 Being
informed about the academic performance of your child’s
school is a crucial first step in being involved in your
child’s education. The learning environment and performance
levels of your child’s school will have a direct and
significant impact on his or her academic success. Here are
some things to know, along with online resources available
to provide answers.
The Business Coalition for Educational
Excellence (BCEE) at the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce
is committed to ensuring that all students achieve at
high levels, become productive citizens, and are well-prepared
to succeed in the workplace. The Web site also has information
on BCEE program initiatives including Just for the Kids,
National Board Support Network, New Jersey Scholars,
School Counts, and Technology Challenge.
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Just for the Kids-New Jersey organizes and analyzes
student achievement data at the school level in the core
academic subjects and presents the data in ways that
are easy to understand. Once the data are studied, a
school's potential for improvement is identified by comparing
its performance against other schools with similar or
more challenging-to-educate student populations. Rather
than traditional accountability systems that are based
on geographic proximity or ranking and rating, Just for
the Kids-New Jersey looks at those factors that might
influence and sustain the success of educational outcomes.
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The
annual New Jersey School Report Card from the New Jersey
Department of Education presents thirty-five fields
of information for each school in the following categories:
school environment, students, student performance indicators,
staff, and district finances.
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 The Star-Ledger’s annual
New Jersey School Report Card breaks down figures on spending, class size, computer use, standardized test scores and more. Find out how well your local school district is performing. |
GreatSchools.net offers comprehensive school profiles,
powerful school search and compare tools, and a wide
range of advice to help parents navigate the challenges
of K-12 education. Unique features include a Compare
Schools feature which allows parents to easily
compare school performance, teacher qualifications and
other data.
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Questions to Ask
- Are standardized test scores rising or falling compared
to the previous year? Has the percentage of students achieving
proficiency increased or decreased?
Resources:
NJDOE
State Report Card
Just
for the Kids
- How many students in the school are performing at grade
level (proficient) in language arts literacy, mathematics,
and science? How many are performing at grade level in
all three subjects?
Resources:
NJDOE
State Report Card
Just for the Kids
- What percent of special education students at your school
were proficient on statewide assessments?
Resources:
GreatSchools.net
- What percentage of teachers in the school are
teaching with emergency or conditional certificates?
Resources:
NJDOE
State Report Card
Here are some additional checklists that may be of interest:
U.S.
Department of Education Back to School Checklist
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