January 14, 2010

Buy-in essential in state's Race to Top

By LUCILLE E. DAVY

New Jersey will submit its application for the U.S. Department of Education's Race to the Top competition on Tuesday. The prize is a huge infusion of federal dollars to fund innovative, transformational changes in how we prepare children for success in college and the workplace.

The competition among states for this money will be stiff. But if New Jersey wins, it could receive as much as $400 million over the next four years, to be shared between the Department of Education and local districts. Even districts that don't get federal money now will receive new resources that the department will develop and provide to them free of charge.

Gov. Jon Corzine and I have been committed to strengthening our education system over the last four years. We've focused on raising standards and benchmarks and making sure students have access to the resources they need to succeed. This record of reform, our large and diverse population and our students' outstanding results on every national measure of academic achievement give our application a strong foundation. We have crafted a bold, achievable plan that builds on our accomplishments and expands initiatives already making a difference.

But in order to succeed, we have to show that we are united as a state behind educational improvement. A key federal requirement is that the people who will implement our proposal — superintendents, school boards and union leaders — sign on in support of the application.

Real reform requires cooperative efforts that may not always be easy to accomplish, but U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan has said the federal government is only going to spend money in states where everyone is marching in the same parade.

New Jersey already has some of the best schools in America. Our students are accepted at the country's best colleges and universities. But there are still too many young people in too many districts who graduate unprepared for the future. Some don't even finish high school.

Those outcomes are unacceptable, not only for the children but for our state as a whole. We are cheating ourselves, too, if we continue to pass young people through our educational system who are unprepared for college or the workforce.

Our Race to the Top plan proposes significant changes to help students, and will provide valuable tools for all districts interested in educational improvement. Here are the key goals:

Expansion and coordination of the various existing student information and performance data systems so that individual teachers, right in their classrooms, can change their instruction practices to meet the needs of individual students. This will be a tremendous asset, even for teachers in high-performing districts.

A new evaluation system that clearly sets the individual student and his or her achievement at the center of principals' and teachers' work. At the same time, educators will be provided with support to build the skills they need to be effective.

Expansion of pilot projects that are already producing highly skilled math, physics and chemistry teachers. Not all students will grow up to be scientists, but the critical thinking and problem-solving skills that mastery of these subjects brings are essential if they are going to be successful participants in the global economy.

Effect change in our lowest-performing schools by providing more time for learning, eliminating programs that haven't worked and replacing them with programs that do, and expanding the role of parents and the community in their children's education.

In school districts throughout the state, I have seen examples of the pursuit of excellence at all grade levels and exceptional academic opportunities in urban, suburban and rural classrooms. We need to extend those opportunities to all children. As Duncan has said, "The islands of excellence must become the norm; the promising solutions that exist in isolated schools and districts must be brought to scale."

We are meeting with district officials to encourage them to sign on to the plan. If you agree, please contact your local superintendent, school board and local union leadership. Let them know New Jersey must grasp this chance.

For all of us who believe that education is the great equalizer, this application describes an unprecedented opportunity for us to work together to radically change the future for the children we serve.

N.J. law requiring 60-percent vote on local schools budget upheld

By Jim Lockwood/The Star-Ledger

January 14, 2010, 4:58PM

Gellene was challenging the New Jersey law requiring 60 percent of voters to pass voter approved budget items that exceed the spending cap. A judge upheld the law today.DENVILLE -- A state law requiring 60 percent voter approval of school budget items that exceed a mandated spending cap was upheld today by a judge, who dismissed a lawsuit claiming the threshold violated the constitutional, equal-protection right of one-person, one-vote.

Superior Court Judge Theodore Bozonelis, sitting in Morristown dismissed a lawsuit by Denville school board member Al Gellene and several Denville parents and students, who argued the state law that went into effect nearly three years ago was unconstitutional.

Bozonelis disagreed, ruling that the 60-percent law does not equate to a “social justice” equal-protection argument because it does not “disenfranchise” voters from going to the polls in the first place.

“We are not impairing a right to vote,” Bozonelis said. “The court does not find the 60-percent requirement that the Legislature imposed is unconstitutional.”

After the ruling, Gellene said, “So, the minority wins. That’s the ruling here.” He said he is considering an appeal.

The case stemmed from Denville's school election of April 21, 2009, when voters passed a $24.3 million budget by a 1,926 to 1,309 vote, or a 59.5 percent approval margin.

While only a simple majority of votes is required to pass school budgets, the new law required that spending above a 4-percent cap on budget increases must be put to voters in a separate question, which must get at least 60 percent voter approval to pass.

Denville posed such a separate, secondary budget question seeking voter approval of $240,145 above cap for extracurricular activities, a maintenance worker and a string music program, and it was rejected by a vote of 1,904 yes-ballots to 1,302 no-votes. The 59.4 percent of votes in favor of the second question fell just short of the necessary 60 percent needed for passage.

Gellene contended the 60-percent mandate has the effect of giving ‘no’ votes more weight than ‘yes’ votes on secondary ballot questions, which violates the “equal protection” constitutional tenet and flies in the face of the ‘one-person, one-vote’ concept.

