Uh, where am I? Roll call, please. Miss Brown, Sandra here, Mr. Prius here, Mr. Cohen here, Mr. Sim, and Mr. Langley here. Uh, let's all rise for the flag salute.
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. Uh, Mr. Frius, would you read the mission statement, please? Yes.
The River School District is a partnership of students, parents, staff, and community members. We're dedicated to providing a supportive environment in which all students can reach their maximum academic potential while developing a responsible citizens who respect individuality. Our goals will be
achieved because curriculum and instruction are aligned with the New Jersey student learning standards. All decisions reflect academic, social, emotional, and physical needs of preK to sixth grade students. Cooperation and ongoing communication exists between the school district and the community.
School administrators and the board of education work together to assess and adjust procedures in response to new mandates and the changing needs of the community. Thank you. Open public meetings notice. Pursuant to the open public meetings act notice of this meeting, its date, time and place were
delivered to the post office municipal building and the record and posted on the district website at least 48 hours prior to the time of this meeting. Thank you. move on to uh the first item on the agenda which is the strategic plan report.
Uh good evening everybody. Uh this is the first of two presentations tonight. Slides. Are we going to do the slides on the We don't need the We don't need a projector. Can they present on YouTube and then you just walk us through it? We can do that and you will uh the
strategic plan document is in the executive content. You can. All right. So, sorry Brooke. Nah, we're not going to do it. just show it on the on the YouTube. Yes. Let me know when you're up. Um, okay. Tonight's presentation will
provide an overview of the River Edge Public Schools 5-year strategic plan, our uh bright futures blueprint with particular focus on the work accomplished during year one, which is this year. I would like to uh we just as a matter of fact, we're not going to vote on this tonight. This is merely the
presentation. This will be this presentation will be posted to the strategic plan website. Um and then if uh board members or members of the public want to contact me over the course of the next month um about questions or comments or things that they would like to see to see changed,
we have opportunity to do those things and um uh this way it's out there uh in the public for um great uh between now and the next uh next meeting. Are we good? Okay. The strategic plan is a powerful tool for school districts that
helps us align our values, our actions, and guiding how we prioritize resources, make decisions, and shape programs. It also represents a shared commitment among the administration, the board of education, and the community to support and sustain important work. But it's important to recognize that the strategic plan doesn't exist in a
vacuum. It sits on top of everything else we do, teaching, learning, staffing, budgeting, adapting to new state requirements, supporting students and families. That's why the plan was designed uh to be both bold and realistic. We set high aspirations, but
we also are grounded in goals which are achievable and sustainable. By taking a phase and practical approach, we increases our our chances for long-term successes and reduce unnecessary stress or disruption for students, staff, families, and of course the board. Year
one was about building a foundation. I actually like to call it building a coalition. um gathering input, evaluating our current state, and identifying clear actionable goals. The process we've made so far reflects the dedication and teamwork of many individuals, and I'm excited to walk you
through that uh journey tonight. So, all right, this is an overview of the process and it's the road map for tonight's presentation. We'll begin by walking through the process that we've engaged in already, how we engaged stakeholders, gathered input, and shaped
our vision and goals. And then we'll start with this theory of action which is pretty much uh is the first wheel. Uh and there are many cogs in that wheel and those cogs turn the other five goals. And then we'll look at the goals themselves. Academic excellence and student learning, professional culture
and staff support, student well-being and school climate, communication and community engagement, resource and facilities management. For each goal, we'll highlight the objectives that were established and the activities were completed in this first year. At the end of the presentation, uh it's the goal to
leave you with a clear sense of the district's direction, the process we've already made, and the foundation we've built to move forward uh with confidence. So, here's the process. Um form the advisory committee, which of course we've already done. That's that
officially began in January. Uh for the start, we we made stakeholder engagement a top priority. We opened that uh that first night with about 40 I think it was 44 people were in the room. We then conducted the uh the survey which drew nearly 500 responses. I think the actual
number was 491 responses which when you consider the fact that we service 1170 students 491 responses is resounding and I'm still very proud of that uh and and and good for uh River Edge for for coming out and making sure they answered that survey. That output gave us a
deeper understanding of what matters most to people we serve. From there, we organized feedback into five focus areas, formed working groups around each one, and worked together to craft meaningful goals and measurable objectives. This was a collaborative process. One of the most important outcomes of this phase was the clarity
it brought not just to where we were, uh, but where we want to go and how we're going to get there, uh, but also who needs to be involved along the way. The process laid the foundation for a plan that's both communitydriven and administratively actionable designed to be implemented with focus, purpose, and
