum alignment aimed at helping students meet academic standards.

Targeting Help In addition to curriculum alignment, new instructional strategies and related assessment, the South Plainfield Public Schools increased time on task for those students who have difficulty learning. The district also offered a before-school prep class for the eighth-grade assessment and a double math period for certain students in seventh and eighth grades.

While achievement among eighth- and 11th-grade students was a major focus, we also recognized the need to involve the elementary schools in the initiative. Mathematics teachers received “pacing guides” that aligned the curriculum with the state’s academic standards. District-wide quarterly assessments were also developed. Data from the quarterly tests now help teachers and administrators monitor individual student progress and adjust instruction.

Our strategies also included the use of technology and cooperative groups, as well as differentiating instruction according to student need.

No Silver Bullet We have described a variety of ways that the South Plainfield Public Schools have worked to close the achievement gap. Although we haven’t listed all of our efforts, one fact should be clear: There is not one particular plan of attack that would be the “silver bullet.” Instead, the problem has to be attacked in several ways, across many levels, and repeatedly. The commitment must be ongoing.

According to Dr. Ronald Ferguson, a Harvard University economist, closing the achievement gap will require relentless effort: Just when you think you’ve pushed as far as you can, you have to go even further if you hope to succeed.

The Results South Plainfield’s staff has adopted the goal of improving achievement for all of our students. The administration, the director of curriculum and the staff development personnel have pursued this goal with remarkable results.

Between 2003 and 2006, the percentage of South Plainfield students scoring at proficient and advanced proficient levels increased at all grade levels and among all groups. Most significant are the gains among minority students, with the majority of African American and Hispanic eighth and 11th graders now scoring at proficient and advanced proficient levels.

In fact, the mathematics achievement gap has shrunk considerably. On the eighth grade exam, for example, the gap between the total number of students who scored at proficient levels or higher and African American students who scored at those levels was reduced by more than half—from 21.2 percentage points in 2003 to 9.2 in 2006. In the 11th grade, the proficiency gap between all students and Hispanic students shrunk by 43 percent.

Based on these results, the South Plainfield Public Schools can proudly make an affirmative statement: Our schools can improve overall test scores and close the achievement gap.

Robert J. Rosado, Ed. D., is superintendent of the South Plainfield Public Schools. He can be reached at rrosado@spnet.k12.nj.us.

Kaye Crown is the assistant superintendent for instruction in South Plainfield. At the time this article was written, she was the district’s director of curriculum.

By Rosa Cirianni

MARY CATHERINE SUDIAK SAYS that dealing with state and federal legislation is one of the most daunting responsibilities of school board membership. As evidence, she points to her own experience of wading through a plethora of bills that affect her board in Cranford.

She is one of the dozens of school board members who have tackled legislative issues head on as members of the New Jersey School Board Association’s Legislative Committee. Sudiak has served on the influential panel since 2004.

“Being able to keep abreast of legislation and keeping in contact with our legislators is critical to providing for our students and our community,” she said.

The Legislative Committee is comprised of 40 members and 40 alternates from each of the state’s legislative districts. On average, the group meets six times a year in central New Jersey to review bills that could affect K-12 public education, to develop positions based on NJSBA policy, and to recommend an annual legislative agenda to the Association’s Board of Directors.

“I have gotten to know why people in other districts that are different from mine feel strongly about their issues. We collaborate to do what’s best for kids,” said Gail LeBart of the North Hunterdon-Voorhees Regional High School District, who has served on the committee since 2002.

“We’ve got urban districts, rural districts, North Jersey, South Jersey—everybody has different issues, and yet we come together and operate as a whole. It’s not a provincial committee.”

Taking Extra Steps Many of the decisions in Trenton and in Washington, D.C. directly impact local school districts. Therefore, it’s critical that local school officials maintain contact with state and federal lawmakers to champion public education and to influence decisions, according to NJSBA Vice President for Legislation/Resolutions Eva M. Nagy, who chairs the Legislative Committee.

“We’re speaking as elected officials with a constituency behind us,” said Nagy. “We’re talking with strength, and we’re talking with numbers.”

NJSBA’s team of lobbyists coaches and assists Legislative Committee members in becoming advocates for public education. Committee members are offered hands-on training exercises in areas such as grassroots consensus-building.

