a) The implementation of strategies and programs that will ensure that all students meet their growth potential on state administered standardized tests. This includes, but is not limited to, work in the areas of differentiated instruction and the use of data to inform instruction.

• Utilizing diverse district online assessments, state assessment data, and teacher-developed assessments, student needs are diagnosed throughout the school year so that identified areas of weakness can be addressed. Partnership for Readiness s of College and Careers (PARCC), PARCC’s assessments will provide students, teachers, administrators and the public with the tools needed to identify whether students from grade 3 through high school are on track for postsecondary success, where gaps may exist, and how they can be addressed well before students enter college or the workforce. We continue to provide resources for parents, teachers, and principals. We will continue to review and participate with research-based professional development that supports educators. We will continue to administer and analyze all new sample PARCC questions as we prepare for the Spring 2017 PARCC exams. In receipt of the Spring 2016 PARCC scores, we have begun to evaluate our scores aligned to evidence statements.
   
• We continue to use the Professional Learning Community Model (PLC), in which teachers and administrators incessantly seek, share, and implement their learning experiences. PLC’s will continue to meet monthly. Teachers will work collaboratively to review our curriculum/maps, to analyze data and review our reading and math programs to address deficiencies or gaps in our scores. Our goal is to address the needs of all students, including interventions and enrichment to improve overall performance. We continue to adjust curriculum and lesson plans to support Writing Across the Curriculum. Teachers will examine student writing, identify areas in need of instructional emphasis and develop lessons and/or activities to address areas of concern. Principals and supervisors will lead discussions with teachers in reviewing the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) and PARCC rubrics to help assess students writing assessments. In Math, our goal is to establish a much higher expectation for rigor. K-12 teachers will work toward creating Learner-Active, Technology-Infused Classrooms. We will continue to craft problem-based units around local and global real-world problems. Through workshop training and coaching by IDE consultants, they will receive ongoing guidance and challenge. Teacher Leaders from the first cohort of LATIC teachers will supply in-house support for peers as well. Principals and supervisors will also facilitate STEM/STEAM integration, design-based learning approaches that integrate the concepts and practices of Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math. In addition, this year students throughout the district will engage in a real science experience, as part of the national Student Space Flight Experiments Program (SSEP).  
   
• Differentiated Instruction (DI) continues to be the common thread throughout the district as principals and supervisors meet with teachers during faculty and team meetings to discuss interventions and enrichment. DI provides the flexibility to modify curriculum to assist all students in experiencing success in a diverse classroom. Classroom teachers and Special Education teachers continue to work collaboratively in differentiating activities to address the needs of all students and improve overall student performance.

b) The continued investigation and implementation of the most current research based practices to raise achievement for all students and support those needing academic intervention in meeting their growth potential. This includes, but is not limited to, implementing and enhancing staff knowledge in the areas of differentiated instruction, data driven instruction and strategies that the research has shown to raise student achievement.

• District-wide we will continue to modify curriculum, instruction and assessment referencing the Model Curriculum provided by the state. The purpose is to provide a model to assist districts and schools with implementation of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS). The model will continue to be utilized as a resource. We continue to collaborate with principals and supervisors in updating our curriculum to reflect the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) infusing Technology Standards. During our scheduled monthly Curriculum Committee Meetings, principals and supervisors oversee and support teachers throughout the process. This year we will be implementing and updating revised programs. We have upgraded our English Language Arts program Reading Street, and MySidewalks for grades K-5. MyPerspectives, a new English Language Arts program will be implemented at the middle school. We have also expanded our Rosetta Stone program to be utilized in class as support and as a resource for after school programs.
   
• Curriculum Committee Meetings provide guidance and supervision by ensuring that curriculum is updated and reflects state requirements. Committees will continue to meet monthly. We will continue to utilize the Understand by Design (UbD) template as we modify curriculum. Principals and supervisors will structure the meetings to allow teachers the ability to work collaboratively to align all K-12 curriculum, instruction, and assessment with Common Core Standards (CCSS). Standards in ELA and Math underwent an additional review in 2015. The revised standards were adopted in May 2016. This year we will revise curriculum/maps K-12 in ELA and Math to reflect the NJ Student Learning Standards (NJSLS). In addition to updating our K-5 report card to reflect (CCSS) in Language Arts and Math, we have updated Social Studies, and Science to reflect the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). We have also modified PE/Health as well as Visual/Performing Arts.
   
• Academic Intervention Services (AIS), Instructional Program continues to address students in need of additional academic support. Students are identified for Academic Intervention Services (AIS) using a variety of indicators. AIS teachers, work with students on skills that need to be strengthened in courses such as Writing and Reading Essential and Foundations of Algebra offered in grades 6 through 8. Collaboration between the AIS teacher and the classroom teachers is ongoing in order to facilitate a well-coordinated program.
   