shared ownership. This brings us to the theory of action slide, which looks there are plants if you're following along. The theory of action uh behind our five-year plan was not just a schedule, but it's a phase strategic
approach that helps us implement change thoughtfully and sustainably. We were currently at uh we are currently at the launch point. The plan has been developed and and will be approved next month and the year one activities will begin next September. Year one is designed to be foundational uh since the
budget for next year has already been developed. Year one activities were designed to have minimal fiscal impact. The focus will be on digging deeper into each goal and objective, gathering data, reviewing current practices, seeking feedback, and identifying gaps. It's
about building a clear comprehensive baseline that will guide future decisions and investments. Each year that follows two through through five will be informed actually it's three through five will be at that point we'll be informed by what we learned in the prior year. And that's why although
we've created the five-year framework the plan is intended to be revised and refined and it's a living document designed to evolve alongside district needs and realities. It is not at all set and concrete. Um but it does provide that framework and roadmap and a key feature of this FA phase approach is the
use of pilot programs in year two. The pilots will allow us to start small, test ideas and refine before expanding. They help us build buyin, focus resources and develop internal expertise. Staff involved in the pilot programs often become invaluable peer leaders as initiatives scale up in
subsequent years. Ultimately, the approach increases the likelihood of success and more importantly sustainably while minimizing disruption or overload. It's about thoughtful implementation and respects both the urgency of progress and the realities of day-to-day school
operations. All right, so let's go to the goals. Uh we're on the goal one slide, academic and personal excellence. This first goal is about helping every student succeed and grow in both academics and as individuals. We want
River Edge students to be curious, confident, and ready for what's ahead. That means giving them a school experience that's challenging, engaging, and meaningful. Here's how we plan on doing that. Step one will be about curriculum and instruction. Taking a
closer look at what we teach and how we teach it. Our goal is to make sure that lessons spark curiosity, engage problem solving, and help students think critically. In year one, we'll review our current curriculum to see what we can improve on and how we can better
support all types of learners. Transitions and enrichment, knowing uh we know moving from middle school to I'm sorry, elementary to middle school can be a big week for kids. We want to make that transition smoother and more supportive. At the same time, we want to offer more opportunities for both extra
help and advanced learning. So, every student feels challenged in the right way to get started. We'll take stock in what's currently in place and where we can and need to grow. Data and resources. We want to use information to collect like test scores, progress reports, surveys in smarter ways. The
this means giving teachers better tools to understand how students are doing and what they need. In year one, we'll identify the tools we already have and help staff use them more effectively to guide instruction and support students. The big idea here here is simple. We want every child to seem challenged and
supported. This goal helps ensure that learning is personal, exciting, and meaningful for all students. If you stay tuned, we'll hear more about um how we do some of that uh now and how we plan on doing it in the future from Miss Geller who will talk uh speak to us in a
few minutes. Goal two, professional environment. Our second goal shifts our focus from our educators uh to our educators and staff. We want students to succeed and we must also take care of the people supporting them every day.
This goal is about creating a professional environment where teachers feel supported, respected, and encouraged to grow. We invest in our staff and we're investing directly in the quality of our students education. Three areas of focus. Again, instructional leadership and culture is
about how we lead weed and work together. We want to foster leadership that's inclusive, empathetic, and forward thinking. That includes making every make sure teachers and staff feel heard, supported, and involved in decision-m. We'll ask staff directly about their experiences and look for ways to strengthen leadership across
both schools. Strategic partnerships. We plan on strengthening relationships with universities and outside organizations. We can provide training, mentoring, and expertise. These partnerships open doors to professional development opportunities that we may or may not have in the capacity if we just did it
ourselves. Staff culture and recognition. This is something every workplace can relate to. People want to feel appreciated. We'll gather feedback on how to better recognize staff contributions, create a positive and inclusive work environment. There's something to also note. This goal overlaps with others.
For example, when we talk about student well-being in the next goal, uh that makes uh that includes making sure staff are trained and supported and help stu students navigate challenges. Uh the same goes for communication, effective leadership and work workplace culture,
impact, and how we communicate internally and externally. All of these pieces working together, supporting our educators is not separate from supporting students. It's one of the most direct ways to do so. All right, goal three, school
culture and student well-being. The third goal focuses on something that every parent cares deeply about, how our students feel when they come to school. We want every students in River Edge to feel safe, included, and supported emotionally, socially, and personally.