Mila Jasey of the South Orange-Maplewood Board of Education decided to join the committee in May after she had conversations with her state representatives, Assemblymen John F. McKeon and Mims Hackett, Jr., both D-Essex, about changing New Jersey’s funding formula for public schools.

Her district, like so many others in New Jersey, has been hit hard over the past five years because of the state’s flat funding of K-12 public education. With only a small portion of South Orange-Maplewood’s school budget covered by state and federal sources, property owners in the predominately residential community pay approximately 93 percent of public school costs.

“We have very little in the way of commercial ratables. We’re one of the most tax-stressed communities in New Jersey. It is time for New Jersey to stop pointing the finger when school funding comes up for discussion,” she said.

Jasey is hoping that school board members on NJSBA’s Legislative Committee can work with lawmakers to help the state strike a better balance.

“We want to educate our communities in terms of what the issues are and to understand that investing in our children’s future is an investment in New Jersey. If we short change them, it hurts everyone.”

Member Qualities The sole qualification for serving on the Legislative Committee is current membership on a local board of education. Ideally, though, committee members have a strong interest in the legislative process and are familiar with their area legislators.

“If you’re the next door neighbor of Dick Codey—and you’re a board member—we might be interested in having you serve on the Legislative Committee,” quipped Mike Vrancik, NJSBA director of governmental relations.

Legislative Committee members serve as liaisons between their school districts, other districts in their region and their area legislators. They may be asked to testify before the state Legislature on behalf of the Association concerning major issues that affect public education.

Simply put, committee members are considered “our contacts on the ground for local districts,” Vrancik said.

NJSBA wants to begin tapping more into its members’ professional expertise. That desire applies to the Legislative Committee as well. For example, if a board member is a certified public accountant, that person may be able to provide valuable insight into particular financial proposals before the Legislature, according to Vrancik.

“There’s a cross section of the working world out there among our membership. We want to get to know who our members are and what they can bring to the table,” he said.

Successes in 2006-2007 The Legislative Committee has helped NJSBA to make considerable strides on behalf of local school districts.

The committee’s hard work contributed to notable victories in the Legislature—from stopping a proposal to establish 21 countywide school districts to preventing the movement of the non-partisan school board member elections, which now take place in April, to the partisan General Election in November.

The committee’s work also contributed to the recent pension and health benefits reform bill (S-17) signed into law by Gov. Jon S. Corzine on May 10. The legislation, which originated in the Legislature’s special session on property tax reform, now gives school districts the ability to unilaterally offer their employees incentives to waive coverage under the State Health Benefits Program.

While NJSBA’s Legislative Committee, along with the Association staff and its general membership, has attained much success in these areas, there’s still much work to be accomplished.

For William Barnaskas of the Lyndhurst Board of Education, serving on the committee and attending January’s Federal Relations Network Conference in Washington, D.C., have been among the most memorable local school board experiences.

The conference, sponsored by the National School Boards Association, brought 35 New Jersey board members to the nation’s capital for the annual Day on the Hill, where Barnaskas’ congressman, Rep. Steven R. Rothman, signed “A Pledge to America’s Schoolchildren.” New Jersey was the first state in the nation to have both of its U.S. Senators sign the pledge, developed by NSBA. Eight of the Garden State’s 13 members of the U.S. House of Representatives also signed on. The pledge urges reform of the No Child Left Behind Act and increased federal funding for special education and other programs.

“The fun part is to see how the process works and see how we can effect change,” Barnaskas said. “The bad part is to try to figure out an effective way to get the information that we’re trying to put forth to all the towns in our [legislative and congressional] districts, and get them to communicate back to us.”

Issues Ahead The single biggest issue school board members will face this year will be the development of a new school funding system, said chief lobbyist Vrancik.

Legislative Committee member LeBart agrees.

“There has to be a more equitable way to fund education. I think that is our biggest issue,” she said. “People are paying a much higher percentage of their real estate taxes on the local level...We have state mandated and federally mandated education programs that should be fully funded, but are not. Our taxpayers bear the brunt of that.”

