to order. The New Jersey Open Public Meetings Act was enacted to ensure the right of the public to have advanced notice of and to attend the meeting of public bodies at which any business affecting their interest is disclosed or
acted upon. In accordance with provisions of this act, the state board of education has caused notice of the meeting to be published by having the date, time, and place thereof posted in the department of education, secretary
of state's office, and notice has been given to the state house press, the governor's office, and the state board agenda subscribers. And as a quorum is present, this meeting will now come to order. May I please have a motion? So
moved. Thank you very much. Board member Bennett. May I please have a second? Thank you very much. Board member Shahada. Um and now we're going to go into executive session to discuss
um things that are uh not things we can discuss in public. So whereas in order to protect the personal privacy and to avoid situations where in the public interest might be disserved, the open public meetings act permits
public bodies to exclude the public from that portion of a meeting at which certain matters are discussed. Now therefore be it resolved that consistent with the provision of NJSA 104-12B the state board of education
will now adjourn to executive session to discuss personnel and legal matters. May I please have a motion? So moved. Thank you very much. Board member Shahada. May I please have a second? Second. Thank you very much. Board member Aante. All
those in favor, please say I. I. Any oppose, please say nay. All right, we're going to go into executive. Thank you so much. Motion carries. Remember that teacher who changed your
life? You could be that teacher. New Jersey has some of the best public schools in the country with competitive salaries and valuable benefits. Be that teacher. Visit teach inspire.nj.gov. Remember that teacher who changed your life. You could be that teacher in New
Jersey. You'll help shape the next generation alongside a dedicated community of educators. New Jersey has some of the best public schools in the country with competitive salaries, valuable benefits, and a solid pension plan. So be that teacher, make an
impact. Teach Inspire New Jersey. To learn more, visit teach inspire.nj.gov. [Music] If you're a teacher, you've had students tell you how much you mean to them. And for everyone who does, more feel that
way, but may not say it. Remember that teacher who changed your life. You're that teacher to a lot of people. Teach Inspire New Jersey. If you're a teacher, you've probably had students tell you how much you mean to them. And for everyone who does, there
are more who feel that way, but may not say it. You can't know how many, but it's more than you think. Because you've done more than teach. You've inspired. Remember that teacher who changed your life? You're that teacher to a lot of
people. Teach inspire New Jersey. [Music] Jersey. Jersey. [Music] Visit the teach inspire. Punto Pto.
[Music] Remember that teacher who changed your life? You could be that teacher. New Jersey has some of the best public schools in the country with competitive salaries and valuable benefits. Be that teacher. Visit teach inspire.nj.gov.
Remember that teacher who changed your life? You could be that teacher in New Jersey. You'll help shape the next generation alongside a dedicated community of educators. New Jersey has some of the best public schools in the country with competitive salaries,
valuable benefits, and a solid pension plan. So, be that teacher. Make an impact. Teach Inspire New Jersey. To learn more, visit teach inspire.nj.gov. [Music]
If you're a teacher, you've had students tell you how much you mean to them. And for everyone who does, more feel that way, but may not say it. Remember that teacher who changed your life. You're that teacher to a lot of people. Teach Inspire New Jersey.
If you're a teacher, you've probably had students tell you how much you mean to them. And for everyone who does, there are more who feel that way, but may not say it. You can't know how many, but it's more than you think. Because you've
done more than teach. You've inspired. Remember that teacher who changed your life? You're that teacher to a lot of people. Teach inspire New Jersey. [Music] [Music]
[Music] Jersey in speed. Visit the teach inspire puntoj. It will go off. Remember that teacher who changed your life? You could be that teacher. New
Jersey has some of the best public schools in the country with competitive salaries and valuable benefits. Be that teacher. Visit teach inspire.nj.gov. Remember that teacher who changed your life? You could be that teacher in New Jersey. You'll help shape the next
generation alongside a dedicated community of educators. New Jersey has some of the best public schools in the country with competitive salaries, valuable benefits, and a solid pension plan. So be that teacher. Make an impact. Teach Inspire New Jersey. To
learn more, visit teach inspire.nj.gov. [Music] If you're a teacher, you've had students tell you how much you mean to them. And for everyone who does, more feel that way, but may not say it. Remember that teacher who changed your life. You're
that teacher to a lot of people. Teach Inspire New Jersey. If you're a teacher, you've probably had students tell you how much you mean to them. And for everyone who does, there are more who feel that way but may not say it. You can't know how many, but
it's more than you think. Because you've done more than teach. You've inspired. Remember that teacher who changed your life? You're that teacher to a lot of people. Teach inspire New Jersey. [Music]
Is it working? Yes. Hi, good morning everyone. Happy June. Can't believe summer's here already. Um, I'd like to reconvene the and uh resume the public portion of our meeting. Whereas consistent with the provision of
NJSA 10 col4-12B, the state board will now adjourn from executive session to resume the open session portion of our meeting. May I please have a motion? Motion. Thank you very much. Board member Pena, may I please have a second? Second.
Thank you very much. I'm not sure who was first. I'm Mary Bennett. Thank you, board member Bennett. Um, all those in favor, please say I. I. I. Any opposed? Any abstensions? All right, we're moving forward with the pledge of allegiance,
and Mary Beth Barry will um help us on that and lead us. Thank you. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under
God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. [Music] So, thank you everyone for joining us today. Uh, our state board meetings are
accessible to the public for viewing on the department's YouTube channel. I would like to advise you that YouTube provides readily accessible language translation options with closed captioning. If you are viewing this simalcast presently, you may use the
settings option in YouTube for information and for subtitles. Automatic translations and closed captions are available in multiple languages. Now, I'd like to ask for an approval of our minutes for May 7th,
2025. Um, may I please ask if anyone would um So, move. Thank you very much. I appreciate it. And we have we have um a motion and we have a
second on the table. Um all those does anyone have anything to correct on them or to change about them? Hearing nothing. All those in favor, please say I. I. I. Thank you. Any opposed, please say nay.
Any abstensions? Board member Ponte. Thank you. All right. Um public testimony. As we stated um last month, the state board will not accept public testimony today as there are no topics for discussion. In July,
the state board will accept public testimony on the proposed amendments to chapter 27 which is regarding student transportation. State board members, uh, Janette Pñena, Mary Beth Barry, Claudine Keenan, and I
are scheduled to sit for testimony in July. Um, I'd like to, um, please present and introduce our state board representative. Um, for those of you who don't know her, her name is Anna
Pascowitz. She's a senior at Palmyra High School in Burlington County. So, Anna, good morning. Welcome. We're thrilled to have you and I believe that um you have some final words for us today as it's your last month. Yes. Um
thank you President Goldenberg and good morning everyone. This month another school year reaches its conclusion. The end of the year is always filled with students packing up their things for the summer and tearful seniors graduating and preparing for the next chapter of their lives. I myself graduate in just
under two weeks and sadly that isn't the only chapter being closed. Today is my last meeting as the student representative to the New Jersey State Board of Education, and I am truly sad to say goodbye. This position has taught me so much both about our education system and about myself. School is so
incredibly important as it not only teaches children the knowledge they will need to be prepared for their futures, but also fosters a community that teaches fundamental values such as empathy and persistence. As someone who has always loved going to school, I understand that not every
student shares the same sentiment. School can be and certainly is a place of anxiety and stress for many. My goal this year was to share the honest student perspective of our education system with you and I have genuinely enjoyed writing about various topics impacting New Jersey students such as
cell phone policies, artificial intelligence, and mental health initiatives. I hope that my words have resonated and made a positive contribution to the deeply meaningful work that you all do. As sad as I am to be leaving, I am excited to see all that my successor Kayn D Rose from East
Brunswick High School will accomplish. As for the next step in my life, I will be attending Boston College and majoring in psychology with hopes of eventually completing my doctoral degree and becoming a clinical psychologist. I hope to work with children and help the next generations be as happy and healthy as
possible. It is also my goal to run for my local school board as an adult to keep advocating for positive changes in education and ensuring that all children enjoy going to school in a supportive and inclusive atmosphere every day. I would like to conclude my final report
by saying that I am so thankful to each and every member of the board for being so welcoming and taking the time to read my reports each month. Every meeting I have learned something new and I have seen the truly magnificent impact that this board and the department of education has on the education of me and
my peers. Witnessing firsthand the hard work of this board and the department of education makes it clear how and why New Jersey's public schools are number one in the nation. I would like to specifically thank Miss Diane Shoner and Miss Stephanie Russo for their constant support and helping with my reports each
month. Thank you to the New Jersey Association of Student Council Executive Directors, Mr. Mr. Lou Miller and Mr. Alex Misella who helped facilitate this position. Finally, I owe a huge thank you to my two incredible student council adviserss at Palmyra High School, Miss Kim Martino and Miss Kelly Jones, who
supported me in every way and spent so much time with me at numerous meetings each month. I am very lucky to have such dedicated adviserss who encouraged me to pursue the position of state board of education representative. In closing, I would like to say how incredibly grateful and proud I am to say that I
received a New Jersey school public education. Thank you. Thank you. On behalf of the State Board of Education, I would like to express my deepest appreciation for you serving as student representative to our state
board of education. You have been an amazing student liaison for us. Not only have you been here and offered true student perspectives on the issues that we've been consulting and discussing, you also um have continued
your academic and your personal success and sports and everything that you do during this school day in your senior year. So, I'd like to ask you kindly to keep in touch with us and let us know how it's going. Um, Anna will be going
to Boston College, so I know they're lucky to have you. Um, I'd also like to thank, and please, if you'd stand up, Miss Kelly Jones and Miss Kim [Applause] Martina. And thank you for being such
tremendous adviserss. That helps the students so much. Um, Anna, the state board and the commissioner would like to recognize you today. and for your commitment that you've given us this year. Therefore, I would like to ask the state board members to consider a
ceremonial resolution in honor of Ms. Anna Pascowitz 2024 2025 permanent student representative to our state board. And may I please have a motion before I read the resolution? Motion. Thank you very
much. Board member Shahado, may I please have a second? Second. Thank you very much. Board member Bennett. Um I would like like to read our resolution. Whereas Anna Pascowitz, a student from the Palmyra High School in
Burlington County, has served with distinction as the student representative to New Jersey State Board of Education from July to 2024 to June of 2025. And whereas Anna
has steadfastly performed her duties as the state board's liaison to the student council and has been an admirable representative of both the New Jersey Association of Student Councils and the Palmyer High School and whereas Anna
participated in state board meetings by making monthly presentations and were forwardthinking, well researched, informative, and beneficial to all of our state board members. ers and whereas Anna took great effort to survey her peers to discuss
with school officials and inform at our monthly state board presentations which included the topics such as cell phone policies the use of AI artificial intelligence and advocacy for peer-led initiatives and other programs to
address students mental health needs and whereas and further elevated the student voice by offering offering her insights by serving as a panelist alongside members of the state board at our New Jersey School Boards Association
workshop 2024. And whereas Anna has an obvious interest in and understanding of issues affecting her and her student peers, as demonstrated through her participation as an active member of the National
Association of State Boards of Education High School Transformation, State Network, Student Advisory Council. And whereas Anna's academic career demonstrates that she is a very
accomplished student and her leadership and athletic activities and community service demonstrate Anna's valued contributions on both local and state levels and where therefore be it resolved that the members of the New
Jersey State Board of Education and Commissioner of Education Mr. Kevin Damer extend their sincere congratulations and appreciation to Anna Pascowitz for a job well done. And may it further be resolved that the New
Jersey State Board of Education and the Commissioner of Education acknowledge Anna Pascowit's personal and academic excellence as well as her leadership qualities and they and we all wish her continued success in her future
endeavors. So, may I please have a motion and a second and any discussion regarding to accept this resolution? Thank you. Thank
you. All those in favor, please signify by saying I. I. Any opposed, please say nay. Any abstensions at this time? The motion carries. Thank you so much, Anna, for
everything you've done for us. Thank you. [Applause] And if any Oh yes.