• The Gifted and Talented Program will continue to provide enrichment and support through team teaching by the classroom teacher and G&T. Accelerated courses are offered at the Middle and High School. We will continue to research and revise our program of studies with new courses to implement the technology of the redesigned IMC for all areas including Visual, Performing and Practical Arts. STEM integration will continue to be infused into the concepts and practices of project-based learning.
   
• Students in the state of New Jersey are required to take the PARCC exam. Additional support classes are provided in preparation for the PARCC. At the elementary and middle school grade levels, we will continue to offer PARCC prep before and after school for four (4) weeks prior to testing. We continue to target invention for identified subgroups for increased achievement through Innovate NJ, a project through the state fostering, sharing, and collaborating on cultivating projects.

c) Technology will continue to be utilized to effectively assess and monitor student progress.

• Students will continue to utilize ePortfolio through Studywiz. eLocker is an online storage space for files that can be accessed from anywhere. Exemplar student work will continue to be stored and follow students throughout their Springfield education. This process has provided teachers easy access to student work and has assisted with the transition process. Teachers continue to update eLocker with student’s best work.
   
• i-Ready for grades K-8 is an adaptive diagnostic for ELA and Math that identifies students needs and ongoing process monitoring growth towards end-of-year targets. Students in grades 3-8 will continue to be assessed in ELA and Math through benchmark assessments. Students will continue to use Reading Eggs, a component of Study Island. It is an online early intervention reading program that offers proven strategies to improve reading, vocabulary, fluency and comprehension.
   
• High school teachers will continue to utilize Academic Merit, an online professional development for teachers that provides tools for evaluating student writing, Assessments 21, online classroom-base common assessments scores automatically, and Literary Companion, online textspecific formative assessments.
   
• We continue to upload assessment data into FileMaker Pro, a cross-platform relational database application that allows us to modify the database by dragging new elements into layouts, screens, or forms. We will continue to provide professional development for principals and supervisors to assist in assessing our district and state data.

d) The expansion of services for students and teachers provided through extracurricular activities.

• We continue to provide parents with before and after care services through our Before and After School Program. These programs are designed to provide quality childcare. Our goal is to enhance the children’s time spent away from home by providing recreational and educational activities in a caring environment.
• We continue to provide teachers with daycare services through our Child Care Program at Thelma. L. Sandmeier. We have created a safe and nurturing environment for the children. We will continue to expand the program and curriculum to accommodate the developmental needs of all children. Our goals for the program is to reduce the number of teacher absences while maintaining continuity with instruction and provide teachers the opportunity to take part in after school professional development.

Goal II: All students and staff have the right to a safe, secure and educationally appropriate instructional environment. This will be achieved through:

a) The ongoing development and revision of a comprehensive Emergency Crisis Plan/Pandemic Flu Plan that will include all members of the emergency personnel in the community of Springfield Township.

b) Reviewing recommendations from the NJ DOE School Security Program and making changes to the environment, protocols and procedures when training for security and fire drills.

c) The ongoing AED Placement and Usage Plan for all schools and school facilities that will include all members of the emergency personnel in the community of Springfield Township. This continues in compliance with “Janet’s Law”.

d) Monthly Emergency Crisis drills starting in September 2016 as well as sharing required security drills/tabletop exercises with the Springfield Police Department and Emergency Management.

e) Ongoing training throughout district in the Harassment, Intimidation and Bullying Law and creating protocols for reporting and acting on all reports of bullying in the district. Staff continue in key positions to implement changes and updated forms. All new staff will be trained using the GCN online training program to meet the requirements.

f) The continued hiring of highly qualified and certificated professional and support staff through a “green” online application process and retention of these staff members through sustained and embedded mentoring and professional development.

g) The implementation of an all-inclusive Professional Development and Mentoring program that will assist in driving a high degree of rigor in the instructional setting.

h) Implementation of a rigorous Professional Development relating to Teacher Evaluation through the Danielson Model, supported by Frontline Technologies/OASYS and My Learning Plan will continue to be a mainstay of all in-services, workshops and faculty meetings, and will be integrated into the current and future curricula. This will also support new initiatives and code through Achieve NJ.

i) The upkeep of a position control program as defined in the updated accountability regulations, and reporting through NJ Smart of SMID, Staff Submission and Staff Evaluation in a timely fashion with zero errors.

j) The updating of a “Standard Operating Procedure” manual for the department of Human Resources.

k) Implementation and support of AESOP substitute reporting system with the Payroll Department.

l) Continue to support, track and report homeless students as per federal and state regulations.