In addition to school funding, other critical issues will include—the impact of the newly created office of executive county superintendent (“super” county superintendent), which resulted from the Legislature’s special session on property tax reform; and the increase of state oversight into local school board district operations through the state’s new monitoring system—the New Jersey Quality Single Accountability Continuum.

Since NJSBA does not have a registered political action committee and its members do not receive salaries or other compensation for their service, the Association stands out among the hundreds of other groups vying for the attention of lawmakers, according to vice president for Legislation/Resolutions Nagy.

“We don’t have a financial or a vested interest,” said Nagy, who sits on the Franklin Township school board in Somerset County. “We can be pure to our input and recommendations and suggestions.

“We want to be able to address the overreliance of property taxes to fund public education, but not at the expense of overregulating the schools [or by creating legislative decisions that are going to cost more money than they save,” she added.

And when Nagy speaks in public, she makes it a habit to underscore the first action word in NJSBA’s mission statement: “advocates.”

“I emphasize that all the time because that is one of our roles as board members, to advocate for schoolchildren, because they can’t.”

Rosa Cirianni is editor/writer for the New Jersey School Boards Association.

An Advocate Draws Inspiration from Within

By Rosa Cirianni

AFTER HE HAD RECEIVED A KIDNEY transplant from a 19-year-old who died, C. Andre Daniels was looking for some way to give back to children. What he found helped save his life.

After his surgery five years ago, Daniels began to evaluate his future.

Before the transplant, “it was about bringing home the bacon.” Afterward, he said, “It became about making a difference...It brought some perspective to my life.”

The U.S. Air Force veteran served during the Persian Gulf War and for a brief stint in Saudi Arabia, until one of his kidneys began to deteriorate. Then his work took him from The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia to chief of staff for a state lawmaker in the City of Brotherly Love.

Today, with a degree in education and curriculum development from Southern Illinois University, Daniels has come full circle to his calling to improve the lives of children as a school board member and as the interim executive director for the Boys & Girls Club of Burlington County in Willingboro.

Personal Shift During his years of dialysis treatment and his transition back to civilian life, someone asked Daniels a simple question that caused an unexpected personal shift. The question began with two words: “Would you?”

He recalls dropping lunch off to his daughter at school, when a parent asked: “Would you be able to help out with a PTA sale?” Daniels agreed and later found himself becoming more involved in the organization. So much so, that he eventually became its president.  

A few years into his volunteer role, others in Westampton began to notice him. This time they approached Daniels with another proposition, starting with those same two words: “Would you consider running for the school board?”

That was two years ago. Daniels ran for a seat on his local board and garnered the second highest number of votes in the election. Since then, he has taken his passion to the next level and began serving on NJSBA’s Legislative Committee in 2006.

“While ‘thorough and efficient’ is the mandate for board members, my mandate is the significant best interest of kids,” he said, explaining his reason for being a public school advocate. June 13 marked five years since his transplant, and he now lives with three kidneys, the third implanted into the area of his lower abdomen.

However, his surgery never deterred his focus.

“If I’ve got to go to Washington, I’ll do it. If I’ve got to go to Trenton, I’ll do it,” he added. “Policy and legislation are technical specialty areas. Anything you want to do to advance the agenda of children, that’s where the action is. That’s where the rules and regulations are formed.”

Father of a Village He describes himself as “an advocate first and foremost,” and the father of a “village.”  He’s not kidding. His job aside, Daniels has six children, ages 12 to 25.

“The business of education seems to outweigh the true core advocacy of who we’re educating. At the end of the day, even with Boys & Girls Club, I always say, ‘I don’t sell cars. I don’t sell houses.’ If we do our job exceedingly well, we’ll introduce them into society as capable and responsible young men and women.

“That’s why I do what I do.”

Daniels, 44, says if he had just one mandate, it would be to make the educational and legislative process less complicated, less daunting and more user-friendly to the general public. That, he hopes, would help board members gain community support for annual school budget votes and building projects with greater ease.

Possessing an “old mother’s wit,” he said educating students does not require lots of fanfare. Plainly speaking, Daniels uses the no-nonsense motto: “It’s a kid, stupid.”

“How do you help that kid? You educate them. You engage them on a level which they choose and on which they want to be engaged. You provide structure and a kind hand when necessary. They are wide open and full of discovery, being receptive and open to learning; that’s when you get the education in.”  