Yeah. Are there any comments at this time from board members? [Music] Thank you. I believe Dr. Keenan will speak first. Thank you, Anna. I want to thank you for all that you brought to us. We started on the same day. Our
first board meeting was my first board meeting and it just won't be the same without you, but I'm very much looking forward to your success. And I also want to thank your adviserss and your parents for sharing your gifts and your talents with us. It's not without a great big team that this success like Anna's
doesn't come together. So, thank you. Any other board members at this time? Anna, you and I have spoken a couple of times. First of all, congratulations on your decision to go to Boston College. The last time we talked, you thought you were almost there, but I see you are there and you're already imagining
yourself on that campus. Um, working with young people is what this work is about. And Anna exemplifies a thoughtful, responsible young lady who took it as a serious charge to be the voice of other students in the state of
New Jersey and whether she spoke about mental health, cell phones, AI, it was always well researched and she was reflecting not just her opinion but the opinion of the rest of the students. So I congratulate you. It's been a pleasure
to serve with you and do stay connected with us. We still need your voice. Congratulations. Thank you, board member Bennett. Um I think uh please our commissioner would like to say a few words now. Just really quickly, I I can't I want to reiterate that what you
bring each each month I think was brought a lot of insight. Um and then I just want to talk about your future. I'm really excited about where you're headed. That's really exciting. And for somebody your age looking ahead and saying, "I want to get a PhD." Shows the kind of drive. That's something that uh
I would like to encourage for all of our students. That's that's incredible. Um just one piece of advice as you head up to Boston. Uh bring a snow shovel. I thought you were going to ask for lobster rolls. Okay, enough about that. But I also would like to The most
important people who have probably given you the most support are your parents. Would you please stand up, Mr. for Mrs. Pasitz. Without without such parents, she never could have accomplished this. So, congratulations to you both. Um,
we'd like to give Thank you. Please come. Everything. Thank you. [Music] [Applause]
[Music] Animation. Okay. All right. That was remarkable. Just she's great. All right. Now, I'd like to please ask Mary
Bennett, the chair of the nominating committee, uh, to make her report for the 2526 school year. Thank you. Thank you, President Goldenberg. State board members Janette Pñena and Claudine and I requested information from our
fellow board members regarding their interest in serving in the leadership roles of president and vice president for the 2526 school year. The committee considered all information submitted and is recommending Kathy Goldenberg for
president and Ned Johnson for vice president. As stated in our bylaws, the election itself will occur after June 30th. That is my report. Thank you very much. And I will start by saying I
appreciate everyone's um support and we have terrific board members and I just thank you. Do you want to say anything? I too uh would like to uh thank the um nominating committee and the other board
members. Um this has been an interesting and learning experience for me uh serving in leadership this last year and looking forward uh to continuing in that capacity for the next year. Thank you.
Yeah. Okay. So, um next we'll go ahead with our state board committee report. Our administration our administrative policy committee met on May 29th, 2025 and Elaine Bobrove is our chairperson.
So I will turn it over to board member Bob Rove. Thank you. We're going to be talking today about ETSs and practice and practis 2. Uh the attendees at the meeting were uh myself as chair, Kathy Goldenberg,
exeicio, Joseph Rick, Mary Bennett, Janette Penna, and Mary Beth Berry. DOE staff members Kevin Damer, commissioner, Laura Console, chief of staff, Jesse Young, deputy chief of
staff. Uh Chris Huber, special assistant. Kayla Secular, Senior Policy Advisor. Ambrose Ducket, Assistant Commissioner, and Paula Bloom, Executive Director, Division of Field Service Support Services. Ran I Singh, uh,
director, Office of Recruitment and Certification and Preparation. And finally, but certainly not uh, without a lot of work, the state board office itself, Diane Shoner and Beth Hours Walls. Um, I I name all of these names
because I think it's important for the uh public to realize how many people are involved in trying to make sure that the the laws and and the things that we do in this um in in the department of ed and with the board of ed are those which
really are been thought about carefully and dealt so far. Um the administrative policy committee uh meeting met on Thursday May 29th 2025 to discuss
practice resolution revised tests and qualifying scores. Praxits are a group of tests given to those to assess prospective instructors teachers as to their ability to teach in different fields. ETS is an organization that sets
uh cuts scores that are satisfactory to the majority of states so that instruction is uniform among the majority of states over time. Some skills are automatic and no longer need to be specifically included while others
need to be added. In practice 2, three domains are addressed. technology and engineering education, family and consumer science, and social studies. Today, the
Department of Education will be discussing this more fully before it is voted on. And thank you for your time. Thank you very much, board member Bob Ro. And now, I'll turn the meeting over to the art commissioner. Thank you, Madam President. And today
I'd like to welcome Katrina Mcomes uh to join us, superintendent of the Camden City School District, and she will provide an update on the annual report of the district's growth and progress, including a plan to continue to move the district forward. Superintendent Mcomes
will be joined by Aisha Taylor, the school business administrator. And as you know, Superintendent Mcomes will be leaving Cam at the end of the month to join us here at the department. We're very excited. I would like to take this opportunity to commend her on the work that she has done in Camden over the
course of the last seven years. She's led the district through CO 19 pandemic, opened the new Camden High School, and led the charge for the new construction of the East Side High School. She's also implemented changes to improve and stabilize the fiscal office and put
supports in place to continue the district's academic growth. And with that, I want to turn it over to Superintendent Mcomes. Thank you for joining us today. Thank you, Commissioner. I'm not sure if this is one testing. Okay. Oh, perfect. All right.
Here we go. Thank you, Commissioner, um for that very thoughtful um introduction. Uh good morning to um all of you, to our esteemed members of the state board of education, um to all of the members of the staff and the greater community of New Jersey who are present.
Um, as was already stated, my name is Katrina T. Mcomes and I'm the proud, humble, um, and, uh, just uh, excited superintendent of the Camden City School District. Um, before I begin the annual report, I'd like to just introduce a few members of my executive leadership team
who have joined me today, and I'll ask them to stand um, when I call their name. Uh, Dr. Dana Walker, our deputy superintendent. Uh, Miss Pesha Taylor, our school business administrator and board secretary. Miss Terresa Ree, chief talent officer, and Miss Sheena Yera, chief communications officer.
Additionally, several other key members are present today, and I'd like to publicly thank them for their presence and for their commitment to um the work of the district. I'm also grateful for the presence um of so many who have come from the Camden community. There are
parent groups that are represented um as well as other partners here today. So, I just wanted to acknowledge their presence um before moving on. So we can move on to the first slide and I just want to regground us all in the district's vision. Um so the vision for the Camden City School District remains that all students will attend a
highquality school where they are valued, which is critically important, where they are welcomed, where they're challenged and prepared to positively impact their community and the world. This vision is a cohesive gel which anchors every action, every decision and
our goals and strategies um as we focus on providing each student with a high quality education. So the next slide I just have a few uh areas that we will uh concisely as concisely as possible update uh the board on and they are listed on the
agenda that is in front of you ranging from NJQAC uh updates as well as moving through to our teach Camden initiative. Next slide please. And you can move to the next slide. Okay.