Academic success is important, but students can only learn when they feel connected and cared for. This goal is about shifting uh is about building strong inclusive school culture where well-being is a top priority. Here's how we'll approach it.
Social emotional learning and inclusive practices. We'll review what we're currently doing to help students understand their emotions, build healthy relationships, and make responsible decisions. We'll look how we can improve programming and how we can make sure
every child feels seen and included regardless of background, language, or ability. Structured support systems. Student well-being isn't something that should be left to chance. We want to build routines and systems through the throughout the school day that reinforce kindness, belonging, and emotional
support. Not just during home room or individual counseling sessions. It includes special area classes and unstructured unstructured time like lunch and recess. The next uh element is staff capacity building. We'll focus on the
adults in the building. will provide them with professional development to help recognize when students are struggling, how to support them, and how to feel confident in creating classroom environment that pro promotes well-being. And then community partnerships and reflection. Finally, we
can can't do the work alone. We'll strengthen partnerships with families, outside experts to expand support for students, and we'll stay reflective and open to feedback throughout that process. With the pre as with the previous goal, you notice there's overlap with staff
culture and leadership from goal number two. When we train and support our teachers, it directly improves the educational climate of classrooms and help staff respond more effectively to student needs. At the end of the day, our message is every uh to every child should be you belong here. You are
supported. You matter. And this goal makes sure it's not just a message but a lived experience. In goal four, we'll talk about community engagement. Uh this is something that we heard about loud and clear from families during the process, the need for better and more
consistent communication. Whether it's knowing what's going on in the classroom, understanding new initiative, or simply feeling more connected to what's happening in schools, families want clear communication that's timely. Here's how we're doing that. Two-way comms. We want to make sure that there's a more structured opportunities
for families and staff to talk not just at a report card time, but throughout the year. This might mean family check-ins, learning updates, or in informal conversations that give everyone a chance to ask questions, share concerns, and work together. This includes systemic communication structures. This sounds, of course,
technical, but it's very practical. We're looking at how to build a district-wide communication framework that clearly defines who we are and then how when and how um we share these things. Uh that way, families aren't left guessing and information is consistent from school to school. This might this also includes um
software platforms. And then finally, community engagement. This means planning events, creating partnerships, and hosting celebrations that reflect diversity and values our community. It also means reaching out to families who may or may not feel connected and finding new ways to bring everyone in. This goal also
connects to several others. For example, when we talk about student well-being in goal three, communication with families is another big part of that. And what when we re recognize staff and goal two, we want to make sure that recognition is shared and celebrated in the ways that builds trust and morale across the
community. This goal is about making sure families feel like true partners in the educational experience because when schools and families communicate and collaborate well, everyone benefits, especially the students. The last goal is resource
facilities and management. Great plans require smart planning and that includes how we pay for and sustain the work. There's three areas of focus here. One, fiscal strategy. As we begin to implement the strategic plan, it's likely that new needs will emerge, new
tools, staffing, training, and resources are connected to all the other goals. This goal ensures that we're thinking ahead about how those uh ideas uh how to fund those ideas responsibly. That includes exploring grant opportunities, partnerships, and possibly um referenda
or questions. It's not about walking into decisions now, but being prepared to act thoughtfully and strategically when needs arise. For facilities planning, we'll take a careful look at our buildings and learning spaces. We've already started doing some of this with the facilities committee. Um, this
includes planning for future maintenance, uh, needed upgrades and accessibility improvements, and perhaps better, uh, use of space with an eye towards equity, safety, and flexibility for the future. One thing that came up in the surveys quite a bit was technology and
infrastructure. We want to make sure that students have and staff have access to reliable, up-to-date technology. We look at sustainable approaches such as leasing models and expanding digital access to ensure everyone is equipped to teach and learn effectively. It's important to highlight that the goal is
simply connected to all the others. Whether we're talking about supporting student mental health, giving teachers new tools, enhancing academic programs, there are real costs attached and this goal helps us prepare for that reality. We also want to be candid. Public school funding in New Jersey is a growing challenge with limited state
aid, tax levy gaps, and rising expenses. We need to be honest and transparent about how our our fiscal landscape is being shaped and we can't wait for a crisis to start planning. Um, yesterday was the time to start planning for tomorrow's emergency. That's why uh this plan commits to putting everything on
the table. Nothing's predetermined and we believe that responsible leadership means considering all the options so we can make informed decisions that are aligned with our values, sustainable over time and in the best interest of the students. The goal ensures that great ideas in the plan aren't just
dreams but actionable ideas. And finally, um I want to just take a moment to thank the all the people who did help in in uh bringing the strategic plan to life. Of course, um Dr. Murphy helped facilitate
mo most of this. So, thank you to him, of course. uh all the staff members that uh came to any of the meetings, um all the staff members that responded the surveys, the community members that turned out for all the meetings, especially towards the end when uh there was um waning involvement, but there was
a dedicated core group of f folks who who kept showing up. Um uh the administrative team was at every every one of the meetings and facilitated many of the breakout group actually all of the breakout groups. Um so special thanks to them as well.