“The no votes weighed heavier than the yes votes,” Gellene told the judge. “If the Legislature wants to overturn 200 years of tradition, let them go to the people and ask it, rather than sidestep the issue of what’s the proper way to finance schools.”

Deputy Attorney General Cynthia Rimol said the new law stemmed from the Legislature’s intent to try to reign in property tax increases from school spending, and argued it does not violate equal protection or voting rights.

“It’s clear the court should give deference to the Legislature,” Rimol said. “The Legislature is the appropriate branch to look at these complex education policy issues.”

Gellene reversed the scenario, and asked if it would be fair if the Legislature required a 60-percent majority to vote down a school budget.

“People would come in and be screaming bloody murder, and I think they’d be right,” Gellene said. “It’s contrary to what our concept of democracy is.”

Denville first sought a cap waiver from the state commissioner of education, who denied most of it. The school board then decided to pursue the second ballot question.

Gellene also argued the new law does not provide a right of appeal of a waiver denial. But Bozonelis ruled that issue was not before him in this case. The new law is “vague” on whether it means a court appeal is barred, and that aspect has not yet been tested in court.

If such a waiver-denial issue arises again this year with a school budget, Bozonelis suggested that a plaintiff might appeal to the state Appellate Division. If the Attorney General then responds there is no court appeal, the Appellate Division would have to rule on that, the judge said.

Gellene, who has been on the board for nine years, said the waiver issue is "definitely going to come up” in this year’s round of school budgeting.

Gellene’s lawsuit was not filed by the Denville school board. Gellene, who is an attorney, filed the suit pro-se, on behalf of himself and the parents and students.

The defendants technically were Morris County Clerk Joan Bramhall and George Hanley, chairman of the Morris County Board of Canvassers, because they certified the election results. But the Attorney General’s Office represented Bramhall and Hanley.

The New Jersey School Boards’ Association had opposed the new mandate of a 60-percent “supermajority” approval for secondary questions, said spokesman Frank Belluscio.

“This is the only ballot question that requires this supermajority. We don’t even require this for constitutional amendments,” Belluscio said. “There aren’t that many school districts that bring a secondary question. They do it when they feel it’s a real need. It does not put taxpayers at a disadvantage by requiring a simple majority.”

In Denville’s case, “a fraction short of 60 percent would have been a landslide had it been a simple majority,” Belluscio said.

Enacted in a 2006-07 special legislative session on property tax reform, the new law has dramatically curbed the number of secondary ballot questions posed by the state’s 588 public school districts.

The 33 secondary questions statewide in 2008, the first year the law took effect, was a big drop from the 87 in 2007 and the 72 in 2006.

Last year, there were only 11 – none of which passed the supermajority, though several would have passed a simple majority.

“It would have been a real plus for school districts statewide had they (the Gellene plaintiffs) prevailed,” Belluscio said.

Assemblyman John Burzichelli (D-Gloucester/Salem/Cumberland), issued a statement this afternoon saying, "This ruling is a welcome news and a victory for beleaguered property taxpayers throughout New Jersey. No one doubts that property taxes remain a problem, but this law at least helped stem the tide and put the onus on school officials to really make their case if they want to spend money above and beyond the cap. I'm glad to see it upheld."

More than 800 N.J. schools failed to meet No Child Left Behind standards

By Star-Ledger Staff

January 14, 2010, 7:35PM

TRENTON -- As New Jersey continues to raise the bar for students, public schools are struggling to meet the new expectations: More than 36 percent of schools where students were tested last year failed to meet federal goals for performance on standardized tests, according to data released today by the state Department of Education.

More than 800 public schools in New Jersey did not meet the targets set under the federal No Child Left Behind Act, an increase of about 150 schools from 2008, when almost 71 percent hit the mark. In all, students in 2,200 schools were tested last year.

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Source: New Jersey Department of Education data; Star-Ledger analysis and presentation

State officials said the increase was largely due to New Jersey’s ongoing efforts to improve academic standards, and the decision to raise the bar last year on tests for elementary grades to require students to earn a higher score to pass. In addition, increasing percentages of children are required to be proficient on the tests in order to meet the federal targets, and make Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP), according to the Department of Education.

“ ... We in New Jersey have been raising our academic standards and increasing the rigor of our tests,” Assistant Commissioner Barbara Gantwerk said in a statement. “We have very high expectations here.”

The data released today was part of the state’s annual report on how New Jersey schools are doing under No Child Left Behind, which requires that every school reach pre-established achievement goals in 40 categories. Included in that, subgroups of students, broken down by things such as race, income and special needs, must all meet the target.

Districts can fail to meet the federal target because of a relatively small number of test scores.

January 15, 2010

More N.J. schools lag on test results

By BARBARA S. ROTHSCHILD
Courier-Post Staff

The latest list of New Jersey schools that failed to make adequate yearly progress, or AYP, under the federal No Child Left Behind Act includes 135 schools in the tri-county area.