Yes, thank you. And so, um, it's very important that we consistently update the board on, um, our QAC progress. And this slide just succinctly and quickly, um, reflects the results from the district's full QAC review, which was
conducted in April 2024. While we st saw strong performance in operations at 92% governance at 87% and personnel at 87% the scores in fiscal management and instruction and program triggered the
development of a district improvement plan which was formally approved in May 2025. We are actively implementing strategies aligned with our district improvement plan with targeted efforts in these areas specifically ahead of the
interim review scheduled for November 2025. Next slide. And so this slide is important because as we think about um the state operated district of Camden Camden City and we look back to the early stages of intervention um we know that the
difference between where we were then and where we're where we are now with regard to QAC scores is clear and evident. Um so to place our most recent scores into context. While our district has seen the sustained progress in most CUAC domains over the past decade, we
experienced a slight decline in three areas. Instruction and program, fiscal management and government and governance. The scores in instruction and program and fiscal management fell below the 80 point threshold and triggered the development of the
district improvement plan that I just spoke about which was approved. Governance, while still strong at 87%, showed a modest dip from the last year's high of 94%. Which we are addressing through enhanced board documentation
practices, and improved public access. These shifts reflect a combination of lagging post-pandemic academic recovery challenges, evolving compliance standards, and intensified review criteria. In response, the district has
implemented focused strategies ranging from strengthened instructional interventions and certification tracking to audit process improvements to ensure we're aligned with the QAC standards. We remain confident that these efforts will
lead to stronger outcomes in the November 2025 interim review. Next slide. So in addition to the progress the district has made since state intervention in the area of CQAC, we have made notable improvements in the
management of the district's finances, specifically over the past five years. Next slide. As shown in the chart, the district has made steady progress in reducing audit findings over these past years, dropping from a peak of 27, which
I inherited in fiscal year 17, to just three in both fiscal year 23 and fiscal year 24. For fiscal year 23, there was a total of three audit findings. Four findings from fiscal year 22 were cleared. Two findings from fiscal year
22 remained and one new finding was identified. And then for fiscal year 2024, one finding from fiscal year 23 was cleared. Two findings from 23 remained and one new finding was identified. And so this continued
progress reflects our commitment to strengthening our internal controls and improving fiscal practices across the district. And we have indicated in our corrective action plan um specific steps to take in order to ensure that we go from three audit findings now down to
zero. Next slide. And so also in uh thinking about the district's financial history, as you can see in this graph, just over five just over half, excuse me, of the district's current budget immediately went out to charter and Renaissance
schools for tuition. The annual fluctuation and unpredictability in the amount of tuition from year to year makes it challenging for the district to plan or sustain longerterm projects. The next largest expenditure category is
support services which largely represents personnel cost and health benefits. Next slide. If you take a look at this slide, just to provide a little bit uh a bit more context, you can clearly see how the shift in student enrollment directly
impacts the district's budget. Over the last several years, spending on charter and renaissance school tuition has increased dramatically, rising from $157 million in 202021 to over $221 million projected
for 2425 in the audit. This trend, this trend has accelerated to the point where it has created a structural imbalance, a consistent structural uh deficit in our budget. As more public funding follows
students to charter and renaissance schools, the district is left to maintain facilities, staffing, and programming for fewer students in districtrun schools. But I want to be very clear, this is not about blaming families for their choices. I'm a parent. I have a choice as to where my
students attend school. Um, and all of our parents deserve the same. We understand and respect that families are doing what they believe is best for their children. But as a district, we have a responsibility to acknowledge the financial impact and to share very
transparently what that financial impact is of the shift and to make necessary adjustments to ensure we can continue delivering for the thousands of students still in the district's direct care. Any sustainable plan for the Camden City
School District must reflect these enrollment and funding realities. Our goal moving forward is to realign our resources continuously in a way that is both fiscally responsible while still maintaining a student centered approach.
Next slide. So, one of the most significant and ongoing challenges a district faces is declining enrollment in district operated schools, which I already alluded to, but just wanted to provide a visual for um where we were in 20134 at
about 11, um 800 students uh down to a projected 5904 um for the upcoming 2526 school year. And so um this trend coupled with declining birth rates throughout the city has a direct impact and count a direct and compounding
impact on our budget ultimately reducing the total revenue available to support districtrun schools. And so just the simple reality um I won't belabor the the point but it does bear uh repeating the simple reality is that we are
operating a system built for almost twice as many students as we currently serve. That includes maintaining buildings staffing levels and programming for an enrollment base that does not currently exist. So it it it it calls for continued innovation in
thinking forward about what can be done in order to make sure that regardless of the shifts in enrollment and the shifts in finances that we still are able to provide a quality education for our young people. Next slide. And the next slide just just um
shares uh in a pop chart format the breakup of schools by enrollment. So, as as illustrated in the chart, Renaissance schools now serve the largest share of Camden students at 41.8% while district operated schools
account for 36.5%. And charter schools make up 21.8% of the enrollment. And so, uh, I want to also note on this slide that tuition costs for Renaissance and Charter Schools are projected to be $28
million higher than our fisc year 24 year end total and $9 million higher than what was budgeted um, in fiscal year 25. Um so again, we remain committed to increasing our district enrollment because that is something
also that is within the the district's um locus control. These unpredictable tuition increases pose long-term sustainability challenges for our budget planning. And so one potential solution would be to establish stabilization aid
that would protect the traditional school district from budgetary shortfalls tied to enrollment shifts. Next slide. Excuse me. And so all of the the previous
slides that I shared um build up to this slide that I wanted to make sure that the state board was aware of um which you likely are. But just to share why we had to um conduct right sizing, right? All the slides that I talked about regarding enrollment and and also
regarding um finances show that we have to rightsize to meet the needs of our districts uh of our district students in our current reality. So as we prepare for the 2526 school year, we are navigating one of the most difficult
transitions in recent memory, particularly when it comes to staffing. Our overall staffing is projected to decrease from 1,618.5 full-time equivalents this school year to
1,331.5 next year. That's a reduction of 287 FTEES across the district. Of those 113 are reductions in force, meaning they directly impact people currently in ROS. And they include 32 central office
staff members, which is approximately 16% of the total central office staff, 77 school-based or non-entral office positions, which is roughly 6%, and four part-time roles, which makes up 20 27%
of our part-time staff. So we were able to minimize some of the people impact of this right sizing action. 34 staff members were placed into other available roles. Four individuals are not being renewed due to performance and 97
vacancies were eliminated to avoid filling positions we could not sustainably fund. We approached this process with the utmost care and dignity. Um prioritizing the protection of classrooms. It was our aim to protect
student and familyfacing support positions, but the size of our deficit left us with no choice but to cut key student and family support positions. Still, we know these numbers represent people, colleagues, mentors, um, and
friends who have made meaningful contributions to our schools, and we respect them. This is not a moment we take lightly. These decisions were driven by the need to stabilize our long-term financial standing while continuing to center students in every
choice and decision we make. The next slide also shares a few of the additional actions that um were put into place in order to ensure that we were able to um bring our uh deficit uh in line and present successfully a balanced
budget for the upcoming school year. And they are listed before you. restructuring of the Camden High campus, making sure that we're just being um more um um thought uh thought thoughtful with the number of administrators who we have in that building. So, instead of
four, uh there will be one principal and with the support of four lead educators. We've also expanded grade offerings in some of our family schools to um fill out uh the the the capacity levels of those family schools which are pre-K
through 8 schools in our district. Uh we've reduced contracted services, reduced vacant positions, reduced overtime expenses, changed uh the use of title funding, and also re-examined our building usage fee usage fees. And all
of those efforts combined with um the the cuts that I talked about previously regarding staffing um led to us being able to close our $91 million deficit and move forward um in a uh right-sized
manner. Next slide. And so I want to take a moment and pause because that's a lot of information. And as I say it again, uh the human side of me thinks about the individuals, but we also know how critical and important it is for us to make sure that we center our students and this the the future of the district
and our students in every decision that we make. Um, so I want to shift for a moment to talk about some of the ways that we've been able to provide upgrades to our facility in order to make sure that the Camden City School District is also competitive when it comes to the
learning environments that our young people um are educated in. So, thanks to federal ARPA funding, we've been able to make meaningful upgrades across our district to enhance learning environments and improve student safety. These improvements, and these are just a
few pictures that we were able to pull, include new auditorium seating, which was needed, desperately needed, upgraded gymnasium floors, renovated stairwells and entryways, and updated playground equipment to name just a few of the
areas. We still have projects of course that we are going to work on, but as you can see, we have been able to um just bolster especially some of our older buildings, our 100y year plus buildings. um with some um a modern amenities that
are our our students are deserving of. Next slide. We've also been able to invest in transportation and um in October uh some of the members of the state board visit state board had the chance to come to the Camden City School District to visit um and we we welcomed
you and had a wonderful day and some of you had a chance to experience um a ride in our uh buses. Over the past 3 years, Camden City School District has taken a proactive approach to rebuilding its transportation infrastructure. Um during
the pandemic we were at a place a very uh difficult and traumatic place where we were not able to provide transportation immediately following I'm sorry the pandemic when students returned to school we were not able to provide transportation to all of our students and had to provide waiverss
that were approved for families to transport their students. And that was because we did not have our own busing system, but we also um did not have um there was a shortage of drivers. And so we've been able to build back very strong and every eligible student has a
guaranteed seat on our buses starting on day one of school. We've strengthened rooting logistics to support academic equity including CTE programs and other afterchool activities. Five districtowned buses now support
displaced student transportation, helping us significantly reduce high per student costs. This year, we continue to prioritize efficiency and access. Shuttle services are now available for students living 1.5 to 2 miles from
school, increasing safety and access for families previously outside the eligibility range. We diversified our vendor partnerships with four active providers. Our district is a provider, First Student, Hulcom, and MTA covering
a total of 135 plus daily routes by leveraging larger vehicles and smarter routing routing. We've achieved a $1.8 $8 million net reduction in transportation costs. A result of shifting displaced student transport
away from high-cost county contracts to more efficient in-house service. So through smarter operations, early planning, and a commitment to student safety and access, the Camden City School District continues to provide
reliable, costeffective transportation to every eligible student in Camden. And I did take some time there because it was truly traumatic and I'll say it one last time when we were not able to do that and the district has come a long
way and that's the that's thanks to um the brilliant uh team that we have. Next slide. So on the next few slides I'll provide updates in instruction and programming. So the slide that is um before you now
um provides some information on citywide progress with regard to NJSLA. In spring 2024, the Camden Education Fund issued a report compiling recent student learning data to provide an overview of trends both leading up to and following the
pandemic. One of the key insights from what from that report was that when looking at citywide trends combining results from all Camden schools, including traditional district, Renaissance, and public charter schools, students were beginning to rebound from
pandemic learning loss. The data showed that Camden is recovering at a pace of academic growth that exceeds the statewide average. We have a long way to go. I'm not saying that we've arrived at by any means, but the growth shows that we are moving forward and that continued
growth will be able to help our students to continue to move forward. On the next slide, and to provide a bit more insight into the Camden City School District um and JSLA performance analysis, prior to the pandemic, the district was making
steady incremental progress. A significant number of students were growing one to three grade levels in reading and our overall proficiency rates were on the rise. Following a year of fully remote learning and two years without NJSLA testing, we did see a dip
in performance in both ELA and math. While our scores have not yet returned to prepandemic levels, the latest data shows early signs of recovery, particularly in English language arts, where we've we've seen consistent gains
across the last two years for the 2023 24 NJSLA. Overall, we observed growth and slight increases in both ELA and math performance. Our students are showing steady incremental progress again. And so it is at this time that we
need to double down on those efforts that were able to get us to this point as we are filling gaps. So the numbers represent um on grade level um mastery of skills and standards and we know that we have closed the gaps in
many areas in order to get students um to this place. Now, it is time that we take um the opportunity to specifically look at those students who are in areas where they're right on the cusp of moving into our um proficient and
advanced proficient areas and double down on the supports that are there. So, these are our highest pro proficiency rates since returning from the pandemic, signaling positive momentum. Math continues to be an area of focus, but we are committed to building on this
progress and expanding the support of our students, the support that our students need in order to thrive. Next slide. And so there has been some growth. Um, while we continue to address the post-pandemic learning gaps that
lag, this year's results show notable progress at the school and grade level, particularly in grades three through five, where strong gains are helping to drive our upward tr trend. In ELA, schools like Katau, Cooper Point, HP Wilson, Davis, and Forest Hill showed
double-digit growth. For example, Katau's fourth grade ELA scores grew by 24.4 percentage points. um exceeding that state average growth in math. Multiple schools demonstrated significant improvement across grade
levels. Forest till York and Rettleta Cream all had strong third grade math gains while Kado posted double-digit growth in both grades four and seven. These gains reflect the impact of the targeted supports um that we have put in
place, increased instructional time and strategic leadership. We are continuing to collaborate closely with school teams to identify and expand upon what is working and double down on those efforts. It's also important to note that many students, especially in the
early grades, made meaningful shifts out of level one and two performance bands, even if they haven't yet reached proficiency. This early movement is an encouraging sign that interventions are taking hold and will lead to even
stronger outcomes in the years ahead if they are consistently applied. Next slide. And so that is where we are. But what are we going to do to make sure that we do double down um our efforts to support our young people in accelerating
their um academic outcomes. So as a part of these ongoing intervention strategies, the district is focusing on the four key areas that are before you for this school year to accelerate learning recovery. Uh in the area of data analysis intense focus on
monitoring the implementation of annual school plans utilizing multiple data points and triangulation to ensure and solidify student skill mastery. Conducting program audits and evaluations to ensure effectiveness.
