Good evening and welcome to the Pascat Valley Regional High School District Board of Education meeting this September 29th, 2025. Call to order and roll. I think it's all white.
Mr. Mr. Here, please join me in the pledge of allegiance. United States of America. Adequate notice of this meeting has been provided by mailing copies of said
notice to the record, filing copies of said notice with the municipal clerks of Hillsdale, Montville, Riverdale, and Cliff Lake, and publishing notice in the record of July 2nd, 2025. Next, we'll have the interim superintendence
superintendent report by Mr. Thank you. We do have a packet agenda tonight, so I'm going to do my best to keep it brief. We are recognizing numerous staff. I want to extend my congratulations to each one of them. It's always a pleasure to attend a board
of education meeting when we are honoring our staff or our students. Um Doc Russo will also be uh presenting tonight on test results later in the meet meeting. I'd like to thank him and our supervisors for thoroughly reviewing
the test data and developing strategies on how we can best utilize those results to inform our instruction. I want to congratulate our own Jennifer Erdy who is the Pas Pasak Valley Regional who is the uh internship
coordinator. She will be recognized on October 21st by the Greater Pasak Valley Chamber of Commerce as one of two individuals selected as the citizen of the year. During the summer, the directors, supervisors, and building administrators
spent a couple of days determining what we value as educators and identifying strengths and weaknesses within our programs. That information was then used to develop three district goals for this year. Our first goal is to empower
students to take ownership of their coursework by developing and applying effective study habits, organization skills, and active engagement with their learning. The second goal is cultivate a learning environment where technologies
purposefully integrated teaching and learning, empowering students with the digital literacy and self-regulation skills forms responsible use. And the third goal is foster a school culture and climate that promotes engaging and
purposeful learning, strengthening interpersonal skills and promotes a community of mutual respect and understanding. We'll be working on these goals throughout the year and I will be reporting out on my progress to the board of education.
I am proud to announce that Pasak Valley had three national semif merit finalists. A national merit semicolonist is an academically talented high school senior who has achieved an outstanding score on the PSAT placing them in the
top percentile test takers in the state and earning them an opportunity to compete in the national merit scholarship. From Pasak Hills we had Nathan Young and Justin Y. And from Pasak Valley we had Tai Van B.
And I'd also like to recognize two of our students who have been selected to serve on the 2025 climate change learning collaborative student advisory board. This is a state funded grant program designed to enhance climate change education in Jersey public
schools. The student advisory board is facilitated by Lord University. Congratulations to Isaac Dixon from Hills and Viola Cookman from B. Thank you, Mr. Phillips. Next, I will give the sick day donation committee
report. The uh it's pretty quick report. Our meeting was on August 7th, 2025. We met for the first time and we discussed the criteria for a sick day donation um allowance and we approved the first
sick day donation. Next, we have the facil committee report for August 25th and September 8th by Mr. Michael. Thank you. So I'm actually Mr.
where we were with so facilities meeting tonight going forward as we try with administration on reviewing needs across the district specific to academic facilities,
districtwide projects and athletics. What fits into our long range planning budgeting and what potential table the last two years. So we've identified
a number of projects or not we the administration has supervisors independent business office facilities identified projects will be passing those projects along to the architect they will come back with pricing over
the next few weeks to prioritize. Thank you Mr. Weaver. Next, we have the policy committee report for August 27th uh by Mr. James St. August 27
and policy committee discussions of procedures. Um some of them are new short list for everybody.
Um so one of the new board member numbers housing assignations. Another one was about the use of facilities regulations.
Some language that needed to have facilities that policy system Valley that support
discuss international trips overnight trips. We're currently working on updates to uh students that come from other areas and reschange.
Also use facilities and emergency procedures. Thank you, Mr. Thank you. Next, we have student reports and first we'll have Stephanie Young from PAS. different.
Sorry. And this is class students actually students with university. activities for my first activity on
September 8th 2012 this about the next during the second short During these students, music 17th to September 26,2
257 tomorrow's First Friday instructor. She did therapy to help students open to all students. All right.
Now, school has opened Italian students. Thank you, Stephanie. Next we have Maline Woo from Pasc Valley. was the first to raise money. lastly.
council to help students. Thank you. service. In addition, Thank you. to the list of 25 transfers. Congratulations. Congratulations.
awards for congratulations and well conditions includes Thank you, Maddie. Next, we have the minutes for August
25th, 2025 for the regular meeting at 7:30 and the executive meeting, executive session at 7:33 and the September 13th board retreat uh at 9:00 in the morning. Can I get a
motion, please? Second. Any discussion? Miss Martinain September 13th and yes, Mr. M.
Yes. Mr. Yes, Mrs. Her. Yes. Next, we have the staff recognition. Good evening. As your name is called, please come stand up by the district
matter. All names are read for each category. You would like to take a quick Good evening. Uh before I begin, I would like to congratulate all of our new and current staff
being recognized this even. It's a true pleasure to be here this evening to celebrate Russ Greer's 25 years with Aspect Valley Reg. high school district. Russ is a fixture of AS proud alum returned to his alma and played a vital role in introducing an
honors forensic science course. A class that has become a huge hit and a must take for our senior students. Whether he's teaching in the classroom, coaching cross country, spring track, or advising the investment club, Russ is continuously educating our students.
He's always focused on doing what's best for the pass community. I love what Russ shared about his favorite experience here. It's not about the events or the reports, but it's the time spent with his students, athletes, and fellow colleagues. He said he genuinely enjoyed
his connections and conversations. He also shared a great story about his first year. He was focused, excuse me, he was so focused on doing everything perfect by the book that he wasn't having a good time. It wasn't until he decided to loosen up that everything
started. He began more fun and his students started achieving greater success. Russ, we appreciate all that you have done for our students over the past 25 years and we are excited for the success that lies ahead. Thank you.