Daniels’ work on the NJSBA Legislative Committee is fueled by his own mission to get residents to understand the importance of educating children and to move the educational process into a proactive, rather than a reactive system. Accomplishing that goal, he knows firsthand, can be frustrating for board members and legislators alike.

After all, great educational systems not only benefit students, but also the public when considering real estate values. They also attract businesses and talent. However, there is a segment of the population that is over taxed, beyond what its income will allow. In spite of that fact, board members still need to get their communities to buy into their plans.

The biggest issue facing New Jersey districts this year?

“It’s always going to be the budget. It’s always going to be how you balance a first-rate education system,” Daniels said. “People have to come together and say, ‘What can we do to best advocate for the best interest of children?’”

Rosa Cirianni is editor/writer for the New Jersey School Boards Association.

THESE ARE Workshop 2007’s keynote speakers, and they epitomize the conference theme, “Dream, Inspire, Achieve.“

Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, the former lieutenant governor of Maryland and a strong child advocate, will present “Inspiring Students to Achieve Their Dreams.” Townsend believes that political and civic engagement can unleash in all people enormous power that enables them to make contributions to the world.

“It is the responsibility of every person to fight for justice, combining a dedication to helping each other with active community involvement,” she says.

Robert and Ethel Kennedy’s eldest child, Townsend led Maryland to become the first state in the nation that required high school students to perform community service. Throughout her career, she has devoted substantial effort to ensuring quality education and healthcare for children.

Jim Ellis, the swim coach who is the subject of the recently released film “Pride,” pulled together a group of troubled inner-city kids, made them into a dedicated team, and taught them how to overcome adversity through hard work and determination.

Ellis will discuss “Inspiring Pride: One Lap at a Time.”

Over the past 36 years, he has introduced competitive swimming to inner-city youth and their families. In 1971, he founded the Philadelphia Department of Recreation Swim Team, a model for urban swim programs across the nation.
Eleanor Clift, a contributing editor for Newsweek magazine and political analyst for the Fox News Network, will close Workshop on Friday.

Clift will present “An Insider’s View of Washington. ”

An author, regular panelist on “The McLaughlin Group,” and even an occasional actress, she reports on the White House, presidential politics, and a variety of national issues. Her column, “Capitol Letter,” is posted weekly at Newsweek.com and MSNBC.com. She has played herself in several films including “Independence Day,” “Murder at 1600 Pennsylvania” and “Dave.”

Building Skills Workshop 2007 will provide diverse opportunities for school board members, superintendents and business officials to enhance their knowledge and their skills by tapping into the expertise of the greater education community. Whether a Workshop veteran or attending for the first time, participants will find a variety of sessions to stimulate their minds.

Special Areas of Focus Dr. Jay Doolan, an assistant commissioner for the New Jersey Department of Education, will lead a Critical Issue Session panel of education and business leaders in a discussion of state and national high school redesign efforts. The session will be followed by action labs on high school and K-8 redesign and group sessions and action labs on closing the student achievement gap. Participants will learn how other districts and states have developed programs, actions and services to reduce the gap and have improved learning for all students along the way.

Advanced Board Member Training With an eye on recent legislative changes, NJSBA staff will offer Advanced Board Member Training on Friday morning.

Under the state’s School District Accountability Law, board members must complete advanced training on relevant changes to New Jersey school law and other information deemed appropriate to enable them to serve more effectively.

The Accountability Act requires additional training for first-term board members during their second year in office; first-term board members during their third year in office; and re-elected or reappointed board members in the first year of their new terms.

NJSBA has obtained the approval of the New Jersey Department of Education to offer a single course, focused on the state’s new monitoring system—the New Jersey Quality Single Accountability Continuum—to all three groups this year.

Attendees can satisfy the requirements and earn .5 Board Member Academy Credits at no additional cost to their districts.

Programs Galore Workshop is again offering action labs and information clinics, in addition to the traditional group sessions, prior to the Closing General Session on Friday.

Clinics will be offered on legal, policy and labor relations issues. They offer participants the perfect opportunity to tap the expertise of NJSBA staff.

At Friday’s closing session, the Board Certification, Master Board Member, and Communications Competition awards will be presented, along with the annual School Leader Award.