Goal III: To continue “customer-friendly” service through fiscal responsibility and policy review. This will be achieved through:

a) The revision/updating of the Internal Controls and Standard Operating Procedures Manual in accordance with the laws and regulations of the State of NJ.

b) The construction of the 2017-18 Budget from preparation to adoption, continuing to focus on student achievement goals while maintaining fiscal responsibility.

c) The revision/updating of the Policy and Regulations Manuals.

d) The revision/updating/amending of the Long Range Facility Plan.

e) The revision/updating of the district capital assets program.

Goal IV: To increase inclusion opportunities for all special education students. This will be achieved through:

a) The continued expansion of inclusive educational programs for students with disabilities in the least restrictive environment using supplementary aids and services.

b) The continued collaboration among the general education and special education staff to enhance learning for students across all grade levels.

c) The continued integration of assistive technology and technology-based instruction to enhance the learning of students with disabilities.

d) Supplementary aids and supports will be designed to facilitate the transition of and participation of students in specialized placements to in district programs at all grade levels. We will collaborate with educational agencies to provide professional development and other support services for students.

e) Exploration and integration of transition options to address the post secondary needs of students with disabilities that include vocational training, college, day programs, and employment.

f) Guidance and counseling services will continue to focus on supporting earlier identification of students at risk. We are implementing the district-wide guidance plan developed by guidance counselors, administrators, staff, parents and students. The plan outlines the specific roles that guidance and counseling play in the daily lives of students and how their services can be utilized to identify and address barriers to student success.

g) The implementation of inclusive programs for students with disabilities in the least restrictive environment using the collaborative teaching model with an emphasis on differentiated instruction, integrated technology within the classroom, and inclusive strategic teaching practices.

h) The ongoing collaboration of educational agencies to support students in the general education setting utilizing technology, professional development and other support services.

i) Continued research and implementation of best practices to support students with disabilities in the general education setting.

j) Continued focus on developing appropriate supports to facilitate participation in and transition of students in specialized placements to in-district programs.

k) The implementation of positive behavioral supports to enhance the learning environment for students with disabilities across all grade levels.

Goal V: Leverage the power of technology resources and ubiquitous access to information to create relevant and engaging digital learning experiences, in order to prepare our students for a globally networked society where they will be expert lifelong learners and contributors of new information. This will be achieved through:

a) Learning – Learning will mirror our students’ reality of their future. Our students will acquire adaptive learning skills that combine subject matter knowledge with the ability to learn new things in engaging and empowering learning environments such as:

• Coding
• Design thinking
• Student-centered
• Personalized, individualized, and differentiated
• Global
• Mobile (anytime and anywhere)
• Augmented reality
• Collaborative and authentic problem-based and project-based
• Universally designed for all types of learners (UDL)
• STEM-oriented (including supporting the implementation of 3D printers, robotic technologies, etc.)
• Ethical digital citizenship-driven

Continue to foster implementation beyond the classroom of the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) Standards and NJ DoE Technology Standards.
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Continue to collaborate with other districts on best practices and 1:1 learning environments through awarded memberships in innovateNJ, innovateNJ student leadership initiative, Project Red, edcampNJ, and Apple distinguished programs.

b) Teaching and Assessment – Professional educators will embrace a model of connected learning with team-oriented teaching and learning communities as well as technology resources that empower them to construct, manage, and assess powerful learning experiences for students both in and out of school. Infusion of technology will allow for seamless adaptation to changes in what and how educators teach, what today’s students need to know, as well as, how, when and where they learn.

• Continue to recommend and provide support for district implementation of STEAM and Coding programs
• Collaborate with instructional building leaders in maintaining a comprehensive list of online resources used in district with relevant details pertaining to accounts (i.e., licenses, access, renewals, data, contacts, system requirements, etc.).
• Ensure PARCC readiness on network and devices.
• Maintain and enhance the use of our district systems of interconnected feedback to ensure relevant data is available when needed for data-driven decision making and improvement of instruction
• Use flexibility of technology resources to ensure aggregation of student performance data is made available “to the right people, at the right time, in the right form”
• Use electronic portfolios (student managed when possible), as a persistent learning record so students can take responsibility of their own learning while developing self-awareness, setting learning goals, as well as realizing and expressing their strengths
• Connect with experts outside the classroom to assess rubrics (studentcreated when possible) and create a level of transparency in the process of developing assessments as well as the transparency in the resulting data
• Use technology to enable the expansion of test-taking beyond accountability to measuring relevant information that will continuously improve learning outcomes
• Use simulated and virtual environments as ways to assess complex competencies (analyze and solve complex problems, synthesize information, and apply knowledge to new situations) as explored by NAEP
• Proactive use of mobile assessments at the time of learning to assess how students are thinking, gain insights to student misunderstandings in real-time and adjust instruction accordingly to improve student performance and learning
• Use technology to improve assessment materials and processes
• Leverage social learning platforms across schools and professional organizations
• Continue to encourage and support teachers in creating electronic resources to deliver instruction
• Review and update district three-year tech plan

c) Professional Development - In order to address the gap in technology understanding of uses that would improve instructional practices and learning outcomes, professional development will be job-embedded, in-class assisted, collaborative, and sustained. Using in-person and online approaches, technology professional learning will also be self-directed and meaningful.