It's an honor to stand here tonight and celebrate Nancy Bri's 25 years of service to Pass County. When you think of math department at Pascat Valley. You think of she's a cornerstone, not only as a dedicated teacher, but as the driving force behind
our computer science program. For the past decade, she has passionately created and grown these courses, shaping them into what is today. Her commitment goes uh way beyond the classroom. She spreads her love for computer science by leading the computer club and girls who
code and she's even invites or she has even invite girls scout troops from our community to give them a taste of computer science. A colleague shared with me what truly makes Nancy special is her infectious personality. My
colleagues agree no matter what's going on Nancy is always in a good mood. It's impossible without you feel a little bit better after spending just a few minutes with her. Nancy, we appreciate all that you have done for our students over the past 25 years and we're excited to see
what success in the future. Thank you. It's a pleasure to be here tonight to thank Bill Shaw for his 25 years of service to Pasc Valley Regional High School District. After retiring as a math teacher and coach from TechCite High School, Bill decided to join the Passc Valley athletic department. what
he uh taught uh or excuse me what he thought would be a short-term part-time position turned into a 25-y year commitment and we couldn't be more grateful. Thanks to his extensive experience as a baseball coach, football coach, and basketball referee, Bill has
an incredible knowledge of county high school sports. You can see this firsthand on the sidelines where he's consistently approached by parents and current and visiting students whom he once coached. Bill shared that he has fond memories from his time as when
asked what advice would give himself if he were younger he said he reminded observe and learn thank you for all you've done for our students at Pasak High School in the past 23 years and we are excited to see
what success lies [Applause] I'm delighted to speak on behalf Pat Yuzinski and celebrate her remarkable 25 years of service to the Pasc Valley Regional High School District. Pat's
dedication to Pasc Valley is empowering. She's devoted her entire career to PE. Always ready to welcome and assist students and their families as both a longtime employee and a resident. Her loyalty is unwavering. Her blood truly runs.
As the friendly, welcoming face of the guidance department, Pat was the first person so many turn to for help. Whether it was an incoming freshman parent with questions or a colleague needing advice, her willingness to listen, help, and offer feedback made her an invaluable
member of our community. She's a vital part of the fabric aspect of high school and is sort of missed. Now in her welldeserved retirement, Pat is enjoying precious time with her family and grandchildren. Thank you, Pat. [Applause]
It's an honor to stand here today or tonight and celebrate Ryan Walter's 25 years of dedication to the Pasc Valley Regional High School District. As a social studies teacher at Pasc Valley, Brian's passion for honor psychology is contagious. For more than a decade, he's made the subject come alive, which is
why so many seniors look forward to taking his class. When I asked Brian about his time here, he said his career at Pasc Valley has been a pleasure. is especially grateful for the outstanding educators he had the opportunity to learn from when university had.
Among all his memories at PU, his most memorable moment was providing full instruction for a student who suffered a significant athletic injury. It's a powerful example of his dedication to helping students regardless of the circumstances. Ryan, we appreciate all you've done for Pascat Valley High
School 25 years. We look forward to a successful years ahead. [Applause] I'm delighted to speak on behalf of Jim Ward and celebrate his dedication to the
Pasc Valley Regional High School District. Jim recently joined the Pasc Valley family, bringing him with years of inspiration from his career at Pascal Hills. He was immediate fit with our team here and has been a true pleasure to love him.
Jim is incredibly dedicated worker who takes immense pride in everything he does. He's also a great team player who's always willing to lend a hand. He's known for his friendly nature with both students and staff. He's his light-hearted spirit and his great music
players. A colleague noted that Jim's dedication makes him a true asset to PV. His sense of humor refules, the contagious positive energy he brings to the environment. Jim, we appreciate all that you've done for the district and so happy that you're at Pasc Valley and look forward to a bright future. Thank
you. It's a pleasure to speak on behalf of Bill Wel and celebrate his 25 years of service to Pas Valley Regional High School District. As a passionate teacher of health, physical education, broader education, Bill's dedication is evident in everything he does at the Bay. A
colleague says they admired his commitment whether he was in the classroom or on the field. And his dedication truly did extend beyond teaching. As a dedicated coach for our football, basketball, and track teams, he's helped shape the lives of countless student athletes. When asked about his
favorite moment at PB, one moment immediately came to Bill's mind. The celebration followed last year's football season. He recalled the moment his players celebrated win north one group three sectional state championship by dumping the Gatorade.
Perfect ending to a successful season. Bill, we appreciate that everything you've done for our students over the past 25 years and we look forward to a successful future. Thank you. Good evening everyone. Before I talk about Leslie and Lucy, I just want to give a quick personal thanks to the
Pascat Valley for 25 years. I arrived a couple years after them. Uh, if you're in the headlights and each one of those names up there in the classroom, it is my honor to talk about Leslie, a staple in our science department here at
Pascal Hills. Leslie is a chemistry teacher and not always do students love chemistry, but that's exactly the student that Leslie wants in her class. She has a passion to work with them to hopefully open their eyes to the chemistry around them and their world.