Pivoting as necessary to produce a optimal student outcomes. Prioritizing instructional strategies that will develop student mastery of anchor standards in the area of instructional leadership. There are identified focal
points that are before you climate and culture and teaching and learning. We want to double down in teaching and learning on high dosage and high impact tutoring. The district through a grant offered by the Department of Education um a couple of years ago was able to um
work with the New Jersey tutoring corps and to support a focused effort at our veterans uh memorial school and we saw tremendous growth um over 100% growth but that growth um was in bringing students who were way behind up to on
grade level standards. And so with doubling down on those efforts that have shown that they work, we are hopeful that um and confident that we will be able to produce even greater uh outcomes for our young people. Next slide. And so Eastside High
School Project Commissioner um talked about um the early stages in our advocacy for an East Side High School uh for our students in the city of Camden. Um, so as many of you are already aware, the development of the new East Side High School is underway, marking a
significant milestone in our community. Just one second. Absolutely. Um, before we move on to this, if we could maybe we just pause. Uh, we've covered a lot of stuff. Absolutely. Uh, and see if any board members have questions. Thank you. Are there any questions so far? Um,
please, um, past presidente, thank you very much for your presentation and just a wealth of information. So, I greatly appreciate us taking a pause a minute to uh reflect on some of the data that you presented. Um, in terms of your enrollment numbers for the citywide,
about 16,000 based on the chart that you uh presented earlier, and about 64% of the population is served by either charter schools or Renaissance schools. Yes. And then you provided a a chart showing the um uh I guess the latest
updates from uh bear with me for a second these uh on your uh NJSLA performance analysis. I'm just curious to know how does how do how does a district um
outcomes um compare to the charter school and Renaissance school communities? um reflecting on the earlier decisions to expand charter school ren schools under another administration the the hope was that um
overall all boats arise in the city in terms of student uh student progress and student success. So just curious to know how does the district and the numbers that you presented here compared to the charter school and renaissance school
populations. Absolutely. Thank you for that question, board member of Pon. Um and so, um you're absolutely right. The Urban Hope Act when it came about was to support our strugg struggling school district in order to make sure that we could produce better outcomes um for all
of our students in Camden. And so since the advent of um Renaissance schools in the district, what we have seen is that all boats are rising to utilize your terms, but at different rates um and at different levels. And so currently the
district um even though we are seeing um gains and and steady incremental gains to bring us back to prepandemic levels, the district is not it's not an equal on par with charter or renaissance schools. As a matter of fact, charter schools, traditional charter schools in the city
are performing and producing the highest outcomes which we can provide those specific statistics for you. Um and then renaissance schools and then the traditional district schools. So even though all votes are rising and all parts of the unique ecosystem that we
have in the city of Camden are producing positive outcomes, there is a differential between the rate at which those outcomes are are being realized. It'd be helpful for us to see that data. I'd like to see the full picture of what's happening across the city and and
certainly recognizing that you have greater challenges uh in terms of managing your facilities and getting dealing with the enrollment decreases and and just trying to uh maintain your infrastructure with uh limited resources and I recognize that. So I want to want
to want to note that and uh but I still would again I think it would be important for us to see the full picture across the city. Absolutely. and we can provide that information to the board. Yes. If I could just ask, so um on page Oh, it's not numbered. I'm sorry. The
district enrollment history that that particular slide. Um so you mentioned in your uh report that it you've been trying to keep all the programs even though the enrollment has gone down.
Have have you merged any of the schools uh the students so that since it's you know so many less students have you merged any of the schools and and put teachers together with students so that you could keep all
of the opportunities for students? Thank you so much for that question um board president Goldenberg. So yes, um about four or five years ago, we underwent a very painful school closure process um where we closed um three of our schools.
We um were going to close four, but were able to keep one open. So we closed three schools and we're able to consolidate the consolidate, excuse me, those students into other buildings so that we could build the capacity in those areas. um what we did um this past
budget cycle is to rightsize staff. So even with closing schools in the past, the district had not cut um drastically the number of employees. Those employees just followed the students to their new schools and we cut around the the perimeter. But this um deficit that we
have been led to this year which we were successful at filling um for the upcoming school year, we had to um consider some other um strategies which I mentioned before. One of the things we are doing next year, um we are um we have a standalone Morgan Village Middle
School um that will be converted into a another school um alternative placement school 7 through 12, which will help us to support those students who are most vulnerable while having our middle school students go back to their family schools. And so that's another way that
we can efficiently utilize our staffing um model in order to make sure that we're being as efficient as possible. So yes, we have in the past um there have been several school closure efforts early on um in the um in state
intervention and around 134 1415 there were other school closures. So these school closures have happened. We're at a place where um we are able to kind of I don't believe we need any more school closures but we need to just make sure that we are very wisely and frugally
using our expenses. Well, I just meant also not so much about closing the schools, but about making sure that you had the available staff for the students to have all of their choices and their curriculum. Yes. And so one thing um for
at the Camden High campus for next year because we will have one principal over the four schools that are housed on the campus. It has provided us and we've started it in the past couple of years with the opportunity to make sure that we can share staff amongst more students to reduce the number the reliance on
substitutes and also those other vacant areas that we were not able to fill. So we have seen some s some success with that and um in our new model at the Camden High campus particularly we will be able to see that realized even in an even greater way and class sizes has
that changed? So class sizes, we have been able to maintain class sizes even in moving into this um next fiscal year. we were able to prioritize making decisions um along with brainstorm doing a lot of brainstorming with the commissioner and his team to make sure that we could protect um class sizes
because we know that if we want our students to um accelerate and I I know I'm preaching to the choir here, we have to have small groupoup instruction, one-on-one instruction, individualized tutoring and so the class sizes that we have are definitely going to maintaining
them will help us to continue those efforts so we did not have to increase class sizes. Great. My last question is about the busing. Yes. So, you had mentioned anyone up to one and a half to two miles or over one and a half to two miles gets busing. Yes. But I I thought
in the past it was more so that they tried to get I thought Camden tried to get busing for most of the students so that there was less traffic and less. So, we has that changed. So we no we still have courtesy routes um which and those courtesy busing routes would cover
any individuals any students who have to travel through areas that are not safe. Um so even if it's below the mileage requirement we still offer that. Wonderful. Yes we do. Okay. Thank you. You're welcome. President Goldenberg question. Could you elaborate on what
family schools are? Yes. Thank you. Yes. Thank you. Board member Bennett. Family schools are prek through eight um schools. Um there are school there that unique um configuration is not not just unique to our district but it does allow
for students to be able to be educated in an environment that feels like a family. So if I'm in the same school building from prek through 8th grade I'll have stronger connections, stronger relationships. Families tend to trust those schools because they know um the
individuals there. They've seen their students in multiple generations go through those schools. But it just provides our students and also our middle school age students the opportunity to transition into those middle grades without um such an abrupt
transition that often not always often standalone middle schools would require would would um pose. Yeah. You're welcome. Any other questions at this time? Uh yes ma'am please. Board member Pena. Yes. I did see that you had a
reduction in 1.8 8 million in transportation. I'm just curious, what is the overall cost? Thank you. So, for transportation, I am going to lean on for the overall cost of transportation, I'm going to lean on my school business administrator to get us the best number.