Most schools on the list for 2009-2010, released Thursday by the New Jersey Department of Education, failed to meet one or two of 41 benchmarks based on such factors as how various subgroups do on standardized testing.

Almost 64 percent of the 2,222 schools where the tests were taken in March 2009 met the AYP standards, down from 70 percent in the previous year -- a drop from 1,554 to 1,420 schools.

State officials attributed the decline in the number of schools making AYP to an increase in the percent of questions that must be answered correctly to achieve proficiency and to increases in the percentages of students required to pass the tests in every subgroup.

"Unlike some other states, we in New Jersey have been raising our academic standards and increasing the rigor of our own tests . . . We have very high expectations here," said Barbara Gantwerk, DOE assistant commissioner for student services.

Schools that do not make AYP in a given year must meet all 41 benchmarks for two years straight before they achieve safe harbor. After two years without achieving all the benchmarks, they are placed on the NCLB Schools in Need of Improvement list. Sanctions can be imposed if they stay on the list longer.

Many of the challenges involve special-needs subgroups, whose students must take the same standardized tests as students who have no disabilities .

Burlington County schools that did not make AYP include Marlton Middle School, Cherokee High School in Evesham, Moorestown High School, Hartford Upper Elementary and Harrington Middle School in Mount Laurel, Medford Lakes's Neeta School and Medford's Kirby's Mill Elementary School.

Only one benchmark was not met at Mount Laurel's Hartford School, where sixth-grade students with disabilities failed to meet the proficiency target in math for the second consecutive year. At Harrington Middle School, the students with disabilities group failed to make AYP in language arts and math -- the third consecutive year of falling short in language arts and the first in math.

The district will address the needs of special-needs students on standardized tests, Mount Laurel spokeswoman Marie Reynolds said, with emphasis on professional development to provide teachers with resources and strategies..

In Evesham, Marlton Middle School did not meet the benchmark for the special education subgroup in math.

Evesham Director of Curriculum and Instruction Danielle Magulick said the district analyzes school programs annually and makes improvements, paying particular attention to special education students.

"We use many multiple assessment measures to make these determinations, not just the state assessment," Magulick said."

Evesham's second middle school, DeMasi, came off the AYP list this year after being on it last year for the same subgroup, special education math.

In Camden County, three Cherry Hill elementary schools -- Horace Mann, Joyce Kilmer and Kingston -- did not make AYP, while two others -- Beck Middle School and Cherry Hill High School West -- came off this year's list.

The three elementary schools missed the language arts benchmark for students with disabilities. Beck and West came off the list because they met their benchmarks for special-needs students.

Maureen Reusche, Cherry Hill's assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction, said the challenge grew when the state raised the bar on its scoring. But Beck's and West's performances, helped with remedial attention before, during and after school, show success is possible.

In Camden, 26 public schools -- all but three magnet high schools and Forest Hill Elementary -- failed to make AYP. Four Camden City public charter schools -- Camden's Promise, D.U.E. Season, Freedom Academy and LEAP Academy University -- also failed to make AYP this year.

Camden School District spokesman Bart Leff said its schools are making progress, with 13 making safe harbor in math or language arts and three in safe harbor in both areas.

"Several schools have progressed to hold status, and we are confident that they will make AYP in 2009-2010. Despite the increased requirements in new AYP assessment, we are moving steadily ahead in our efforts to provide a quality education for all of our students," Leff said.

Schools that failed to make AYP in Gloucester County include five Washington Township schools -- the high school, all three middle schools, and Whitman Elementary -- two schools in Monroe, three in Glassboro and one in Deptford.

"When the state moves the fences back from 380 to 410 feet, it's a little more difficult to hit that home run," Monroe Township Superintendent Charles Earling Jr. said. Tougher standards were part of the reason why, he said, Williamstown High School and middle school did not meet all their benchmarks.

Earling would not comment on which two subgroups failed at the high school but said it amounted to six students out of 400. The district is offering supplemental education services to them and other students, as well.

"We know what the challenges are. We're very pleased with the progress we've made, but we'll continue to strive to help kids improve," Earling said.

In Deptford, Shady Lane Principal Jackie Scerbo said the school fell short with its small subgroup of African-American males in language arts.

"We're working on professional development in the area of teaching economically disadvantaged children, trying to add more technology and intervention classes. We're also trying to incorporate more writing and reading in curricula," Scerbo said.

In Glassboro, where benchmarks were not all achieved at Dorothy Bullock, Thomas Bowe and Glassboro Intermediate School, spokeswoman Heather Simmons said the district is looking at ways of helping its economically disadvantaged, special education and African-American students.

"We are trending in the right direction but still falling short with these subgroups," she said.

The district is emphasizing guided reading, small-group instruction, inquiry-based instruction, connected math that reaches across other disciplines and has added math and literacy coaches this year. Professional development in understanding poverty is continuing.

Staff writer Joseph Gidjunis contributed to this report. Reach Barbara S. Rothschild at (856) 486-2416 or barothschild@camden.gannett.com