I looked back and realized that not only me but prior to meeting Saturday got prior to him were very quick to put Leslie on a number of committees over her time here. She was also a long time advisor. Leslie's been part of the PBRA
leadership and she's been instrumental in that strong positive relationship between the PBRA building administration and the board of education. On a personal note, she's very frequently the teacher I go to when I want to know how decisions can impact classroom teachers
because she doesn't see things just through the lens of a chemistry teacher, but through the lens of all teachers in the building. Although she can't be here tonight, I have heard watch on Zoom. So, please join me in congratulating Leslie on quarter century as
I'd like to congratulate and thank Val Matis for her 25 years of service to Azac Valley region. I have the monumental task trying to sum up the contributions of someone with as big of an impact and as big of a personality as Valley. So I will turn to our colleagues
for help. According to one of her colleagues, Val is a compassionate supervisor with extensive knowledge of her subject. Always animated, teaming with ideas and solutions. She's willing to discuss anything literature or education related. Other colleagues describe her as
follows. Trusted peer, unfl flagging, effervescent spirit, pillar of strength, warm, engaging, supportive in and out of the classroom, passionate, confidant, cheerleader, defender, sounding board and friend, infectious laugh and lively
personality. Halfway done, boldness, purpose, and a genuine passion for her work. Limitless and infectious energy and enthusiasm. Palpable commitment to student success. fair and trusting, committed to authentic lifelong learning, magnetic persona, a privilege
to work with her, someone whose passion for English education is only surpassed by her love for her students and teachers. I want to say a little bit more that one colleague shared. Val continually pushes me to grow as an educator, challenging me to approach my craft in new and creative ways. Every
time I leave leave Val's office or hang up the phone with her, I feel energized and inspired. After many years in a difficult profession, Val rekindles the excitement and passion of the first year teacher in me year after year in the
best possible ways. I'm beyond grateful for Val's deep care for our students and colleagues, her commitment to and leadership around meaningful teaching learning, and on a personal note, her friendship. Pascal Regional is a better because of Val and I'm honored to congratulate her on 25 years of
dedicated service to the district and thrilled to know that there are more to come [Applause] on behalf of Joe Lac I also have some
words to say about Warren spirit tonight we recognize someone who is an absolute force in this war celebrating 25 years of service to Pasak Valley Regional. Laura doesn't just coordinate our internship program, she drives it.
She's built partnerships across the community, connected hundreds of students to real world opportunities and never hesitates to push for what's best for kids. She's sharp, relentless, and deeply committed to helping students
grow into confident, capable young professionals. If you know Laura, you know she makes things happen. On behalf of the district and the entire internship team, congratulations on 25 incredible years. Thank you for being the powerhouse behind one of our most
impactful. [Applause] Good evening. Tonight we get to celebrate somebody who has been the backbone of our district's technology for the last 25 years. Our network
administrator, Mr. Washington Pico or known to all of us as Willie. If you've ever interacted with Willie, you know two things right away. He has one of the most brilliant techy minds you'll ever meet and he will always make you laugh while solving any tech problems you may
have. In preparing for my speech tonight, many of our colleagues on the technology team wanted to share some wis words of wisdom about Willie. One colleague put it best when he said, "Willie has been one of the greatest people I've ever had the pleasure of meeting. Not only is he technologically
brilliant, but he's been a friend, a mentor, and a reminder of what it means to be a good person." Pasc would not be the district it is today without Willie and his contributions to technology. And of course, this person never forgot the first priest of advice he ever got from
Willie. No school dude, no chaho. Such great words to live by. Another colleague mentioned that another perspective that he thinks that we can all agree with is if we haven't encountered Willie during 25 years in the district, you've done yourself a
grave disservice. Hurry up and work with him while you still have time. Uh many colleagues also pointed out all of the countless nights, weekends, holidays, and vacations when Willie has been there making sure our network is solid and everything runs smoothly. If we've
counted all of these days and extra hours, we'd really be celebrating way more than 25 years of service. And while Willie can easily stay in his lane as the network guy, he is the first to always pitch in. Changing toner cartridges, fixing classroom projectors,
anything that plugs in, you name it. He always makes sure the job gets done quickly and correctly. And here is something that really shows how consistent Willie has been from day one. 25 years ago when Willie first applied for his position, his references all said that he was always helpful to
staff, worked long and hard, very hard hours, very dedicated, extremely knowledgeable with technology, and has excellent work ethics and problem solving skills. In short, Willie really knows his stuff, and this all rings true today. And of course, there's his
legendary red tool box. If you're ever in need of a tool or you're even missing your keys, chances are you'll probably find them in Willy's right toolbox. On a personal note, I just want to say how grateful I am to have worked alongside Willie this past year. Not only has he
helped support me in my new position, he has modeled what it means to be a dedicated and selfless person. He has shaped not just our network, but our technology team culture, reminding us every day that at the heart of technology is the people. 25 years ago,
we just started using internet in the schools. We've gone from dialup connections and huge desktop computers to now having high-speed networks, cloud systems, and we are where every student and teacher carries a magical air. Throughout all of these radical changes,
Willie has always been steadily guiding us forward, and we literally would not be where we are today without Willie P. So tonight, Willie, we celebrate your 25 years. Thank you for everything you've given to Pasc. May the next 25 years bring you as much joy and tech support
as you've brought all to us. Thank you. Good evening. After retiring from a distinguished career in law enforcement at the state county sheriff's department, Richard Ponti joined the Pascal Valley Regional High School District as a parole. He transitioned into this new role with
ease, quickly forming strong connections with both students and staff. Rich spent his first 12 years at Pasc supporting students across various academic settings. He was frequently seen sitting among students, actively participating in lessons, and offering help or words
of encouragement. Since 2012, Rich has worked as a onetoone aid for six different students placed in out of district programs. Whether supporting medically fragile students or those with significant behavioral needs, Rich always focuses on the child, not the
disability. He approaches his work with empathy, dedication, and when appropriate, a touch of humor. Rich is a true team player, always ready to lend a hand and go the extra mile to ensure student success. In addition to his work in education, Rich has been coaching
high school sports since 1983. From football to boys, girls, and girls basketball, baseball, and softball, his passion for athletics is clear. He currently serves as a varsity softball coach at Hazard Coats High School, where he is nearing an impressive 350 career
wins. Rich also officiates high school and semi-pro football as true chief and head referee. Congratulations on 25 years of outstanding service, Rich. Your dedication to our district and unwavering support for students and families is truly commendable. Thank you
for everything you do. Good evening. I have the pleasure of talking to you a little bit tonight about Fina. Um, Fina retired over the summer after her incredible 25 years of dedicated service. Fina has been a true
pillar in the region 2 office ensuring that our accounts payable processes and efficient. Her attention to detail as well as her mindfulness with regard to dates earned respect of her colleagues.
