New Jersey
Introduction
Welcome to the NJ Schools to Watch Resources wiki. This site is intended for middle schools desiring to improve using the School to Watch criteria. While we have identified resources with New Jersey schools in mind, most of the material here will be of use to anyone desiring to elevate the performance of a school that contains grades 6, 7, and 8. NJ STW began in 2006, with collaboration between the NJ Consortium for Middle Schools (a federal project headquartered at Kean University) and the New Jersey Department of Education.
Explanation
Schools to Watch is founded on the principles of continuous school improvement: No matter how good our school may be, we can always do better. The goal of Schools to Watch is to serve as a catalyst in a process that leads all schools serving middle grade youth to a path of constant improvement. STW recognizes schools that are on a documented improvement trajectory as well as those that perform highly over a period of time. Using a consistent set of criteria and a validated process of documentation, STW assists all schools serving the middle grades to self-assess and reflect upon where they stand -- with an eye toward continuous improvement.
Contemplation of the steps toward improvement may spark a realization that information about strategies, tactics, and best practices could be helpful. That's where this wiki comes in. A group of NJ leaders in middle grades education came together to assemble a collection of resources for those who may be looking for useful information in the STW areas of assessment.
No organizational endorsement should be understood or inferred as the result of a resource appearing here. These items represent the personal opinions of a group of informed practitioners who want to help people seeking information.
If you find these recommendations useful, please let us know. We also want to hear from you if you think something is included that you find of questionable value. Finally, please let us know if you think anything should be added. We will be glad to consider your suggestions.
More Information
People responsible for creating this collection and their organizational affiliation (for identification purposes only) are:
Dorothy Feola, William Paterson University
Arthur Firestone, NJ Principals and Supervisors Association/Foundation for Educational Administration
Jaynellen Behr Jenkins, NJ Middle School Association
James Lerman, Kean University
David McNair, NJ Department of Education
Kelly McNeal, William Paterson University
Linda Morse, NJ Department of Education
Gail Hilliard Nelson, Kean University
Robert Weiner, NJ Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development
To contact us, please email jlerman (at) kean (dot) edu. (The words "at" and "dot" are used to minimize the harvesting of email addresses by spammers.)
Creation of this website was partially supported by a Title II grant from the U.S. Department of Education, under the Higher Education Act. However, its contents do not necessarily represent the policy of the Department of Education, and you should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government.
Since May 15, 2008
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