Thank you. Our transportation costs are I think it's a lot more. Transportation costs are around 23 million. Thank you. Thank you. Anyone else? Okay, please. Thank
you. Thank you for entertaining. No problem. Thank you. It gave me a chance to catch my breath and thank you. I had to get a drink of water. Thank you so much. Um and so the positive update, the new East Side High project. We are very excited um about
this project. Our East Side High School students and staff transitioned to the Alfred Kramer ele elementary school in September of this year. So, this was their first year um being housed in a building um that was not their high school. Demolition of the old East Side
High School building began in January of uh this year. And on the next slide, you'll see, and I won't um go into detail because you have it in front of you. Um but at uh the East Side High Kramer um location between March and August of 2024, we were very busy. Uh
the district was busy completing repairs and upgrades to um that location for use as the east side high school swing space. The Alfred Kramer school is one of the schools in the district that was previously closed um due to enrollment challenges. And so we were able to
breathe new life into a building that was in the district's portfolio um and maintain it for use for traditional um public school um students. And so the repairs, some of them included upgrades to plumbing, cosm cosmetology, um labs,
new lighting, uh HVAC repairs, etc. And so they are all listed in front of you. The one point that I would like to mention is that um this was um a consolidated effort. the school district um this I'm sorry, the school's development authority and the district
negotiated a $7.7 million funding agreement for the necessary upgrades and repairs for the East Side High swing space at Kramer School. So, this was definitely a collaborative effort and because of that, staff from East Side High were able to move successfully into
the building at the beginning of this school year. uh and we are looking forward to the day when they can move into their new high school. Next slide. This slide just shows just a few pictures um for a quick visual of what that swing space, the East Side High
School at Kramer looks like. Again, we took an old building that was closed and were able to work um with a whole lot of team members and um partners in order to make sure it was ready for our young people. So, East Side High School continues to strengthen its career and
technical education offerings to ensure students graduate with industry relevant skills and real world readiness. Uh, the cosmetology program, while Space Limited, is fully outfitted to simulate a professional salon environment, allowing students to complete the full
cosmetology curriculum and gain hands-on experience in hair, skin care, and beauty services. In automotive technology, students benefit from a cuttingedge learning environment that includes virtual reality technology and
state-of-the-art automotive trainers that align directly with the ASSC aligned curriculum. Um, at Eastside High School also um we offer extensive dual credit programming. Um these partnerships through partnerships with Stockton University, Rowan University
and Camden County Colleges College students can earn 20 credits in the education pathway through Stockton University. Four credits in computer aided aided design or CAD with Stockton University. 14 credits in graphin
graphic arts through partnership with Stockton University and Rowan University. Four credits in business entrepreneurship through partnership with Stockton University. three articulated credits in automotive trades through partnership with Camden County College and then four credits in writing
for media through a partnership with Stockton University. Um, and the list goes on. But again, I just wanted to highlight some of our partners who have been working, we've worked with um, in developing our higher ed partnerships to support our students who are in the swing space at uh, East Side High
School. And so in addition, Eastside offers an early college program in partnership with Rowan, enabling students to earn up to 24 college credits before graduation. And many early early college participants are also enrolled in CTE programs, earning
additional credits. Next slide. This next slide just gives a highle overview of the East Side High School construction process. And since our last presentation, the district teams have worked closely with the New Jersey Schools Development Authority and the
architect that has been selected, DIG, to develop the target space program and concept for the new East Side High School. This was approved in April and the schematic and bridging design began in May, kicking off phase three of the
project. And so we look forward to the new East Side High School scheduled to open September 2029. wanted to make sure you were aware um of all of the offerings that will be provided at this new high school which
are very critical and there are offerings that our parents, our community um has uh been asking for for many many years. Next slide also shows more targets space information. And so the next portion I'd
like to just talk a little bit about our career and technical education. One of the our key areas in the district is making sure that our young people have um that they know that they have many different outcome options for uh their
postgraduate um journey. And so career the district received only $87,000 in Perkins Perkins funding. By strategically expanding program approvals, we have increased that amount to $26,000 for
2425, which even if that doesn't seem like a lot of money, it still um provides us with an opport with more opportunities to support our young people um who are exploring these pathways strategically. And so on the next slide, um what you'll
see here are uh just a few exciting developments um within our CTE and dual credit pathways. Um several students, seven students in the allied health program are on track to complete their patient care technician coursework and
clinical rotations at Camcare Health Corporation in Camden. They have already earned their CPR and basic life support certifications and are now eligible for phabbotomy, EKG, and patient care technician certifications. Um, it bears
worth uh repeating again, I have it there as first in the state, but Camden City School District was the first to in the state to launch a pharmacy tech course. So in our pharmacy pharmacy technician program, a student from our first cohort has been hired by Cooper
University Hospital. So long story short, we want to make sure our young people are able to get and develop the skills necessary so that they can successfully walk into jobs right in their city. All right? And so Cooper Hospital is a large employer. Walgreens, um there are so many others. nur the
nursing program at Villanova. We have a student who will um be enrolling there as well and so many others that I could share. Um but it's just so critical that we continue to double down on and also to scale up our efforts in these areas.
Particularly I want to highlight our education pathway. So the district recently partnered with Stockton University's tomorrow's teachers program. Through this partnership, students at Eastside High School and the education pathway can earn up to 20
college credits by the time they graduate, giving them a strong head start to work. High and East Side High through an FDIC partnership launch. Um, and planning is currently underway to launch the
advanced manufacturing and welding programs um, at our new East Side High School. So again, I just want to uh share that the programs are growing and are meeting our needs as we try to um as we successfully prepare our students to
be able to meet the industry demands that are in the city as well as um across the country. Next slide just so shows some pictures of our students um taking place uh taking their place in CPR and AED automated external
defibrillator certification. So, as a part of our commitment to equipping our students, our CTE programs continue to offer CPR and AED certification training. Uh, and so we are excited that our students are moving successfully
through those pathways and we're looking forward again to increasing our ability to attract more Perkins funding so that we're able to provide more and more opportunities. But um this is a highlight that I thought was very important for the state
board. Dual credit partnerships. I spoke a little bit um about this, but we know it's critically important for our students to be able um to earn as many college credits as they can so that the cost of a college education um comes down uh for them. And so as of now, 100%
of the district's career and technical education pathways offer students the opportunity to earn college credits. Uh and so we have built up incredibly by partnering with the organizations that you see listed. And next slide just gives a
highlight of the Rowan Early College program. Um we uh are pleased to share that this program um has impacted uh 32 students um this past school year and they are on well on their way to um
their post high school graduation. This program provides support not only to our students but al to their families as they're supporting them um to become successful graduates and then transition into college and careers. And we are almost there.
Students, may I ask a question? Absolutely. Please. Yes, you can get another drink of water. Thank you. Absolutely. Stop me anytime. Yes. I see you're growing your dual credit partnerships and I'm looking at Camden County College. Is there a hope, a plan
that eventually your students at the high school would be able to complete an associate degree at the same time that they complete their high school diploma requirements? Yes. And then be ready to go into possibly Rowan as a four-year partner fully accepting their associates
degree. Yes. and that's what we're we're building up to um in that area. But absolutely that's the goal. Thank you board member Bennett. Workers. So we do have wonderful partnerships with workers. Board member Aante.
Understand? So we do uh I'll say really really quickly board member Aante um and shame on us for not having it highlighted. We we had so many other logos here, but we do have a rich partnership with um Chancellor Tillis and the team at Ruckers and Camden. We have anou that's in place that supports
us from um in many different areas as we work with our partners at Ruckers. Point noted. So, so noted. So noted. Thank you. Others any other please keep Thank you. Uh and so for
student engagement, um this past year, the district created a new office of equity and engagement to align and focus efforts to increase student engagement districtwide with a greater intentionality. And the reason for this is on the next slide.
Um when we look at student chronic absenteeism, the seven-year analysis for students in the district, this chart shows um that in 201920, we reached our lowest chronic absenteeism rate at
20.1%. That was just prior to the pandemic. However, in the years following school closures and hybrid learning, chronic absenteeism surged, peaking at 67.2% 2% in 202122. And this this has been previously shared, but it was so
critical for us to respond um in new and different ways to figuring out how to engage our young people. And so, as you can see, although we are still um trying to uh bring down our chronic absenteeism rates, they are moving in the right
direction. Uh and so what we are doing um we have attendance intervention, school teams that are in place, home visits and family engagement strategies, improved access to transportation, and school-based attendance incentives are just a few of the ways that we are
engaging our young people and also their families um in getting their students to school on time. If you every day, if you take a look at the next slide, um you will see that while our average daily attendance rate has remained consistent
at 87% over the last two school years, as I stated before, we know we have pockets of students um and families that continue to exhibit high chronic absenteeism. So, we're providing as many supports um to those families as
possible. But what we want to share is that 180 fewer students were chronically absent to date in the 2425 school year. And so that shows us that we have to continue to double down on those efforts of engagement that are working to expand
um uh and intensify the impact there. Additionally, our schools uh New Jersey tiered systems of supports teams are working strategically to monitor student attendance trends and identify appropriate interventions for students who are on track to be chronically
absent or have a history of chronic absenteeism. Um so on the next slide what you will see um it Yes. Could you just give an example of what you're doing for those supports that you're trying? Absolutely. So for our supports that we're trying for student
attendance, we have an initiative called the attend today, achieve tomorrow um district-wide initiative where we provide incentives to schools. Um we are uh highlighting those schools at our board meetings who grow in their attendance rates trying to just build up
that positive momentum and energy around um uh having great attendance. We also engage in and I mentioned uh visits. So, our attendance officers um and our current dropout prevention officers on our engagement team um work to identify
those individuals who are categorized as being in danger and working with them and their families in order to provide supports, phone calls, uh conversations, connections to resources in the community to help remove those barriers to attendance. Um, so we try to take an
a very customized approach because all of our families are different, but we do have a team this year who will be able to um work on those areas. Thank you. You're welcome. And so when we think about um the school climate and student engagement, it's
critically important that our young people um feel that they have strong relationships with the individuals that they come in contact with every day, but also other opportunities to learn how to solve problems, conflict resolution, and also engage in activities that are going
to help them to be successful. Uh so this year the division of equity and in student engagement in partnership with school administrators, behavioral support staff, teachers and guidance counselors produced an implementation guide in support of our district school
climate vision. And so that guide which you see um a little bit of the pictures in front of you um cultivating invincibility focuses on building those relationships through integrating restorative justice practices, social
emotional learning and traumainformed practices in alignment with the NJTSS framework. So again, um our win from within some of the um outcomes that we've been able to see uh from this team
working very diligently are a 44% 44% reduction districtwide in the number of days absent due to out of school suspensions over the last three years, equating to more than 1,700 additional days students were in school. In schools
where deans of climate and culture were in place, there was a 58% reduction in days missed due to out of school suspension, resulting in nearly,300 additional days of high school student attendance attendance. We also saw a 26%
decrease in incidents districtwide, representing 3,000 fewer behavioral incidents. And this year, 100% of our schools have developed care teams. And these care teams are made up
of student support staff, school climate staff, behavior specialists, family and operations coordinators, and health and social services coordinators who have held over 1,500 community building circles. Um, and so, um, these initiatives are not
just about programming. They are helping us to build belonging and community. And this helps our students to want to come to school each and every day. Um, and so unfortunately some of the positions that are mentioned here, we had to rightsize. So the district will now have to figure
out another way to make sure that the gains that we've been able to see through this evidence that I just shared are able to still occur and still be built upon without those um critical staff members in place. Next
slide. Okay. And so this is just a very um brief video that will be played at this time. We've worked together to coordinate to make sure uh that things move um through. But this is the star innovator innovator academy program that we have in the district with which helps
us to ensure that students are graduating on time which will increase our graduation rate when we look at our cohorts. This was a partnership with the Department of Ed um STEM NOLA from New Orleans and also
Assemblyman uh Bill Spearman who brought this to our district and we're in the second year of implementation. [Music] And there's a lot of violence that goes on around in the community. My best friend that I grew up with had just got shot 3 days ago.