We are incredibly grateful for all that she has contributed over the years for her warmth, her extra hands wherever needed. Rita's returning includes traveling with her husband George, spending time with her children and her
grandchildren. We wish her the very best and look forward to catching up with her, hear all about her new adventures, and tell you she's visited us about two weeks ago and she's doing really well. She can't be here tonight. Thank you.
Just Yeah. [Applause] Good evening everybody. Nice to see you. I have the pleasure of introducing to you our new staff. So we're going to
start with Gio from our business office, our assistant business administrator. Joe comes to us from the Hobok school. Congratulations. Also from the business office, I would like to introduce you to Mary Morin.
Mary is our general secretary, accounts pay. She comes to us from the private sector. [Applause] Next, we have Kiara Kia. Kiara is our
supervisor of world languages, music, ESL, and facts. Kiara comes to us from Bernardine Township School District. Jessica Nutsy, supervisor of mathematics and computer science. Jessica comes to
us from the West Orange High School. Roseanne Dilo, mathematics teacher at Pasc Hills High School. Roseanne comes to us from Ramica College. Prior to that, Roseanne worked at High School.
Caitlyn Marcus. Caitlyn is a school counselor for us at Pascal Hills High School and she comes to us from Hasbro Heights High School. Jackets, mathematics teacher at Pascal Hills High
School, comes to us from High School. I do believe Jackie is a Pascal regional alum. [Applause]
Lauren Patasnik, she is joining us as an IT specialist at Hills High School and she comes to us straight from the University of Maryland. Jennifer Rain started with us mid year last year, school psychologist at Pasc
High School and Jennifer came to us from Fair School District. Audrey Trainer, general secretary in the main office at Pascat Hills High School, comes to us from Park School. Erica Boz also started with us mid year
last year. Bilingual power professional working with our multilanguage learners. to us from the private sector. Also, Valentina Dandis. Valentina is a general secretary in our
guidance department at Valley. Valentina also worked in a lead replacement position in the main office at um this school last year. [Applause] Menace, custodian at Pascat Valley High
School, came to Western Private Sector. [Applause] Teresa Clango, who you'll be approving tonight, will be joining Pascal Valley High School as a media assistant.
She has been home with her children for several years, but was a teacher at High School. [Applause] Marina Kovac. Marina is the building
coordinator at Pasc Valley High School. Comes to us from Ponttonian Food Services. [Applause] Elizabeth Paresi, another Pascal Valley Regional.
She is a science teacher at Pascat Valley High School coming to us from Clifton High School. [Applause] So now I'll just tell you that Rosanna
also has along. Sorry about that. and Kieran Walsh. Finally, another Pascat Valley alum, art teacher at Pascat Valley High School. Kieran comes to us from River Valley School District. Congratulations.
Next please. Suming Teao, learning consultant, LDTC, working at Park Academy, comes to us from the River Edge School District. Suming started with us mid year last year also. and Rodilia Tamaris working
for region 2 as a general secretary came to us from the private sector. Sorry. We're not good. Okay, thank you. Good evening. Um, although Dr. Malia can't be here tonight. It's my distinct
honor to be able to recognize her as the 2025 2026 Bergen County Teacher of the Year. With more than 25 years in education, Dr. Maya inspires students through her passion for science, her innovative teaching, and her constant
encouragement. At Pascat Hills, she teaches AP biology and honors research in molecular genetics, giving students meaningful, hands-on opportunities to explore and discover science in real and exciting ways. But what really makes Dr. Malia so
special is the joyful energy she brings to her classroom. It's honestly one of my favorite places to be. She has a way of making every person feel capable, valued, and excited to learn. And please note that I said person, not student, because she makes that feeling apparent
to every person she interacts with. She also places a strong emphasis on student wellness while maintaining high rigor and expectations. Her goals are not only to prepare students to succeed academically, but also to help them grow into thoughtful, resilient, and kind
people long after they leave her class. This recognition is a wonderful celebration of her accomplishments, but even more, it reflects the lasting impact she has on her students and colleagues every single day. Congratulations to Dr. Ma, the 2025 2026
Bergen County Teacher of the have the honor of recognizing three individuals who were promoted within the last year. Um truly honored because I work very closely with two of the these individuals. The first one is Kristoff Glenn who was promoted from general
secretary to executive secretary. Christa The second individual is Cindy Kirk. You can tell how well she's liked. Most of the business office staff is here to recognize promotion. Um Cindy was the assistant business administrator and I
do have the year she started in district here. Uh she started in February of 2017. So congratulations on your promotions. and Dr. Mark Russo, who was the mathematics and computer science supervisor and was promoted to the
director of curriculum instruction and assessment. Fun fact about Dr. Russo, he was a student of mine at Montlair State University. Congratulations, Dr. Russo. That's it. And the last group that we are
recognizing, but certainly not these, they're very important to us. Um one of the most impressive aspect when I started working here was the hiring process. Um so these individuals tonight who achieved tenure uh status really
went through a lot first of all um to get hired. It was a rigorous process but after that um there's such a high um level of expectations to remain working
in this district. Uh we have a very extensive evaluation process. Uh we are evaluating our staff quite frequently um going in and out of their classroom throughout uh the school year. um and it's amazing
that um the job that they do uh in the classroom and outside of the classroom. So I can congratulate each one of our staff members who have achieved technic uh starting off with Anthony all our practice as a physical education teacher at Hillsber
[Applause] the school counselor at Valley Chris, who is the executive secretary at Valley, Gabrielle Holland, executive secretary,
region 2. Tyler Johnson, physical education health teacher at Hills. Lisa Lley who's a general secretary at Hills Gina Mu English teacher at Valley Janet Murray general secretary at Valley
Nicole Ortiz general secretary of college Luis Sanchez, Louisa Sanchez, special education teacher at Valley. Melissa Zel, FAC, FACS teacher at Hills.