• Support and foster seamless integration of technology tools for learning and productivity before, during and after instruction
• Continue to foster empowerment of the “BIT(S)”, student leadership tech team in providing tech support in and out of classrooms, supporting tech integration school-wide, and presenting workshops on relevant tech topics
• Utilize district resources of online training materials and videos
• Continue to use district Ning for sharing of professional learning resources and dialogue of best practices

d) Infrastructure - All educators and students will have access to a completely developed infrastructure for “always-on” learning where and when it is needed. We will continuously improve our IT staff, processes, resources, policies, broadband connectivity, servers, and management systems while focusing it’s use in our transformative methods to teaching and learning.

• Deploy 1315 new devices that meet the recommended technical specification requirements of NJTRAx
• Maintain a 1:1 ratio for grades 6-12 with most current technology and continue to minimize computing device to student ratio for PK-5 with implementation of additional laptops at the Elementary Schools
• Work with business office to explore and implement district-wide workgroup printing with print management
• Implement Apple’s self-servicing program (JD and FG) • Migrate Exchange 2010 (single server) to Exchange 2016 (multiple redundant servers)
• Upgrade the backup system at FG to allow for growth in the JD Data center
• Continued work on data center power systems upgrade including consolidation of data center and phone room servers and switches using new cabinets and full re-wiring
• Prepare for deployment of an Enterprise Certificate management system to ensure all our internal resources are accessed in a secure encrypted fashion
• Upgrade the Data Center Storage Systems to include SSD drives for faster response times from our in-house servers
• Continue to explore alternate solutions to our virtual learning environment for consideration
• Continue to customize web help desk solution to streamline and/or automate help requests, track history, and utilize performance reports for the purpose of increasing efficiency while creating a comprehensive knowledge base to promote self-help
• Research alternatives to end of life Apple servers
• Explore ways to automate new Staff and Student accounts creation/deletion across the multiple web systems in use today and in the future
• Continue to review acceptable use policies and procedures as needed to support the proper use of technology tools in a shared, globally networked infrastructure
• Ensure network security measures while providing accurate monitoring and filtering of incoming/outgoing data
• Assess technical needs of IT department and explore solutions to increase knowledge base and supports
• Provide training opportunities to tech staff for the appropriate management of current network and educational technologies
• Collaborate on media center infrastructure supporting 22nd century technology with student leadership team, Superintendent, and BA

Goal VI: To optimize, explore, and implement programs that foster operational efficiency and use of tax levy funds. This will be achieved through:

a) Continue to use and improve on the green cleaning plan that is both beneficial to the students, staff and the environment.

• Ongoing training of all custodial and maintenance personnel in the proper use of green cleaning procedures and techniques using the newest and safest products including floor cleaners, floor finishes, cleaners and disinfectants.
• Continue with the recycling program and schedule at all buildings the pick up of all recyclables and have them taken to the local recycling center for proper disposal.

b) Ongoing improvements to the school buildings including:

• Continue with the lighting upgrade using LED bulbs and fixtures at all buildings.
• Continue with the security camera upgrade changing out the older analog cameras to digital cameras
• Continue to the painting of all interior rooms, stairways and hallways.
• The continuation of purchasing and using cost efficient electrical products including pumps, motors and a/c compressors.
• Continue upgrading the HVAC controls using (DDC) Direct Digital Controls including thermostats. This also includes wireless communication to certain computers so that monitoring and adjustments can be made on or off premises. With this we will also have the ability to monitor electric and natural gas usage.
• Continue with the boiler temperature control upgrades by also using the most energy and cost efficient controls. This will also include monitoring of steam pressure, steam output to radiators and all other unit ventilators. For hot water systems, boiler water temperature and boiler water output will also be monitored. This project is in progress and is in combination with the DDC mentioned above.
• Continue replacing older non-working steam traps throughout the district.
• Replace older non-working gate valves with new ball valves.
• Install new bleachers in the east gym of the high school and the boy’s gym at the middle school.

c) The promotion of ongoing sharing of equipment and services with other localized government agencies including:

• Ladders, lifts
• Field lining equipment
• Snow and ice melting products and equipment
• Lawn and tree equipment and personnel