Throughout Workshop, Action Labs and Group Sessions will provide attendees with the opportunity to learn about some of the unique programs taking place throughout the state.

In the process, participants earn Board Member Academy points toward becoming Certificated or Master Board Members. For those who want to sit down and talk to presenters and explore programs, the popular Curriculum Fair and Question and Answer Roundtables supply that opportunity in a casual face-to-face format.

Welcome Reception Something new for those who arrive early—MetLife is sponsoring a welcome reception, 5:15 to 6:45 p.m. on Tuesday at the Sheraton Atlantic City Conference Center Hotel. It’s an opportunity to meet board members from other districts, ask questions and share ideas.

The reception is the perfect way to top off a day for those who attend NJSBA’s New Board Member One-Day Orientation Conference earlier on Tuesday. The orientation enables recently elected and appointed board members to satisfy the training requirements of the New Jersey School Ethics Act.

Time to Browse Members should carve out time for the exhibit floor, where hundreds of vendors will showcase their wares and give members information about the latest in education products and services.

The schedule of exhibits has been slightly altered this year, to give participants more time on the floor. The Exhibit Hall will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.

Free Lunch on Wednesday Participants can grab an exhibitor-sponsored box lunch in the Exhibit Hall on Wednesday and stroll over to “Park” area of the floor to enjoy student performances throughout the day.

They can also grab a cup of coffee and something sweet from the CAL Café, which is located next to the Association Central booth.

At Association Central, members can meet with the officers and staff from NJSBA, NJASA and NJASBO, who will be available to answer questions. While on the floor, members will also have the opportunity to check their e-mail at the Cyber Cafe.

Whether they are veterans or first-timers, this is one Workshop board members will not want to miss.

By John Flynn

TO EVEN THE MOST CASUAL observer, it would seem that America’s schools are facing a crisis of violence. The media has offered frequent accounts of bomb threats, assaults on teachers, administrators and students. We have even read stories of two middle school students setting fire to another girl’s hair.

All of these incidents pale when compared to the horror at Virginia Tech this spring.

Dr. Delbert S. Elliot, director of the Center for the Study and Prevention of Violence at the University of Colorado, described a disturbing trend at a recent symposium on risk management.

“We are seeing a change in the trends around youth violence nationally,” he said. “We enjoyed a decade of declining involvement in violence on the part of young people, and declining violence at school. But in the last two years we have seen a reversal of that trend. Gang activity is on the increase again. The number of school-related deaths in the last two years is twice what it was in the two years prior to that. We know that 6 percent of 12- to 18-year-olds attending school reported that they carried a weapon to school in the last 30 days.

“We are seeing the highest proportion of students reporting that they were threatened or injured at school than we have seen since CDC [the federal Centers for Disease Control] started collecting that kind of information.”

Cry for Help A review of research on school violence shows that the most frequently referenced source is the May 2002 Final Report and Findings of the Safe School Initiative, a collaborative study by the U.S. Secret Service and the U.S. Department of Education.

The study examined 37 incidents of school violence in 26 states, using a unique approach: Researchers worked backward from the time of each incident to identify the pre-attack thinking, planning and behavior of the students who carried out the violent acts. Drawing on the Secret Service’s experience in studying and preventing assassinations and other types of targeted violence, as well as on the Department of Education’s expertise in helping schools facilitate learning through the creation of safe environments, the study focused on how these pre-attack actions and behaviors could serve as a key to preventing future incidents.

According to the study, “targeted violence” is any incident of violence where a known or knowable attacker pre-selects a particular target. It was rarely spontaneous, and most attackers did not threaten their targets directly. Instead, they behaved in a manner that suggested the need for help. Prior to the incidents, there were others who were aware of the attacker’s intention. In many cases, other students were involved.

Reducing Risks According to the study, preventing targeted attacks requires two steps: developing the capacity to acquire and evaluate information about a potential risk; and establishing a plan to prevent its occurrence.

New Jersey Administrative Code, readopted in 2006, requires that school districts develop and implement comprehensive plans that provide for safety and security in their schools. These plans must include a procedure, to be followed by the district officials, whenever there is reason to believe that a student has threatened or genuinely intends to cause death or bodily injury to another person.