Jamie Taylor, executive secretary of Valley. and Christian, social studies teacher at [Applause] Next we have assessment reports by Dr. Mark Russo, Tara Flannery, Valerie
Madison, Megan Ratziano, and Jessica N. How are you? Sorry, Mark. Hold on. No security. Watch. Thank you, Mr. Phillips and the board of education for having us tonight. Uh, I'm grateful to have had the opportunity to
speak during two recent meetings. In July, I spoke to the board about results for the 180 juniors from Pascal Hills and 243 juniors from Pasc Valley who took NJGPA. And in August, I spoke to the board about results for the 24
students districtwide who took the access for ELLL assessment. Tonight, we have the opportunity to speak more broadly about our standardized assessment results from 2024 2025. That includes NJSLA, DM, SATs, ACTs, and APs.
For state standardized assessments, we will report trends, disagregated scores by race, sex, and program, including general education, which is a request Mr. Weaver made during a previous presentation. Please note that reporting on any group with less than 10 students
will be withheld to protect student privacy as per state reporting guidelines. Also, please note that while we will will show comparisons with the state, internally we compare our performance with nearby regional high school districts who we work closely
with. As you'll see, in addition to maintaining or improving on our strong performance year-over-year, we once again performed admirably and in line with regional peers. To start us off, I'll turn the podium over to Miss Valerie Madison, supervisor of ELA.
Thanks for leaving everyone. I don't think I'm going to have too much of a big personality while presenting this, but I'll try and make it a little exciting. Um, so as you can see here, I'm not obviously going to sort of read through all the numbers. Um, first I would like to note that 401 students were tested
total, which is an increase in students by 10 from last year. Um, good news, we had a 1% increase in four and five scores overall from 24 to 25, which is great. Um, and we'll kind of leave that there. And as Dr. Russo said, we're now going
to start getting into the breakout slides. I'll mainly talk about strategies for improvement or addressing anything that we see on the last slide. Um, so this is the year-over-year meeting or exceeding. And really everything is basically as you can see
give or take sort of within range. Um not too too much of increase or decrease any which way um either by school. I mean there's slight slight differences percentage wise but overall happy with the numbers. Um nothing crazy trendwise going on here
in terms of um the reporting here. The main one that I want to note because as you can see there was really increase in all except for the one subgroup the Hispanic subgroup. I would like to note that one thing we've been working with and I think everyone is aware of that we've had a significant increase in
multil- language learners who now attend our district um many of whom are from Spanish speaking countries and we think that may be one area obviously that is reflected here in the data in terms of female and male um
achievement in ELA generally male achievement has always been slightly below female achievement um there's many reasons that we can speculate about. Um, in this sense, I was happy that there was really no dip in the male achievement and the female went home.
So, you know, we're holding steady there, which is a good thing. And again, I'll talk about how we're going to address anything that we're seeing on the last slide. And finally, um, in terms of the different subgroups or category of student, if you will, um, you can see
here that there was an increase in performance in the 504 students and the genetic students, and there was a dip in the special education student achievement on this test, which is clearly something that we have to address, which I will get to again on
the next slide. So in terms of targeting any groups that are um performing a little less well than we'd like, we have a lot of different on-ramps to address that that we have been doing and that will continue to increase. So first of all, I always like to just shout out that we have really amazing teachers who
are extremely well educated, very passionate and dedicated and it starts there because once they know who's in the room, we have our benchmark data, we have our standardized test data, they're the ones who are helping the students improve. So they're in great hands. Moving on to actually interventions that we have available. The writing center in
and of itself is actually a multi-tered system of support. We have students helping students train teachers helping um the students who come in as well. We're partnered with community college. So from a writing and literacy standpoint, that's when we're really addressing all student success. um just
by the way we deliver our curriculum in terms of using a workshop model which is highly participatory and teachers are conferring with students all the time by the fact that we've revised our curriculum and are always looking for high interest yet rigorous materials to meet the needs of the students and their interest to keep them engaged. That's
another aspect that we're targeting. Um we have very direct instruction in terms of reading comprehension and a very clear vocab program as well. So that is being addressed and done at all grade levels. Um, we're going to continue to keep the independent reading moving forward because it's there that students
are reading consistently and over time and so their stamina and fluency is growing. Finally, um, something that I'm about to start doing more robustly again to start meeting the needs of the students where they are is working with the teachers to take the data and at
grade level really directly target different groups of students and what what their skill levels as we're seeing come through. Yes. on these tests. We have a skill by skill breakdown actually of this um that we go through tonight, but also our benchmarks that we give internally and then working with the
teachers to directly target instruction based on what we're seeing reflected in those assessments overall throughout the week. Thank you for your time and I'm going to we're not taking questions correct right now. Okay, I'm going to turn it over to Jessica Nits supervisor.
[Applause] Good evening. In math, uh, the district had 148 students take the geometry NJSLA, 254 students take the algebra 1 NJSLA, and only eight students take algebra 2, which we are not reporting on
since it's less than 10 students. This year's total was uh 410 students tested in math overall, which was one less than previous year previous. In geometry, we saw a 4% increase from last year in students who are meeting or exceeding levels four or five
expectations. Uh moving the district to an overall 92% proficiency level. Please be reminded that moving geometry first before algebra 1 created the testing year of 2024 to have a limited number of students sit for algebra 1. So if you
would disregard the highlighted cells and compare recent performance to 2023 results. Performance in algebra 1 also increased for both schools reaching a proficiency level of 55% overall. And we hope to continue this increasing trend
through the geometry first sequence providing students opportunities for growth and skill development. The same slide breakdowns as um ELA being displayed. So here we have uh the respective years of data for proficiency levels at Pasc Hills and Pasc Valley
separately. The state performance is located on the left with our schools performing well above the state averages in both geometry and algebra 1. For each math subject area, the slight increases in performance for this past year can also be seen.