I'm going to look back, Lord willing, 20 years from now and see some of these same kids that's been in this program in positions of helping, servicing, and giving back. We begin to name ourselves or brand ourselves Innovator Academy because this is innovative. This is
something that has not been done in the city of Camden or the state of New Jersey. I got left back because I missed way too many days of school in the fourth grade. Once I realized I got left back, it really it finally hit me that what I was doing wasn't getting me nowhere in life. I had got off a grade
level during the co um co 19 or whatever. It was in fifth grade and yeah, it was it was hard. I was struggling to just stop doing the work. The students that we have here, a lot of the ones that have been retained um once or twice they are dealing with outside factors that has nothing to do with who they are as a person.
I'm in awe. Some of them are going through ridiculous obstacles to get here. The Innovator Academy provides students the opportunity to think out of the box. In
most traditional school settings, it's a lot of direct teaching, small groupoup instruction. But in the Innovator Academy, the students are really guiding their own learning. This is innovative because you have a school within a school and I think that it was so
important for these students who are in the program not to feel isolated because they are behind. My favorite module in science is plants and pollination. The reason why I love it so much is because the things that we did in it were really just hands-on. A star academy classroom
in a regular classroom are way different. The classroom is vibrant. The chairs are moving. The students are moving. It's designed also for children to collaborate. The furniture is set up so that we can pull groups, small groups to um do skill reinforcement and the
like. So, it is definitely a learning environment set up for progression. the more people see the success stories and hear the success stories about how our young people were actually able to utilize this unique partnership to catch
up and move forward, the more it will impact our our district positively and our community. And hopefully we will be the flagship for other communities to look at and say, "Hey, that worked in the city of Camden. We would love to try this in our city." the progress from
when I have them in September and they're struggling to do certain activities and then by the time it's May they can do it with their eyes closed. It's just fantastic to see their growth. I'm doing two grades in one. It's phenomenal. It's what three months of just seventh grade instead of my full
180 days I would normally do and then for the rest of the year 8th grade work. It's challenging but it gives me hope that I can do my best. I have one student because he's such a hands-on learner. The first activity that he did,
he was like, "I am so glad I'm here. Class was really fun today." And those are not things you normally hear in a math class. The sky is the limit. An innovator is one who innovates and just
creates his or her own lane. So, we are innovators. I can't let go. I came too far. Came too far. I move on. I can't let
go. I came too far. Came too [Music] far in the city of Camden. And so since um the implementation of innovator academy we have been approached to expand that program. And the reason it's so critical as I st shared before is
that um our students especially many of those who fell behind who are uh overage and underredited they are able to catch up before um getting too far gone into high school where they just give up hope and drop out. And so this has provided hope. We've heard testimonials from
families um from the children about how this has impacted them and educators. And so we have um been approached in order to uh to expand our reach with this program. And so we are looking forward to servicing 40 students which
um we started out with 20 and so the next cohort will be 40 students. And so we're hoping to get at a point where we won't need a star innovator academy program um because everyone will be caught up. But we know that there are students who who slip behind and it is
our job to figure out innovative ways to keep them on track. Um so we do look forward uh to that uh grant funding as well as the partnership to um continue to support our young people. And the last slide um is our Teach Camden
program. So, we talked a little bit about the national teacher shortage um and being excited that our students at East Side High School are able to, you know, be inspired to become educators. We also um in the district um are pleased to announce that through a
partnership with uh Rowan University College College of Education um we are piloting Teach Camden and this partnership um is a par power paraprofessional pilot program and a strategic initiative designed to address
the educator pipeline shortage by supporting paraprofessionals on their path to obtaining their teacher certification. This program was launched um in the during this school year, the 24-25 school year, uh with 19
individuals. And so we are excited um to say that we have 13 individuals pursuing elementary education for ESL and one physical education uh instructor and one um seeking social studies. And so our
participants in this program are provided with practice core test preparation supports. weekly tutoring sessions, monthly professional development, and again, this is all uh being done in partnership to ensure that we're able to grow our own in support of
um meeting the teacher um shortage uh challenges and just the demands that we have in our own district for for teachers. And so, I know that was quite a bit um and I I tried to share a lot. There are so many things I did not share, but I wanted to be able to share.
And probably because um as I am transitioning from this role of serving um the district that poured so much into me, I just want to do my best to provide in a very transparent way where our district is so that as we transition to new leadership. Um there is an
opportunity to just grow upon especially those um positive foundational points that have been created. Um and so just wanted to provide you with as much information as possible um to inform you as the board, the commissioner who we're always in contact. Um but just thank you
for the opportunity to do that. Um any other questions members? I just have ahead. Not a question. Uh but just a comment. I just like to um commend you and your team and uh in particular your students.
I know when we did our visitation in the fall Yeah. And we got an opportunity to personally engage with the children and see that hope, that inspiration that education provides for them, knowing that um they are going to be given
certain opportunities and some of the uh resources, some of the um um materials that we saw uh are state-of-the-art, the best that are available. And to see the kids be able
to uh explain exactly what it is that they're learning. When they can teach other kids or explain exactly like what did you learn from that particular lesson and they can say it to you in their own way uh that makes you know
that the teachers are making a difference. Yeah. And that the kids are learning and growing. So, uh, I just thank you, commend, uh, the district for, um, working against the odds to get our kids to where, uh, they need to be,
uh, just knowing that they can soar to the future. So, just thank you very much. Thank you. Thank you, Vice President. Um, I believe next is Mr. Pont, I think. Okay. I I just want to echo um Vice President Johnson's uh comments regarding uh your leadership
and I want to also thank you for the leadership in the district. uh you have served as uh uh an effective leader during the most difficult times in arguably public education given the pandemic and and given the um changes
within the district and as you uh mentioned earlier during your presentation uh just trying to manage a district with uh an enrollment that has changed dramatically over the many years. And so, uh, thank you for giving the students and their families hope and I
think your leadership was instrumental in providing that. Um, and again, I don't know what your, uh, next sort of phase of of your career or what's your next steps, but I do want to take the opportunity to again, um, thank you for
the commitment, thank you for the dedication and serving the the the community of Camden. I did have a question for you as well and that is if you go uh and again you don't have to have the information now but if you could respond at some point want to go
back to QAC and look at um uh specific areas and and in um uh programming uh learning programming. you had mentioned in your comment earlier that the district is not at par
with for example the charter school uh outcomes. Um when when when I'm looking at instruction instruction programs specifically, what are some of the challenges in that category that prevents the district from being at par
with charter schools? And again, Mhm. you may not have the the answers off the top of your head, but if you can come back to us, I think, you know, again, instruction and programming would be the most critical um u area in which we could potentially
make progress for the students in the district as it um tries to um achieve the levels of of the uh either the charter school population, our renaissance population. Thank you. Thank you for that question
and I will reflect on it and and share that along with the other um responses to what's been provided today. Um I can say though at a very high level um some of the points in instruction and programming that we have to do a better job of earning have to do with that
growth metric and making sure that we're expanding growth. So we do get credit for growth, but it has to be um uh uh more accelerated growth in order to show up. So we've revised our curriculums. In the past when we were at 9% um at the
beginning of state intervention only 9% it was because our curriculums were outdated back in uh 20112. Um there were a host of things that were not in place. So, we've built a a stronger infrastructure infrastructure for instruction and programming, but now
it's about performance and it's about actually how many points are awarded to us in that area because our students are um are scoring at higher levels on the NJSLA. But to your point to your question, we will u I will in a more thoughtful way um kind of look at those
strategies that are being implemented that are providing success for um other school types and look at what we can do as well. Great. I be looking forward to reading it and I'll let Ch transfer till know that you are um going to
please don't he's your relationship with Rogers. Yes. Thank you. Um board member Pñena. Thank you for that. Can you hear me? Am I on? Yes. Thank you for that wonderful presentation. and I really feel like I've spent a day in Canden going from
school to school and visiting even though I didn't. Um, and congratulations on your upcoming transition to your new position. Uh, I just was curious when you were discussing the innovator uh academy. What is the criteria? How are
students identified um as possible candidates for this program? And are children who receive special education services are they also uh afforded this opportunity? Yes. Oh yes. So students in order to um become a part of the Raider
Academy students have to have have uh be over age and under credit. So at least behind two grade levels um whether it came from you know these it may not be pandemic but just retention um in the past but for whatever reason they're not on track. So the the top criteria is
that we've identified across the district the number of students who are um behind um in their credits. And so that's the first group. And then to answer your question about um special ed, yes, we do service special needs students um in our star innovator
academy as well. And um there are other uh criteria, but but the the largest one because for us this was a pilot program at first and we didn't want to limit. So the highest criteria is that hey students are behind and what can we do if their parents also are a part of this
process and are um you know willing and okay for their students to be be a part of this give consent then we um take that into consideration as well because we need the family as as well. Mhm. Thank you. And I I agree very much.
