Morris School District
MORRIS SCHOOL DISTRICT
Morristown, New Jersey 07960

Policy
File Code: 2240
Monitored: X
Mandated: X
Other Reasons
RESEARCH, EVALUATION, PLANNING AND REPORTING

As required by law, the Superintendent shall annually direct development or review Board of Education long- and short-range goals and develop the plan of action to attain them. Objectives shall be approved by the Board of Education and reviewed with the community during a Board of Education meeting. The plan of action shall be reviewed with teaching staff members. The district's plans shall be discussed at a public meeting before the date required by law.

Further, the Superintendent shall coordinate continual research and evaluation of programs and facilities. The master plan shall be studied and revised periodically to keep it in accord with the changing circumstances and aspirations of the district.

School-level Planning
By September 30 of each year, the Superintendent shall submit to the Board a profile of each school which shall contain statistical information specified by the State Department of Education. This profile shall be disseminated to all staff and parents, and made available to the media.

Also by September 30, each principal shall coordinate development and implementation of a two-year school-level plan based on school profile data. This plan shall include pupil performance objectives, a review of progress by teaching and administrative staff, and the involvement of parents.

The performance objectives shall be based on pupil performance or behavior standards as defined in the administrative code.

At least once per semester, each principal shall conduct meetings by grade level, department, team or similarly appropriate group to review the school-level plan. The review shall include:
  1. School profile data;
  2. Progress toward achieving pupil performance objectives;
  3. Progress toward achieving core curriculum content standards.
Each principal shall sign a statement of assurance attesting to these activities on the form prescribed by the Commissioner of Education.

The Superintendent shall submit each school's objectives to the County Superintendent for review and approval. The report on the achievement of objectives or progress toward benchmarks for the previous year shall be contained in the October 30th annual report.

By September 30 of each year, at a regular Board meeting, the Superintendent shall report the number of pupils graduated and the number of pupils denied graduation from the prior 12 th grade class. This report shall include the number of pupils graduated under the special education and special review assessment procedures outlined in administrative code.

Quality Assurance
By October 30 of each year, the Superintendent shall provide a Quality Assurance Report to the public at a regular meeting of the Board. In addition to the items outlined below, the report shall include all information specified in the administrative code and shall be disseminated to all staff and parents and made available to the media. A Quality Assurance Report would include the following topics:
  1. Implementation of school-level plans.
  2. Achievement of performance objectives
  3. Each school profile, including pupil performance results and student behavior data;
  4. Professional development activities;
  5. Condition of school facilities
  6. Status of mandated program reviews
  7. Community support data as detailed in the administrative code.
Other items presented at Board meetings must include, but are not limited to:
  1. Presentation of audit report;
  2. Presentation of the budget;
  3. Graduation and dropout statistics; other demographic data
  4. Mandated in-service programs.
By November 30 of each year, the Superintendent shall “pull together” all reports submitted to the State Department of Education and provide an overview or a “State of the Schools” message. Included should be not only the problems of each of the schools but also their accomplishments and a view—or vision—of the anticipated next steps. This information will permit the Board to assess the achievement, or progress toward the achievement, of our goals and mission. It will also help the Board establish future goals and the ability to revise or re-affirm our mission statements. The Board shall invite local, school and community leaders to this special meeting.

Date: April 14, 1986
August 27, 2001, First Reading
September 10, 2001 Approved

Legal References:
N.J.S.A. 18A:7A-10 Evaluation of performance of each school
N.J.S.A. 18A:7A-11 Annual report of local school district; contents; annual report of commissioner; report on improvement of basic skills
N.J.S.A. 18A:7A:14-3 Evaluation and monitoring of public school districts
N.J.S.A. 18A:7A:14.4 Alternate monitoring and evaluation programs; participation; application
N.J.S.A. 18A:7F-4 Periodic review of core curriculum content standard by state board; establishment of thoroughness and efficiency standards and cost per pupil
N.J.A.C. 18A:7F-6 Approval of budget by Commissioner
N.J.A.C. 6.3-1.6 Reporting and staffing of school districts
N.J.A.C. 6:8-1.1 Words and terms defined
N.J.A.C. 6:8-2.1 Reporting requirements
N.J.A.C. 6:8-2.2 School-level planning
N.J.A.C. 6:8-3.1 et seq. Pupil behavior
N.J.A.C. 6:8-4.1 Review of mandated programs and services
N.J.A.C. 6:22-7.1 Long-range facilities plans
N.J.A.C. 6A:8-1.1 et. seq. Standards and Assessments
N.J.A.C. 6A:24-1.1 et seq.
See particularly:
N.J.A.C. 6A:24-1.4 and 1.5		 Urban Education Reform in the Abbott Districts
N.J.A.C. 6A:30-1.1 et seq. Evaluation of the Performance of School Districts

  Manual for the Evaluation of Local School Districts (August 2000)

Possible Cross References:
1120 Board of education meetings
1220 Ad hoc advisory committees
2255 Action planning for T&E certification
3510 Operation and maintenance of plant
5020 Role of parents/guardians
6142.2 English as a second language; bilingual/bicultural
6171.4 Special education
7110 Long-range facilities planning
9130 Committees

Key Words
Research, Evaluation, Planning, Long-range Plan, Multi-year Maintenance, School Level Plan
 

Morris School District | 31 Hazel Street | Morristown, New Jersey | Phone: 973-292-2300
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