Mission Statement

Goals & Objectives
2017 -2018

Goal I: All students will achieve at high levels. This will be achieved through:

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 work force. 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 2018 PARCC exams. In receipt of the Spring 2017 PARCC scores, we have begunto evaluate our scores aligned to Evidence Statements. During the 2016- 2017 school year we implemented the use of iReady assessments through grade 8. These assessments are highly correlated to PARCC and will assist in advancing our attainment of grade level appropriate standards according to the New Jersey Student Learning Standards.
   
• 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 New Jersey Student Learning Standards (NJSLS) 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 Learner2 Active, Technology-Infused Classrooms. We will continue to craft problembased 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, supervisors, and teachers will also facilitate the implementation of Defined STEM at grades 3 through 8 that will provide teachers with additional standards-aligned projectbased lessons. As a continuation, this year students throughout the district will engage in a real science experience, as part of the national Student Space Flight Experiments Program (SSEP) Mission 12.
   
• 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 revise curriculum, instruction and assessment referencing the Curricular Frameworks for English Language Arts and Mathematics provided by the state. The purpose of the frameworks is to provide educators with a tool to guide conversations around curriculum and instruction. The frameworks focus on the standards and skills in order to provide a sequence of instruction with the goal of mastering the standards at each grade level. We continue to collaborate with principals and supervisors in updating our curriculum to reflect the New Jersey Student Learning Standards (NJSLS). During our scheduled monthly Curriculum Committee Meetings, principals and supervisors oversee and support teachers throughout the process. We continue to implement and update revised programs. We have upgraded our World Language Program (Harcourt, French – Bien Dit! And Spanish – Avancemos) in grades 6-12. We will update our Math curriculum at the middle school for grades 6 and 7 as we implement new material (Hartcourt – Big Ideas). PreK teachers have started to revise the curriculum utilizing the fully updated Creative Curriculum Program. We continue to expand our Rosetta Stone program utilized in class as support and as a resource for after school programs. We have implemented Project Lead The Way courses at FMG, School of Innovation. (PLTW) is a nonprofit organization that provides a transformative learning experience for K-12 students and teachers across the United State. This year we will be offering courses such as App Creator and Robicts and we plan to expand to the HS with additional courses.
   
• 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 the revised New Jersey Student Learning Standards (NJSLS) that were adopted in May 2016. This year we will continue to update and revise curriculum to address the standards. We will also revise our K-5 report card to reflect (NJSLS)
   
• 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. We continue to expand the utilization of i-Ready through Standards Mastery Assessments that provides an individual item analysis.
   
• 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 inassessing 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 NJDOE 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 2017 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) Implementation of the program, Bullies2Buddies to reduce HIB confirmed cases and provide workshops and counseling to our students and their parents.

g) The continued hiring of highly qualified and certificated professional and support staff through an online application process and retention of these staff members through sustained and embedded mentoring and professional development.

h) 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.

i) Implementation of a rigorous Professional Development relating to Teacher Evaluation through the Danielson Model, supported by Frontline Evaluation 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.

j) The creation and implementation of Frontline PD. Teachers will use this platform to register for workshops, watch webinars, and log their PD hours throughout the school year.

k) The creation of an ongoing Professional Development Academy to support research-based practices in the classroom.

l) 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.

m) Ongoing support of Absence Management substitute reporting system with the Payroll Department.

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 2018-19 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 Chart of Accounts.

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 continue to implement 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 effective and appropriate technology resources and deliver quality access to information in order to provide relevant digital learning experiences to prepare students to be 21st Century Learners and Thinkers in the digital era, while becoming lifelong learners and suppliers of new information.

a) Professional Development for all instructional stakeholders.

• Teachers will receive quality and focused professional development on the effective use of instructional technology so they may become 21st Century Educators through hands-on training, in-class modeling and support, lunch and learn workshops, and online resources. Teachers will be assessed on their current knowledge and skill set, so that relevant and meaningful learning occurs throughout the school year.
   
• Technology staff will receive relevant training on technology topics required for the continuous improvement of district infrastructure. Technology training will be conducted online and through in-person courses in Jamf Casper Suite, Cisco, A+ Repair, VMWare, and Mac Management. Additionally, technology staff will be trained in effective educational technology practices, so they can provide the job-embedded, professional support and development of teachers using technology in the classroom.

b) Effective online technology resources.

• District online resources will be streamlined to provide the most effective and safe environment for all district stakeholders. Approved student learning technology resources will be engaging, adaptive, student-centered, and relevant to empower student learning and effectively prepare students for the future.
• Teachers will be given access and use of an approved a teacher website through OnCourse. They will be trained and encouraged to setup and maintain websites to provide relevant and necessary information to parents and students. This includes student homework, classroom procedures and rules, class resources, and class or club events.

c) Single Sign on platform setup for students and teachers.

• A single-sign on environment will be setup to provide easier access to online resources for students and teachers district wide.

d) Infrastructure will support a robust environment to be able to provide a safe and secure student learning atmosphere.

• The district will maintain a 1:1 ratio of devices to students for grades 6-12, while increasing the ratio of devices for students in grades K-5 to 2:1 by re-imaging older student Macbook Airs from the HS and MS.
• Continually evaluate and monitor the local network to increase network efficacy and ensure district hosted services are being sent and received efficiently.
• Explore upgrades to the district virtual server platform that is nearing end of life status.
• Investigate a more robust web filtering system that will provide better safety to staff and students in and out of the district.
• Ensure security are in place for network and desktop security and create a viable disaster recovery plan.
• Move and upgrade the district network core switch to provide more efficient and faster network speeds.
• Upgrade the PowerSchool Student Information System to the most up to date version to provide a better teacher interface and gradebook.
• Upgrade the JAMF Casper Suite to the most up to date version to provide more services and features for the management of all Apple Products.
• Enrollment in the Apple School Manager program to deploy the Device Enrollment Program and Volume Purchasing Program for district Apple devices to allow for better management of student and teacher applications.
• Review and update student and staff acceptable use as needed to support the proper use of technology tools and devices in a networked infrastructure.
• Implementing a better inventory system for district devices by expanding the use of the JAMF and importing fields to PowerSchool.
• Creation of a more efficient distribution and collection process for student computers at the High School and Middle School.
• Research, bid out and procure new contracts for internet and phone services as the current contracts are up for renewal at the end of the school year.
• Evaluate and improve the department technology and human resources structure to ensure that district initiatives and projects are handled in the most efficient and productive manner, this may include the restructuring of the IT department.
• Continued and expanded use of district use of IT ticket software to report and monitor IT needs of the district as well as resource allocation for all district staff.
• Creation and use of an AV Technology Request form for the IT department from all stakeholders, so that AV needs and support can be scheduled and resources managed efficiently.

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 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 replacing older non-working steam traps throughout the district buildings.
• Continue replacing older non-working gate valves with new ball valves.
• Continue with the restroom renovations by replacing older faucets and flushometers with water saving devises. This also includes adding new hand dryers.
• Continue to replace older non-working restroom exhaust fans and motors.
• Switch out all hallway light switches to key switches for building security and student safety.

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