Families are the driving force. Without that foundational support, it's a tough tough tough ride. Absolutely. Thank you. If I could just make a very fast comment. Um when you gave your first presentation to the board, um Oh, wow. Yeah. We were all Well, some of us were
here and your passion and wanting to serve Camden with all of your heart, it was evident then, it's still evident. And um thank you for everything you've done. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you, board president. [Music]
Thank you very much, Superintendent. And just one note. Yes. Always keeping the students at the forefront. I think this has been mentioned before, but with our conversations, every conversation I hear you have, it starts and ends with students at the forefront. And so I just
want to commend you for always bringing us back full focus. uh and being student centric and everything you do. So, thank you again and appreciate the the update and we will uh work together to share back uh responses to all the the
additional questions. So, thank you again commissioner. Thank you the board. Thank you for this time. Um and with that, I know uh many of you have come to join to get this uh this update from Camden. So, we're just going to pause for a moment. Um, so if anybody
wants to uh to exit, feel free to do so. Um, and we'll move on to the uh agenda items and uh the board agenda item, excuse me. Thank you for coming. Do you want to take a break
or keep going? Safe driving. [Music] We'll continue now. Sorry. We'll continue now with the items for consideration from the commissioner. Uh thank you so much. So, we'll move to agenda item A, which is uh commissioner
organization chart. So, I'm going to invite uh chief of staff Laura Consul to come up and join us. Um, and as as we've continued to work through, I've been here a little over a year now in this role. Um, we've been working to uh build
efficient find efficiencies and uh build effectiveness across our team. So, today I'm presenting changes for our organizational chart. um they have not been updated since 2022. So uh it's we're we're uh opport it's an opportune
time to uh make these adjustments. So in doing so, we'll be streamlining offices and units based on our current uh workflows and looking ahead into the future. We're focusing only on those changes that will improve department functionality. We're not rebranding any
divisions or office uh name changes to reflect organizational shifts other than just what's going on within that office. So, I'm going to turn it over to Chief of Staff Laura Consul to walk through those changes in a little bit more detail.
Good afternoon. Is it afternoon yet? Almost. Still morning. Almost. Okay. Um so, thank you for the opportunity uh to share with you our proposed updates for our organizational chart. I'll just move the slide. You can't hear me. Quiet
talker just like you. Okay. Um so hopefully you can see that. I do apologize. It's a little bit tiny on the screen. Um we'll start just with the top section there. Uh it's that four boxes under the commissioner. The
only shift that we're making here is the office of communications was previously um under the the last uh reord from two uh 2022 was under legal and external affairs. We are moving it to the the chief of staff's office which really
aligns with current practice and just helps us make sure that the communications team has access to the most up-to-date information across the department. Um so moving to the first column on the left there, the division of teaching and learning services. We
are returning the office of recruitment preparation certification to the division. Uh during the last department reorg in 2022, this office was moved out of the division of teaching and learning services to field support services. Um, but we've determined that returning RPC
to teaching and learning uh will help us optimize alignment between our educator workforce, our academic priorities, and our teaching training priorities. Um, and we're also officially adding uh I think it's the last box there uh the office of learning equity and academic
recovery which we call LER uh under our organizational chart uh in teaching and learning services. This is based on legislation that was signed by the governor last August. Um, and as you know, the LER office has been up and running since last winter, overseeing our critical literacy and academic
recovery work. So, just making that official on the OR chart. Moving to the second column in from the left, uh, division of educational services. Um, we'll move the office of comprehens comprehensive supports from
the division of field support services to ed services. uh because the work of this office is grounded in federal requirements under the federal ESSA uh every student succeeds act and the educational services division has oversight over the majority of the
department's federal uh program work. Third column in division of field support services. We have a few organizational changes here just to improve operations overall across the department. Um, first thing I'll note is that we've added the Office of School
Bus Safety to the ORG chart. It should be that last box in that third column there. Um, this office is required by law and it's been up and running for about a year, year and a half now. Um, so we're just updating the ORC chart to reflect
that statutory requirement. We're also renaming the Office of Fiscal Accountability and Compliance to the Office of Student Safety and School Preparedness to reflect changes to the office's overall structure and scope of work. Um, so criminal history reviews
for for education personnel um and school emergency preparedness and planning work will continue in this office. other units that were previously assigned to OFAC, which had become a little bit of a catch-all for the department uh are being rerouted to other divisions into offices that better
align with the purpose and function of what those units do. Um these units include uh two financial audit units which will be moving to um the division of finance and the office of fiscal policy and planning. Um and an
investigations unit that will be moving to the division of legal and external affairs. Again, we just feel like this is good alignment with the work they're actually doing in these units. Um, other changes in this division, the Office of Commissions is shifting from
legal and external affairs to field support services um to better reflect the important external fieldwork that our commissions do directly with our school districts. Finally, we'll just note that the office of learning intervention and support has been
removed from the organizational chart. This is an office that has not been operational for some time. But the functions the intended functions from that office I think it was created with the last work chart in 2022 but the functions of that office are carried out
in other offices in in both the field support division and teaching and learning services and the office of interd district school choice and nonpublic schools whose functions are largely funding related is being returned to the division of finance um
where it was previously housed before 2022 and it will exist as a unit within the office of school finance. Just pause for a brief moment. So now we are in the middle here uh division of finance and business services which as I just
detailed they'll take on some of that OFAC work uh in the office of fiscal policy and planning and the office of school finance. O the only other change in this division is to merge the office of school facility projects and the office of school facility planning into
a single office of school facilities. Um and we'll als we're also going to move the office of information technology to administrative services in the division of early childhood services. um the office of K3
standards which is on the the current org chart um will merge with the office of standards under teaching and learning services which is in in the division of teaching and learning services I'm sorry uh their work streams overlap um this will ensure alignment avoid duplication
of work and expand the the capacity of department staff so that K3 standards work continues to exist it's just in the office of standards with all of our other standards work um to help facilitate our universal
preschool goals and our considerable growth and access to highquality free preschool across the state. We're building out our preschool offices into three distinct yet interrelated offices uh as shown on the proposed org chart. So there's the office of preschool
education programs and then we will also have a preschool expansion office for our new districts coming on for the expansion work that we're doing and an office of preschool finance respectively since preschool finance is a little bit different than your standard K12 um
school funding in the division of administrative services. Uh as previously mentioned, we're moving OIT um which was previously in finance to administrative services. Our OIT office
is largely an internal facing office. So it makes sense to house it with the other internal facing offices like HR for example. And finally in the division of legal and external services as mentioned we are moving the office of
communications to the chief of staff. Uh the office of commissions is going to field services. And the final change reflected here is renaming the office of legal affairs to the office of legal affairs accountability and compliance to reflect the inclusion of that
investigations unit that that was coming out of OFAC and going to legal uh legal affairs. So again just to reiterate these changes we think will help us streamline the work and remain focused on providing a highquality education and educational services for all New Jersey
students and our school communities. Um, that's all I have for you. Happy to take any questions. [Music] Hearing none. Thank you. Thank you for that explanation. Thank you for that explanation. Hearing no questions at this time. Uh, may I please have a
motion to accept the organizational chart as presented. Thank you very much. Board member Chiada. May I please have a second? Thank you very much, board member Pñena. Um, any comments before we vote? Any questions,
ideas? All right. All those in favor, please say I. I. Any opposed, please say nay. Any abstensions? The motion carries unanimously. Thank you very much. Thank you. Thank you very much.
Thank you very much. We'll move now to agenda item B, appointments. Uh, and we do not have any. It's a standing agenda item. Uh so we can move right on to agenda item C which is certification of school districts. Since the May uh board meeting, the executive county
superintendent have finalized 19 NJQs evaluations for school districts. I recommend six of those districts for certification. Ambrose Ducket is joining us along with Robert Gregory. Um I'll go through the list of the six that we're uh putting forward for certification and
turn it over for questions to those gentlemen. Uh Allenale Public Schools in Bergen County, Dumont Public School District in Bergen County, Glenn Rock Public School District in Bergen County, Hillsdale School District in Bergen County, Bloomsbury Burough School
District in Hunteran County, and Spring Lake Heights School District in Monmouth County. And with that, I'll turn it over to these gentlemen for any questions you might have. Are there questions at this time?
I I'll just make a comment because I always feel like uh so six districts um are being approved and I love that we read their names and it always makes me sad. We have 13 that scored um below
this time. We heard about a lot of great innovations. Camden's doing great things. We've got early literacy. We're coming to the end of the school year. I'm hoping everybody ramps up um and and we really start saying how we rising
these scores in instruction and programming because it's not they're not at like 78. Some of them are significantly lower and and that's disheartening. Um, so I'm hoping this summer a lot of people avail themselves
of some of the great programs that are out there that we start, you know, leaning into more of this um the literacy piece and the tutoring. But I I'm hoping hoping next year we're going to really see a tide change.