The demographic subgroups presented here are analyzed across all students who were tested in geometry, algebra 1, and algebra 2. Comparing the most recent testing to 2023 due to the geometry first move, we see slight changes over
time with varying groups of students, but proficiency levels are still above average for the state. The same can be said for gender subgroups. We see improvements for this recent testing where males are at 68%
proficiency and females at 70.5%. And finally, for general education, special education, and students with 504s, we also see slight improvements and celebrate their overall success. In my first month of school year working with the math and computer science
teachers, I've been very impressed by their dedication and resourcefulness to provide students with opportunities to engage in mathematical thinking. Teachers not only provide thoroughly prepared materials on Canvas and skill development on Delta Math, but also have
students up and about working as patients or implementing aspects of building thinking classrooms, allowing peer-to-peer interaction to develop understanding. The math center, dual enrollment, and challenging competitions give students varied experiences for support and
advancement. While linkit and NJSLA NJ GPA items inform our students progress, we will continue to collaborate as a department to define course scope and sequence, to spiral review of material towards mastery, and to engage students
in meaningful learning of math. Thanks to the board and all those involved for your support of the programs here so that our teachers can continue the great work they are doing. Next, we'll hear from our supervisor of science, Megan.
[Applause] Hello everyone. Uh good evening and thank you to the board of education for having us tonight for the opportunity to discuss our science program and the results of this year's NJSLA science assessment. Just as
a quick review, the NJSLA science is a statemandated assessment taken by all 11th grade students. It is a 4-day test designed to measure student mastery of the full range of New Jerseys high school science standards. And passing this exam is not required for high
school graduation. The assessment takes place in May, beginning the Monday after AP exams conclude. This year's results, excuse me, this year's results show positive growth overall for our district. At the district level, we saw a 3.1% increase
in the percentage of students scoring at levels three and four compared to last year, which closely aligns with the state's 3.2% increase as well. Looking at our individual schools at Hills, 42.8% 8% of students scored at levels three and four. This is an
increase from 39.4% in 2024, yet lower than the 52.9% in 2023. For some context, the precoid score in 2019 is 38%. At Pasc Valley, 54.5% of our students scored at levels three and four. This is
up from 51.2% in 2024. Overall, the data shows steady improvement with both schools performing above their pre-COVID levels and valley showing particularly strong gains over the past three years. Turning to subgroup performance, we see
several encouraging trends. Among our Asian students, 67% scored proficient or advanced, a 5% increase from last year. Our Hispanic students have also shown steady growth over the past three years, rising from 28% in 2023 to 40% this
year. Students identifying as multiple rates also made significant gains with 85% scoring proficient or advanced compared to 50% last year. Meanwhile, our white students have maintained consistent performance with about 46% scoring proficient or above in line with
both 2023 and 2024. Looking at gender, female students have shown steady growth over the past three years, increasing from 43% to 52% this year. Male students scored 48% proficient or advanced this year,
which is consistent with last year and just slightly below the 50% reported in 2024. At the program level, section 504 students showed notable growth with 4.7% scoring proficient or advanced, an increase of 10% from last year. Special
education students also made meaningful gains, rising from 16 60% proficient or advanced in 2024 to 29% this year. Our general education students remain steady with 55% scoring proficient or advanced consistent with results for the last two
years. Looking ahead, we remain committed to building on this progress and further strengthening science education across the district. We're fortunate to have knowledgeable and dedicated teaching staff. And our work continues to focus on high quality three-dimensional
science instruction. This includes integration of the science engineering practices, crosscutting concepts, and disciplinary core ideas into all of our courses. This year is also a curriculum revision year for science, giving us the opportunity to refine our programs and ensure that phenomenon based students
are embedded across all science courses. A particular emphasis is placed on the meaningful incorporation of earth and space science standards within our biology, chemistry, and physics courses. We are now in our third year of using Lincoln benchmark assessments which help us to monitor student progress and guide
instruction. We're also working to increase communication around the NJSLA science so that students and family better understand both the expectations and the supports that are available. In addition, our science support centers will continue to provide students with targeted help and resources to reinforce
classroom learning and help them prepare for their midterm and final exams. Together, these results and initiatives reflect a comprehensive approach to science education, ensuring all our students not only use Zen on assessments, but also develop the skills and understanding they need to thrive in
an everchanging world. Now, I would like to turn it over to Tara Flannery, who will be discussing the DLM. [Applause] Good evening. As Dr. O said um we will not be reporting on numbers under 10. We
only had eight students uh test with the DN, three in district and five out of district. So I just want to give you a general overview about the DM. Uh the DM is the dynamic learning map. It's an alternate assessment for students with significant cognitive disabilities. Um
here we teach modified curriculum. Students who are receiving that modified curriculum typically are assessed in their junior year in PLA, math, and science. Um, it purpose of the assessments, it really is tailored to students individualized skill levels.