um in considering every conversation, the question and idea, it really did help shape the goals and priorities that we uh walk through and that's what makes the plan strong. It reflects what matters most to the community. Um this plan is really just the beginning. What that comes next is how we implement it
and uh the board has those we these are the goals. We have the objectives and activities um and how we adapt to those activities. Um this will also depend on continuing support um that everyone who works here continue to show up to work
together and employ uh the strategic plan. Um we believe that this plan puts Riveridge on a path where it's something meaningful a school system that's well student centered inclusive forward thinking and responsive to the uh real challenges uh of right now but more
importantly tomorrow. So, uh, again, uh, tremendous thanks to the board of education, uh, all those involved, the staff, uh, and community who, um, supported this in any way. Uh, but thank you more for their future support and their, uh, commitment to making River
Edge Public Schools the best they can be for every student, staff, and family. Uh, and we're excited for what's ahead. And that concludes the presentation. Great. Thanks. Any questions, comments? I just want to appreciate the um the
effort and the work that went into this uh and the commitment that you made to present it in such a coherent uh uh fashion. Uh I don't believe River has had a strategic plan like this in recent times and uh just very uh excited that
we have this in place and for you to lead us. Thank you. Anybody else? Alrighty. And if people would like to comment on the plan or or what is the process to do so? I I think it's easiest if people
send direct emails directly to me. They can they're of uh the public is always welcome to contact the board member that um but operationally uh I'm the one who's going to have to figure out their where their comments fit in the plan. So they're welcome to reach out to me. I have access you all have access to the
same documents I do. Um, so if you can field your own questions, but at some point if it does become a a a um a question about operations, how are we going to do this? Then then that really should be directed to me. And so it's going to be posted on the website and there will be communication sent out
just like letting everybody know, hey, it's there. This is when we're going to vote on it. Correct. So I'll send a a letter um I'll probably do it I'll probably craft it next couple of days. We'll send it early next week about hey look, this is going to go up on the website tomorrow. or it'll be there, but
we'll point people to it, say, "This is where it is. Please take some time to look at it. Take some this is how you can comment about it. Reach out to me." Um, and they'll have access to all the documents. Okay? Especially the presentation, which I think is um Dr. Murphy did a nice job on the
presentation. So, people should should look at it. All right. Great. Thank you. Uh we'll move on to public comments on agenda items only. Um, seeing as how there are no members of the public here, we can move on to
reports. You're on again or someone else is on for the superintendent report. One of the things I was asked um and it comes up from time to time about um what is the uh what is the difference between Padilla and win and what what the qu
what the what qualifies one for the other and what are we doing in each of these things. I've gotten the I've gotten the question from uh community members, board members, um sometimes staff has questions about it. So, I asked uh Brook Keller, who's here tonight, um to put together a short
presentation for us to kind of explain what what we're we're doing in these time periods, what defines them, um how are we placing the students there, and then what the outcomes uh we hope to be. So, Brooke has a a presentation for us
tonight. Do we want to put this one up or or do you have Do you want to um You have that one as well? We have this one. Yeah. How do I uh put that on? Yeah, you can have the laptop back. Do we need the thing or No. Uh you all
have access to it. So, we'll just stay here. Yeah. You can stay where you are and we'll go ahead and As long as it's on the YouTube feed, right? No. Yeah. Should I turn on the projector or No, you just give the laptop to Miss Geller. That's the wind.
Yep. If you're logged in to see the agenda, I'm sorry. When you tap on it, put it up there. Put it up there. There's a little attachment there. All right. presentation. Do you need this back?