Thank you. Um I believe we will. Um Mr. Uh, Robert Gregory and I communicate um continually with the county offices who work directly with the districts to make sure that uh these districts, the 13 um
that are on district improvement plans that they're doing them with fidelity in terms of making sure that they're targeting areas of growth and providing professional development for the teachers, but ultimately providing the necessary supports for the students so
that the results will um be improved um the next go around when they do the interim reviews. But thank you for your comments. Anybody else at this time? Okay. Um hearing no other questions or comments at this time. I'd like to
please ask for a motion to approve these districts. Thank you very much. Board member Bennett. May I please have a second? Second. Thank you very much. I appreciate it. Board member Katon. Um, any other discussion before we vote? Hearing none. All those in favor,
please say I. I. Any opposed, please say nay. Any abstensions. Passes unanimously. Thank you very much. Continue the good work. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you very much. Um, we will now
move to agenda item D. And today I present for adoption the annual state board calendar for meeting dates for the 2025 2026 session. President Goldenberg, I'll turn it over to you for discussion
and procedural protocols. Thank you very much. Uh so we sent out the list to the board members and asked if there were any um comments or or difficult dates for people and we we didn't get anything
that was a problem with it. So I would suggest that we go forward with it and um go ahead and vote to accept the annual state board calendar of meeting dates for 2025 through 2026. Unless anyone else has anything to
add. Hearing nothing. All right. May I please have a motion to adopt the calendar? Thank you very much. I appreciate it. Board member Pion, I believe I hear a second from board member Shahada. Thank you. Thank you. All right. Um, all
those in favor, please say I. I. Any opposed, please say nay. Any abstensions? This is your time. hearing. None. It's um it it passes unanimously. Thank you. Thank you very much. Uh we're now moving
on to agenda item E, which is resolution to accept donated funds. Today, I'm pleased to announce the Lions Club of War Township has generously donated $1,750 to the Mariah H. Katzenbeck School for the Deaf for the sole use of
supporting student activities such as field trips, yearbooks, and student clubs. Joining us is Kathy Ailing, Esquire, assistant commissioner, to answer any questions you might have. I don't have a legal question at this
time, but um but um are there any questions about how the funds should be used or would be used or hearing? Nothing. Um did you want to
add anything? No. Thank you very much. Okay. Um, all those in favor to um accept the donated funds for the Katsenbach school, please say I. I. Any oppose? Please say Oh, did
I get a motion? I did not. Let's backtrack. May I please have a motion to accept? Thank you, board member Shia. May I please get a second? Thank you, board member Bennett. Now, are there any other comments at this time? Hearing none. All
those in favor, please say I. I. Any opposed, please say nay. Any abstensions? Motion carries. Thank you very much. Thank you. Thank you. Moving to agenda item F. Today I'm presenting at proposal level amendments and new rules to chapter 9,
Professional Standards, Chapter 9A, New Jersey Educated Educator Preparation Programs, and Chapter 9B, State Board of Examiners. The proposed amendments and new rules are intended to align these chapters to existing statutes, thereby
providing clarity to the field. Um, we received uh a handful of comments from the field. Ambrose Stuckett and Paula Bloom are joining us to answer any questions. Um, but uh the uh comments doesn't any uh proposed changes uh to
what you've seen before. Um, but I'll turn it over uh to to the board for any questions you may have uh for our colleagues. [Music] Um, so we had a a committee meeting about this. Oh, I'm sorry. So sorry. Anything
any other comments at this time? Okay. So, we're updating um all those. May I please have a motion? Thank you very much, board member Bennett and a second. Thank you very much, board member Shada. Any further discussion about this at this
time? Hearing none. Uh all those in favor, please say I. I. I. All those opposed, please say nay. Any abstensions? Please abstain. Hearing none, this motion passes. Thank you very much. Thank you.
I talked previously about uh governmental efficiency. So I'll ask you two to stay right right where you are. We'll move right into agenda item G. Today I'm presenting for discussion the resolution to adopt revised practice content knowledge tests and their
qualifying scores for technology and engineering education, family and consumer science and social studies. The assessments along with other measures ensure that individuals seek seeking certain endorsements to the instructional certificate have demonstrated the appropriate level of
subject matter knowledge necessary to provide highquality instruction in the content areas to students. I'll turn to these folks to present additional details. Thank you, Commissioner. Good afternoon,
President Goldenberg, Vice President Johnson, and members of the State Board of Education, Mrs. Bloom, and I are here to present a resolution to adopt revised practice content knowledge assessments. Um by way of background, educational
testing services or ETSs as it's commonly referred develops the practice assessment series which is the commissioner approved assessment series for entry into the educator profession. As a slide,
oh that's me is going to state and states now ETSs maintains the quality of their assessments and establishes appropriate cut scores for revised and new assessments throughout a multi-state
standard setting study which we will describe in further detail and by we I say Paula um on the next slide. Thank you. Come on now. Yes. Sometimes I don't need a
microphone. Okay. So, um, the multi-standard setting study, ETSs regularly engages experts in education to review test content to confirm alignment to current content expectations and standards. The department reaches out through our
stakeholders for interested educators to participate in the standard setting study. The outcome of these studies result in updated and new assessments with new recommended cut scores. The resolution you have in front before you requests the adoption of the
revised practice assessments and new and newly recommended cut scores for technology and engineering education, family and commu consumer science and social studies. This slide may be further in your
presentation. Um but if not, oh good. So ETSs will be um expiring the existing tests as of August 31st, 2025. The resolution proposes the state board adopt the revised assessments and the recommended cut scores effective
September 1st. The proposed cut scores, the proposed cut score is the recommended cut score from the standard setting studies. Um, while it may look like we are proposing to adopt a lower cut score for these assessments, the
department is not lowering cut scores, we are um recommending to adopt the new cut scores which align to the revised assessments. Um, I'll pause.
Okay, just to re reemphasize that point, these are two different assessments. So, one is expiring on 831. We have a new assessment coming in which has a new assess a new cut score associated with it. So, just clarifying these are two different assessments. They're not directly comparable because they're
different. And I think as we go we're going to go on to the detail of exactly how these assessments have changed in terms of content. Thank you. Yes, we are. Okay. So, the this slide explains the
alignment of the new tests with the national standards. The next slides I will cover more specific changes between each of the current assessments and revised assessments. I'll just pause for one moment so you can read this if you can see what they're based
on. Okay, we'll start with technology and engineering changes. More specifically, the technology and education updated assessment reflects the changes within the standards and the field. The alignment grouped content being assessed and removed content that
is no longer a focus for a beginning educator in this field. There was a a reduced emphasis on transportation and logistics and an increased emphasis on computation, automation, robotics, and evolving technologies.
So the current test it topics are on the left. The proposed exams assessments are on the right. For family and consumer sciences, the category for family and consumer sciences assessment was revised to best
align with the national standards and be most reflective of current practice. This involved prioritizing and organizing the 16 standards into six categories. professional teaching practices was added and includes the sub areas curriculum and instruction and
laboratory management. This content was deemed important by the advisory committee members and through two external surveys of the field at large. And again, this just shows the comparison. Social studies. The social the purpose
of the social studies assessment redesign was modernize the approaches, content, and standards used for the assessment to ensure that teacher candidates can better serve the needs of diverse students. The assessment includes content that is more
representative of the experiences of diverse groups, more recent historical events and movements than the previous framework, better alignment to standards that have become available since the previous assessment. So many states are going through the
same process for which we are in terms of reviewing the revised assessments and the new recommended cut scores which align to the revised assessments. So here you can see that the technology and engineering education content. Um there
were 14 states that have already adopted the um recommended cut score and there are three states that chose uh an alternate cut score to meet the needs of their state. Um adopting scores that are not
recommended through the study means they may have not been normested and may not result in in more prepared educators. This this slide shows the adoption for family and consumer sciences, the revised assessment as well as the
recommended cut score. And here 13 other states have adopted the recommended cut score and two adopted alternative cut scores. And finally, social studies. Same thing here. 13 have adopted the recommended cut score and two states
have opted for an alternative cut score. And with that, I'm going to pause and we are happy to answer any questions you have. Thank you board members. Yes, sir. Arcilia, your first step. Clarifying question. We we are this is
really not a applesto apples comparison and we are not just so so that you know there's no confusion out there we are not lowering cut scores adjusting our cut scores to reflect the new standards. Exactly. Yes. Thank you. Thank you.
[Music] Absolutely correct. We had the benefit of a meeting that they went through that with the committee but it's very important to notate that. So thank you. Um, anybody else have questions at this time? Yes, ma'am. Mayor, um, board member
Barry. Yes. Thank you. I'm I'm glad that we made the distinction that we're not um lessening any of the points even though the numbers look a little different. That's very important. The multi-state standard setting study participants. Thank you for sending us
that list. Yeah. Um, you know, I was looking at them for each of the areas. There's like 13 people on that panel. Are they coordinated by ETSS? Who's driving um this, you know, these some of these ETSs? ETSs and and they bring in these
outside Yes. And and and ETSs is international. So they bring people from from all over to uh work on their standard setting. I was looking at the states that were represented. I mean New Jersey has one representative under social studies. I think that's the only one. But they're they come together and
they talk about their area of the country. Yes. Um and and how these standards should and it's much easier now with technology. Years ago when I worked for ETSs um you know they would fly you to San Antonio or somewhere in Texas and um that's where they would do
the standard setting pro work. Okay. I was just you know it only because there's 13 people. I mean, we have a small board, so I guess you get some consensus and they got a lot of of information, but I do think when we're setting standards and we're looking at
numbers that it's really important that we make sure that we're setting the bar exactly where it should be. So, thank you for explaining that it's different questions. Thank you. Thank you, board member Barry. Any other comments or questions
at this time? hearing none. Um I guess we're just uh we'll prepare to discuss it again at our next meeting. But thank you very much and thank you for the lengthy explanation you made to the committee on Thursday. Thank you.
Thank you. Thank you. Thank you very much. And that that concludes all of our agenda items today. All right. May I please have a um Well, we're not going to hear you, Diane. I'm [Music]
sorry. May I please have a motion to adjourn? Thank you very much, board member Ponte. May I please have a second? Thank you very much, board member Pñena. All those in favor, please say I. I. I. Any opposed, please say nay.
I don't think there'll be abstensions if there are any abstensions. But thank you very much and um everyone have a great month. Enjoy it. Thank you for being here and being a part of this. We appreciate you. Thank you.