There's information that teachers input into what's called a tight learning system that generates tests for students at each level. So, it's very individualized. This allows us to document students growth and offer students various pathways um towards
learning and reaching their goals. Um for instructional purposes, it's very informative for teachers. The linkage levels which are basically the skill levels um can be used to develop standards based learning goals for each individual student. They can pinpoint
skill levels for each individual students. It tracks instructional progress. Um, and it really is the phrase between general education standards and academic expectations for students with the most significant cognitive disabilities. So, I just wanted to give you an example of what a
um learning profile looks like. This is what we receive um from the the kite learning system. Parents receive this as well. Um this is an example in um the area of ELA. As you can see, the essential elements those are the um kind
of mirrors uh grade level standards for students and the one through five are what we call linkage levels. Those are the skill-based. If you look at the green that is a student who met those standards. Um the white are standards they haven't been tested and you don't
see any move here. Um that would be if they have not evidence any mastery in that essential um element. So really this feedback is very specific to each individual student in English, science um and math. The teachers receive this
feedback um to develop instruction and it also helps to generate goals and objectives. Um so thank you. [Applause]
We'll now take a look at our College Board scores. Uh please note that the data you are observing is students who sat for exams, not students who were enrolled in AP courses. You'll see that despite giving students more flexibility with our fairly recent test optional
board policy, we still have very high participation. At Pascat Hills, the trend continues of more students taking more exams. And it's also nice to see that over 90% of students who sat for an AP exam got a three or higher. I'd also like to note
that at Pascat Hills, we have 41 scholars. At Pascat Valley, we continue seeing a high number of exams and an increasing number of students taking an AP exam. Similar to Pascat Hills, over 90% of the students who sat for an AP exam got a
three or higher. And I'd also like to share that at Pascat Valley, we have 44 AP scholars. I'd also ask that you note that districtwide 25.8 of our students took an AP exam last
year, which is up from 23.0%. Taking a look at SAT trends, you'll see continued growth in average SAT scores at both Hills and Valley. here in math. Compare this to a 505
national average in 2024 uh and 519 average in New Jersey. Please note that the state and national averages are the most recent I could get from Scott. Give you a sense on quantity. Um for SATs for Pascals 292
exams for the class of 2025 Pascal 368 exams. So some of those reflect multiple exams taken by students. Uh taking a look at verbal, you'll see similar growth at both Hills and Valley.
And you can compare these numbers with a 519 national average in 2024 and a 531 average in New Jersey. Mr. Phillips mentioned this uh earlier in our evening. Uh but I just want to give a
shout out uh to our national merit scholars. Um so at Hills we had three commended and two semi-finalists as Mr. Phillips mentioned and at K we had 13 commended and one semi. Moving on to the ACT, you'll see growth
from last year and higher numbers than the most recently available average of 19.5 nationally and 24.1 in New Jersey. To give you a sense on quantity again for the class of 2025 at
Pasc Hills 122 tests at Pasc Valley 89 tests. Please note that the ACT remains less popular than the SAT with ACTs accounting for less than a quarter of the total college standardized
assessments. With that in mind, the variability in scores, particularly on the ACTs from year to year, can be higher. In addition to the SATs and ACTs, I'd like to spend a few minutes sharing other opportunities that we have for our students.
First, we have seen growth in our dual enrollment opportunities. Over the past several years, we have 28 courses that are eligible for dual enrollment through six universities, colleges, Kain, Ramano, Syracuse, William Patterson, Satan Hall, and the University of Texas.
And in these 28 courses in both buildings, there were 1,282 opportunities for students to earn college credit. I don't have the numbers on the students that actually took advantage of that opportunity, but those were the number of opportunities. Uh
second, I'd like to discuss internships. Um we had 64 at Pascal and 28 at Hills 20 milestones when you include the internships for the students we serve in Emerson and Parkridge. It was a slight decrease from last year, but a decrease
of 33 students from uh from two years ago. Moving on to postsecary plans. The table above shows college plans for the class of 2025 as compared to previous years. You'll notice that we are trending down
in the percentage of students that plan to attend college. Though you'll see that this number can be attributed almost entirely to a decreasing number of students percentage-wise who want to attend a two-year college as the percentage of students who want to
attend a 4-year college or university remains just under 90%. It is a small percentage of students who are not represented here, but I'd like to report out on other students plans as well. 11 students from the class of 2025 are planning to enter the workforce.
19 students are planning to do one of the following. Enter a trade school, take a gap year. Join the milit military, participate in a missions trip, or enter our 18 to 21 milestones program. Additionally, uh one compliance area I
will report out is the the numbers around the graduating class of 2025. We had 193 graduates at Pasc Hills, 257 at Pascal. the number of graduates who met the graduation assessment requirements by passing a substitute test. So the
primary vehicle is the NJ GPA. If students don't pass the NJ GPA, at least in the past, there have been other assessments, ACT, SAT, PSAT, ACUPlixer. So that's a second way we can meet this requirement. At Hills, we have 10 in ELA
and 23 in math. At Valley, we have 14 in ELA and 45 in math. Um the third option for graduation is the portfolio appeals process. We had some students at Pascal Hills take advantage of this. It was fewer than 10. Uh we also had some students at Pascal. It was fewer than
10. Um another option meeting alternate requirements specified in their IEPs. We had some students at Pasc Hills meet this requirement. Fewer than 10. Uh and then finally the number of 12th grade students who were denied graduation because of this assessment requirement.
is passing the math and the ELA assessment was zero. The numbers just give a small sense as I mentioned of the talented diverse group of students who graduated with the class of 2025. Uh, I'd like to thank my
talented, committed colleagues who take seriously our district mission to prepare students for successful college and or career experiences with the needed mindset, skills, structure, and knowledge to accomplish their goals.
I'd like to thank the board once again for your support and for your continued investment in our wellness centers, our multil- language learner supports, our internship program, our regional curriculum office, our dual enrollment offerings, and the math writing and science centers, just to name a few.