Okay. So, I have to change it, but how do I know where she changes? She can tell you. Ah, you can just do a little click click motion. There you go. Thank you, good evening everybody. Um so I'm going to
talk about uh our win program and our PDIA program um and the data that I tracked um from 20 the school 2020 um 2023 to 2024 data and the 20 uh 24
2025 benchmark. So um when I talk about when and PDIA I'm going to talk about um the progress that children that these cohorts made um on the NJSLA in addition to um the formal
benchmarks that we have from from linkit. So I'm going to first um start talking about our our win period and really what that is. So, it focuses on students who need more support in
certain skills to ensure they reach grade level benchmarks by the end of the school year. Um, each period focuses on a on a particular skill for six to eight weeks in time and that skill changes um
each year based on the data that um that we collect. Uh so the there this next slide um focuses on the number of third through fifth grade students in the win program
um period 2. So like the late fall winter of the win program um that's taught by district intervent interventionists in the 2023 2024 school year. So during um this particular win period, the district interventionists
provided targeted instruction to 98 students from grades three um four, five. Um they also provided services for kindergarten, first, second, and sixth graders. Um this 6 to 8 week
intervention was based on skill deficiencies identified through our link data. um the second benchmark which is often known as form B. Um and additionally 83 third through fifth grade students qualified for
supplemental math um during this particular time from the interventionists. So this slide five shows the um ELA scores from these particular
students um who were in the win program for for ELA. So in the spring of um so let me just go back here. So, in of the spring of 2024, students in the WIND program
received ELA support scored 46.3% at or above grade level standards. So, this includes 39.4% that met um expectations while 6.9
exceeded the performance targets. the interventionists. It's clear that the interventionists have significantly impacted student growth by focusing on um consistent data analysis and using that data um to target daily
supplemental instruction. So this particular slide shows the um performance on the NJSLA um for the spring of 2024 in math. Um so as you could see here our t our targeted
math win intervention program yielded um impressive results with 39.1% of students were either meeting or exceeding state math standards. Specifically 37.8% of the
students met expectations um while an additional 1.3% exceeded the performance targets. These results also demonstrate the effectiveness of our supplemental math support services that our interventionists
provide. So now I'm going to start talking about um the NJS NJSLA results from our PDIA students. So that's a different program. This is our afterchool program. um and how those particular students in
this cohort um scored on the NJSLA last last spring. Just a question. Can I ask now? Okay. So, the uh the performance is is is seems really good. Do we have I know it's you can't do it for third graders, but for the fourth and fifth
graders, how they performed the previous year when they were identified to participate in win compared to how they performed this year when the after win. Does that make sense? Can you say ask that me ask that again? So So the uh the students were I I believe the
students were identified for win because they struggled in the previous year through a variety of metrics. One of which I'm guessing was the NJSLA. Correct. Um yes. So now what I'm going to show next is how these particular
students, this cohort of students in win and even in PDIA scored um on their benchmark assessments this particular school year. So third grade like last year's third graders, here's how they're scoring in fourth grade now. So is I guess the
growth is one of Yes. Yeah. that that'll be the next part is the growth of those students except not their NJSLA results because we don't have that just yet. We just finished that. Um so for our PDIA program which is the post dismissal instructional academy, it's a weekly
afterchool instruction um based on multiple factors including um teacher benchmark assessment results. That's our link data that we collect. Um in addition to teacher recommendations um it's offered to students who need to
close learning gaps in either ELA um English language arts or in math. So these are the PDIA program is designed to um close the gap for students who are almost at the cusp of meeting grade level standards which is different than
the win program which are students that um uh tend to need significant support in particular skills. So um so in the num there's this slide here shows the number of third through fifth
grade students in um PDIA in 2023 2024 it's a it's a smaller group um so during this uh when during this PDIA period um trained teachers um from across the buildings who were familiar
with grade level content provided target instruction to 25 third through fifth grade students in ELA and 32 students in math. Um the period swap, so sometimes the the period for PDIA is ELA focused,
sometimes it's math focused. The over um the overall afterchool program focuses on second through sixth graders. Um but this data significantly represents students in third through fifth grades from 2023 to 2024 who would benefit from
closing the learning gaps identified through the form B link benchmark assessment. So the benchmark assessment they took in the winter. Um so last year's spring um NJSLA for the ELA um this particular
slide shows how the third through fifth graders who were in PDIA for ELA performed. So this data reveals remarkable progress for students addressing learning gaps through our PDIA program. Um
64.3% of the students are either meeting grade level expectations and demonstrating significant academic improvement. Um an additional 4.8% of students who were in the PDIA program, they didn't just close their