Threat Assessment In May 2003, the U.S. Secret Service and Department of Education issued a companion report to their study of the previous year. The guide, Threat Assessment in Schools: A Guide to Managing Threatening Situations in Schools and to Creating Safe School Climates, offers a process for identifying, assessing and managing students who may pose a threat of targeted violence.

The document is designed to guide school administrators and law enforcement officials in ensuring school safety through the threat assessment process, a system that –

• • Identifies students who “pose” threats and have the means and intent to carry them out;
  
  
• Investigates, evaluates and manages targeted violence, and
  
  
• Includes prevention strategies.

Dr. Dewey G. Cornell, a clinical psychologist and professor of education at the University of Virginia, offers the following definition of threat assessment:
….a process of evaluating a threat and the circumstances surrounding the threat, to uncover any facts or evidence that the threat is likely to be carried out. Student threat assessment can be distinguished from profiling in part because the investigation is triggered by some form of student behavior rather than some combination of demographic and personal characteristic of the student.

The typical approach to threat assessment involves the organization of a team led by a school administrator, including a guidance counselor, a school psychologist and a school resource officer. Using this approach as a base, the University of Virginia Youth Violence Project developed model student threat assessment guidelines which involve a seven-step process of implementation. The model was field tested in two Virginia school districts with diverse enrollments of 14,600 students each. Preliminary findings indicate reduction of violent behavior in those schools.

Supportive Environment Whatever approach is adopted, the guide recommends that schools have clear policies authorizing a threat assessment program and the investigation, collection and handling of any information that suggests a potentially threatening situation. Such policies should be developed in consultation with the school district’s legal counsel.

Prevention of school-based violence begins with the building of a strong foundation characterized by supportive relationships, practices that promote the protection and safety of all students, and a caring school community in which all members feel connected.

The guide suggests the following efforts to create safe schools, including –

• Assessing the school’s emotional climate;
  
  
• Emphasizing the importance of listening to students;
  
  
• Adopting a strong, but caring stance against the “code of silence,” which might stop students from reporting important information about questionable behavior;
  
  
• Preventing and intervening in bullying;
  
  
• Involving all members of the school community in planning, creating and sustaining a culture of safety and respect; and
  
  
• Developing a trusting relationship between each student and at least one adult at school.

Beyond the Lock-Down The typical response to an incident of violence in a school has been to hire additional security personnel or buy more metal detectors or other hardware to control access and student behavior. A recent newspaper account of a “lock-down” at a high school indicated that students were locked in their classrooms, with the lights out and shades drawn, for more than two hours. While these steps may be necessary for school building security, they tend to create an environment in which teaching and learning are inhibited.

As bomb threats and “hit lists” increase, it becomes clear that the physical enhancement of school security is not enough. School officials have a legal and moral responsibility to “develop, and implement, written comprehensive plans, procedures and mechanisms that provide for safety and security in the district’s schools,” as stated in New Jersey Administrative Code.

The public expects and demands it.

John Flynn is vice president of the Kiernan Corporation in Cinnaminson. He is a former assistant deputy commissioner in the state Department of Education. He can be reached at kiernancor@comcast.net.

By Karen Tomczyk

IN NEW JERSEY AND THROUGHOUT the nation today, the state of science education in our schools has come to the forefront. New mandates call for more rigorous testing, as well as introducing new sciences and imparting a greater relevancy to students’ lives.

The National Assessment of Educational Progress has found that most students have a basic understanding of science; however, there is still need for improvement in both teaching and learning.

Science is a process of discovery. Science instruction has had an impressive history, as well as an exciting and incredible future. It is very important to help students understand and appreciate the many scientific accomplishments of the past, and to enable them to recognize and respond to the many possibilities that lie ahead.

Discovery and Inquiry: A Key to Learning Science teachers are on the front line in providing the opportunity for discovery and inquiry to all their students. Science content must be embedded in a variety of interesting curriculum patterns that are developmentally appropriate and relevant to students’ lives. When teaching science, the educators of today must guide their students through the process of approaching situations scientifically. In order to do so, science teachers must tie concepts to existing knowledge and challenge students to develop a working understanding of the concept being taught.