Please let me know if you have any questions that I or one of my colleagues can answer now or I'd be happy to engage in further data analysis, which I do love so much, and get back to you with any of your larger questions. Thank you so much. Any questions? So the latest are
biology times a year in one. The second one our teachers actually teaching tools and anything else
that collaboratively across approach them. A lot of them to summarize for everybody at home. Uh so freshman, sophomore, and junior year taken at the beginning of the year, used instructionally, middle of the year,
again at the end of the year. So bios. Yes. You say when they're offered a little bit more. Got it. That's a great question. off the top of my head. They're primarily offered to
upper classmen, but I'll get you exact numbers and share. So, that's a great question. So, Dr. Francis, these are regular conversations we have about trying to keep track of our alumni to reach out to them. Um, so we have an alumni hub and we try and
encourage this type of communication to reach out. I I I don't want to speak for Dr. I can say it's difficult sometimes to keep track of um students once they leave. I'll say as math supervisor last year, I was particularly interested in
our dual enrollment program and how the the impact those credits may or may not have had for students as I entered. My response rate wasn't great. Um, but we do try. Um, so that's the best answer I can give you at this moment. We try and
keep track of them as best we can. The information that we have easiest access to is what they can report before they leave. Even these numbers I reported tonight are self-reported information from school that students submitted before they so that's a wonderful question I will
look into that I don't know yeah and again only speaking personally I ask students for their email before they leave so that I can reach them once they're out of college but I can't speak for my colleagues on But I can give you the answer to that question.
Two out of three. Yeah. Thanks. I will reach out and give you more information as to the way that we specifically reach out to alumni. I appreciate it. Thank you so much. [Applause]
Thank you all for the presentations. What? You're leaving? No, I'm just joking. I'm just joking. It's late. Next, we have comments from the public. Citizens are invited to make comments regarding agenda items and are limited to three minutes. According to the
Pascat Valley Regional High School District Board of Education policy number 0167, persons wishing to speak must upon being recognized rise, sign in, and state their name, town of residents, and which agenda item they are referencing.
Next we have policy for which we have seven consent agenda items. Can I get a motion? Any discussion? Roll call, please. M. Yes. M. Yes. Mrs.
Yes. Miss Martin. Yes. Mr. Sam. Yes. Yes. Mr. Weaver. Yes. Mr. Yes. Next we have education for which we
have five consent agenda items. Can I get a motion please? Any discussion? Roll call, please. Mrs. M. Yes. M. Yes. Mrs. Yes. Miss Keller.
Yes. Mrs. Martin. Yes, Mr. S. Yes, M. Mr. Yes, Mrs. Next, we have human resources for which we have 25 consent agenda items. Can I
get a motion, please? So, any discussion? Roll call, please. M. Yes. M. Yes, Mrs. W. Yes, Miss Kelly. Yes, Mr. Martin. Yes, Mr. S. Yes,
Miss Steph. Yes, Mr. Yes, Mrs. Next, we have finance for which we have 39 consent agenda items. Can I get a motion, please? So moved. Second. Second.
Any discussion? Roll call, please. M. Yes. M. Yes. Mrs. Yes. Miss. Yes. Mrs. Martin. Yes. Mr. S. Yes. Stephanie.
Mr. Weaver. Yes. Mrs. Yes. Next we have old business. Any discussion regarding old business? Just wanted to revisit um just a little
bit last year by taking a closer look at the teacher evaluation update and making sure that they were consistent for last year. So we can revisit that at some point. Um and the other question I have for me in the future is just kind
of take a deeper look at that algebra score versus the geometry testing. I know there's a big difference. order has been changed that revis after after we get after next year because I think that's somewhat new
still you mean how uh geometry was put to freshman year right okay so I still think that we're probably going to revisit that I see that there's a big difference in
the scores So, Dr. Russo, I mean, I know you're not all good at math anymore being a supervisor. I mean, can we I know you'll remember this for next year, but um can we just sort of keep that in mind just to be able to see
uh where we've gone with that. Um you know, if it's improvement or you know, otherwise uh just to get just to be able to say, "Hey, we did this and this is where we're at." Okay. Thank you. Uh just a follow to mentioned regard to
the schools of retreat to approaches the teaching districts seemed like there was a difference between geometry schools
versus so curious to know what the approaches have impact doesn't I I've started having those discussions. I'm very curious about their testim the presentation maybe for next year. Um
it was reported about students who don't attend to four college but some examples it would be great to have that a slide that that highlights that and having that visual I don't know if you post the presentation on the website and um just
for people to be able to see if they're not listen because colleges to what there is for you outside after high school. So I think to be able
to highlight that would be great for us. Dr. make a note of that also. Thank you. Anything else in business? Uh next we have new business and we have
Mrs. K with the 2026 to 2027 budget calendar. You want you're going to go through it. Tomorrow I will distribute to our administrators and supervisors our budget packet as we call it where they
can hand out their proposed budget for the upcoming school year. Um and then basically we'll have a couple months to work on that where toward the end of November that those are all submitted to me during the month of December and I will
begin looking at and analyzing costs. Um the finance committee will meet periodically throughout this process to talk about any budget concerns
and The week of January 5th, we'll meet with discussions revisions to the budget and then again once we get into March, we'll present
the budget to the board and the public um mid-March that um the budget office and then present again
the final proposed budget. We'll have our budget hearing and then um adopting the budget April and then the first week of May to administrators to start purchasing
offices for the upcoming certificates. Any questions? Thank you. Thank you, Mrs. Uh I would like to just add uh one thing to business. Uh we as a board have
started our search for superintendent. Um so if you were listening to our last meeting, which I know everyone was, uh we have a steering committee put together and we outline the process and
tend timeline for the different steps of searching for any. So we'll have more about that at the meeting for the next few months done. Yes. Um I just want to give a
shout out to Abby line um Addison line student already referenced before. If you have not seen that sensory room, please go walk over and take a look at it. It's wonderful. Want to thank Principal Wheel still here
um for the administration for assisting her and um doing that wonderful thing in honor of um our student um Mr. Dr. Um, thank you.
One question. Who's the chair of the policy? So I'll I'll just with a request for just regard to question. Anyone else? Okay. Next we have comments from the public. Citizens are invited to make
comments and are limited to three minutes according to the Pascat Valley Regional High School District Board of Education policy number 0167. Persons wishing to speak must upon the recognized rise, sign in, and state their name and town of residence.
No. Okay. Uh can I get a motion for a journal, please? So, we are