learning gap. Um they actually exceeded performance standards. So um which really showcases the effectiveness of this targeted support um the same kind of targeted support that our win program shows but for a different group of
kids. Um so for the children who were in the PDIA program focused on math uh we could see that this data demonstrates remarkable progress for students who were addressing their learning gaps through this particular
program. Um 77.8% 8% of the students in the program met grade level math expectations on the NJSLA um showcasing their academic improvement that they made being part of this
program and an additional 3.3% exceeded their performance targets. um also highlighting the program's effectiveness in helping students overcome some mathematical challenges they might have through a data-driven targeted
approach. So overall the PDIA program um for the 20 23 2024 school year shows that a significant percentage of students met grade level expectations in ELA. Some even exceeded the performance
targets. The targeted academic support shows that it's helping to close the learning gaps with the majority of the students who take part in the program either meeting grade level mostly meeting grade level expectations. When it comes to math, um 77.8% of the
students met the grade level expectations being part of this program. um while 3.3% of them exceeded the performance targets and overall the targeted academic support shows that it helped to close the learning gaps that the
majority of the students had um uh and because of that they either were meeting grade level expectations in math most were doing that. So the next thing I did was I um tracked these cohorts of kids. So the
the children who were last year's third graders, fourth graders, fifth graders, who are now the fourth, fifth, and sixth graders. Um what I'm going to show now is how those particular students who were in the win
cohort h what their um benchmark growth was like earlier this school year. Um so determine that to determine this particular information again I focus on last year's win cohort who are now our
fourth fifth and sixth graders. I analyze their form A benchmark data to their form B benchmark data. So that was their fall data to their winter data. Um, and here are some of the things that
um, I was able to determine about that. Several students show high ELA growth levels. And one of the things that's important about that is um, our link benchmark, our link benchmarks are
indicators of how children uh, very well might perform on the NJSLA. So, several students show high ELA growth. um most students are progressing as expected in ELA based on the benchmarks and most students fall
into what linkit calls um typical growth range um and benefit from support. So typical growth range essentially is the sort of the common growth that kids might make um versus high uh growth or
the cluster of children that might like exceed the expectations. So overall several students show high levels of ELA growth. A significant portion of students are making strong ELA progress. In fact, um
form C for link is um going to be finished up by the end of this week. So that data will be available to families um sometime next week. Uh and the majority of students that we tracked fall um into the typical growth range
indicating that most students are progressing um as expected in ELA. This particular um information now shows the same but for math. Um
uh again I tracked how this cohort of students from last year for win their scores were like from form A this year to form B and their particular growth. So the majority of students um in this particular cohort showed positive growth
from form A to form B. And similar to ELA, there's a gradual growth projection showing instruction reaching students at various levels. So there's there's um quite a number of clusters of students that u made high growth um from form A
to form B in math this particular school year. um those showing negative growth currently in math are relatively small um compared to those showing positive growth. So again um the majority of students show positive growth from form
A to form B and we hope that as um teachers finish up their last round of benchmark assessments that we'll see even more growth as they finish out the school year. Um again there's a gradual progression of growth rather than um sharp drops. So that shows that
instruction is continuously meeting the needs of students across um disciplines and across grade levels. And again the proportion of students that showed negative growth is small compared to the um amount of students that are growing
across the the different benchmark assessments. So, um I talked about the cohort of students from last year and how they um performed on the benchmark assessments this year. And now I'm going to talk
about that for PDIA for the afterchool program and that particular cohort of students. So um this particular cohort of students involved in the um afterchool program. So these are our current fourth through
sixth graders. Um they there's a significant cluster that showed high growth from form A to form B. And that's um very promising because again these are the particular students who had um
some learning gaps that were um targeted through the benchmark assessments and individualized instruction for them in and um and small group instruction as well. And we can see that there's a cluster of students who um made high
growth from form A to form B this particular school year. So 60% of the PDIA students in the ELA cohort showed growth overall from form A to form B benchmarks. Um and we hope to
see even more progress as teachers finish up the form C assessments later this week. Um multiple students achieve 20% and even 17% growth. So showed a significant amount of growth. Um, and
this shows substantial progress with the opportunity for targeted instruction. And even though the majority of the cohort maintained or improved their performance on the benchmarks, there is a subset of students who regressed a bit and would