According to high school science teachers, students should be empowered to ask questions and develop skills to answer those questions independently. Each science discipline is connected with all aspects of day-to-day activities. Teachers must, therefore, provide the experiences in classrooms that will assist students in making the connections. The ability to understand and conduct scientific inquiry is an important goal for science students.

Hands-on, minds-on, inquiry-based science instruction is the only way to go in the 21st Century. Through hands-on learning, teachers can evaluate the student’s knowledge and strengths, as well as comprehension. Science is learned by asking questions, doing experiments and evaluating the results. Students adapt to science in a manner that reflects how science actually works, and working together with peers allows for many unexpected discoveries. The challenges and decisions that they will face in their lives require that they have a working knowledge of the world around them.

In addition to student-teacher assessments, peer assessment of a group is an effective means of assessment. Some classroom teachers use portfolios of a student’s work to collectively track student progress. When setting goals, conferences can sometimes be instrumental in planning a project.

Bioethics—Dealing with Right and Wrong When Passaic High School science teachers introduce the concept of ethics—the field of study that focuses on the principles involved in deciding right from wrong—they stress the importance of forming collective ethical opinions so they can be established as law and enforced.

The new sciences—from bioethics to genetics—have driven both students and teachers to take a greater interest in science education. Bioethics is the field that deals directly with opinions of right and wrong as it affects biology. It involves student discussions about personal values and responsibilities with topics found in biology, such as new reproductive techniques. It lets students differentiate between fact and opinion and explore other points of view. More specifically, many of the greatest bioethical debates presently rage over genetics and genetic engineering, how the field of biology treats inheritance and potential manipulation.

An interesting scenario recently taught in a Passaic High School science class: “Never before in the history of humankind have humans possessed such power. Yet, power itself is not good or bad, but it can be used with equal facility for both. Nuclear power can be harnessed to run cities…or to create devastating weapons of war. A knife is neutral; in the hands of a doctor, it saves lives: in the hands of a criminal, it endangers them.”

Evaluating facts, students concluded that ethics—defining a clear and determined course of action for the proper use of all subsequent discoveries—is sometimes more important than the development of new technologies.

Integrating Technology in the Science Classroom Dissection is an important part of a high school human anatomy and physiology course; yet, some students are unable to perform dissections for a variety of reasons.

Luckily, thanks to technology, they have an alternative—a software package designed to allow them to perform informative, in-depth dissections, as well as introduce them to the concepts of physiology and anatomy. Students can receive hands-on practice with all major organ systems in an interactive experience which helps them to understand how form relates to function.

Additionally, the human anatomy and physiology high school course uses Study Partner software which correlates with the text. Students use CD-ROMs to review major concepts, study many interactive diagrams, and review quizzes and texts. The text also provides an Electronic Image Collection and an instructor’s CD-ROM with lecture outlines, among other aids. Technology not only plays an important role here, but also challenges students with overall presentations on topics.

Recruiting Effective Teachers To train and recruit effective science teachers isn’t an easy game.

From elementary school on, students need to develop that curiosity and motivation to learn more about science on a daily basis. With encouragement and desire, the student will, in turn, eventually become an effective teacher. However, for the prospective science teacher, there must be a different type of college preparation. It’s not just the biology or physics class that needs to be scheduled into the requirements for a degree; fundamental science concepts and lab experiments have to be taught to the prospective teacher.

A physics teacher has to generate enthusiasm and create curiosity for learning physics. Students must see the relevance of physics to everyday life. For example, the everyday application of physics with the mechanism of a clock, a car, a refrigerator, a microwave, the television, an iPod or an MP3 player can show relevancy and heighten an awareness and desire for learning physics.

Once the science student is educated to become a teacher, the cycle has to revolve. As science teachers, they have to develop a spark in their students so they can be effective.

Teachers have to keep interest high and costs low in their classrooms. Perhaps through grants and partnerships, school officials can acquire more money for better equipment for their students to work with. Furthermore, partnerships can be established with large pharmaceutical companies where students can intern and learn. Mobile classrooms can heighten a student’s awareness of new discoveries. Undoubtedly, high tech classrooms can keep students abreast of 21st Century developments and explorations in the world of science.

Karen Tomczyk is the public information officer for the Passaic City School District. She can be reached at ktomczyk@passaic-city.k12.nj.us.