likely benefit from assistance with strategies, especially as content becomes more complex for them. Um slide 23 shows the um growth that students, this particular cohort of students made
on their math benchmark assessments. Um and again, these are our current fourth through sixth graders. And the vast majority of these students are showing positive growth from form A to form B of this particular
school year. Many of these students are showing substantial growth percentages with even several um students achieving 30% or higher growth um on their benchmark assessments. Um even though some
students scores went down a bit, most only dropped just a little. There weren't any significant um uh u regressions in their benchmark assessments. So overall the results of our win and
PDIA programs over time um show that there's an overall strong performance on the NJSLA for both the students who are in our win program in addition to the students who are in the PDIA program. There's continued growth after
completing these programs. So students who might have been in PDIA the afterchool program for a particular period but not the next period of that school year they are showing continuous growth um when they are no longer part
of the programs they're um ideally temporary scaffold and I think our data is showing that um majority of the students don't live in that program but um uh um they're getting the dose of target instruction that they need and
then ideally they're moving on. And the PDIA the WIN and PDIA program serve different intensities for kids um and there's different needs and both show regardless improving um sustainable academic skills for kids. Both programs
have very different um criteria and um goals. Um and I think both the data it's clear that the data shows that there's a sustainable children are gaining the
sustainable skills that they need. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. I have a few questions or is it okay to address them now or would it be better? No, I think we can do questions now. Right. I think if any board members have questions, we can
Yeah. So the I imagine the comparative goals took a while to pretty pretty it was a lot of it was a lot of Yeah. So a couple questions. Wait, sorry. Go ahead. So the NJSLA so the performance of the students that participated in both programs seems like
they did quite well. So, it's kind of a two-part question that that's the kind of like the post the post post uh uh uh instrument, but do we have like a pre or a comparison group of students that perhaps were identified or could have been identified for win and how they
performed as well? So, I was I turned my life. So, I was like like and excuse me if I'm misinterpreting it. What I'm seeing is the results of the program, but what I I don't know is did they do well because of the program or did they just happen to do well because those are
kids that were going to do well in school? Like I I don't know if the program did the work or not. Okay. So, um both programs, both WIN and PDIA, right, have a pre-assessment and a
postassessment. the NJSLA and the benchmark assessments that's separate. So when when the WIN program starts and when the PDIA program starts um it always starts with a pre-assessment
um and then on the very last day of the program of the period the teacher or the interventionist um uh does a post assessment. So there's data there that um shows growth over
time um which is outside of the NJSLA right but one of the goals I mean it's not the exclusive one of the goals is to improve their performance on the as measured by the NJSLA and and again it's it's standardized testing is standardized testing so with that caveat
so I guess what I'm trying to get at is how do we know that the win program is generated those those positive results Well, I think that if I could. Yeah, please. There's using the pre and post, we know
that the that the students who were in let's say wing, right? They took pre-assessment. They didn't know these things. We did our eight weeks of instruction at the end of it. Here's the post assessment. They learned those things. I guess your question is, could they have learned those things outside the program? The answer is possibly. um
but without removing them for the program or having a control student that we leave out of the program with similar um similar uh achievement data going into that that I call win cycle without leaving that student out of the program
and letting them kind of progress on their own and then post- testing them in the same way as a control. I don't necessarily like I don't think that's good education but um without doing that I don't think we could answer your question effectively. I'm not advocating
to keep a kid program by by any means. Uh uh uh just to ensure that there was clarity there. I guess I wonder are there kids that were identified and didn't participate? Uh there are always were there okay so the question were there students who were identified but
didn't participate? And well and how are they ident like how's the baseline identification is it teacher observation or it's well for so for so there's two questions there so one is yes there um there very well are
instances where there are children who are identified for win right or PDIA and they don't participate right either it might be that their family member doesn't necessarily want them to leave to work with an interventionist or if it's the after school program. Um
they're busy after school and and they they have other commitments, so they're not going to be part of that program. Um so yes, they're very well there there's there's always a a small percentage of kids where that happens.
Um and they get the support that they need um in the particular classroom with their teachers. Um can you ask your question just like how how is the identification done? just a basic for both for both for for any Yeah. like how how do we determine that a kid would need one or
the other? Um so for the win program the interventionists after the benchmark assessments are administered the the interventionists work together to analyze that data and they look for the uh percentage of children who um um show
the most need. So they so it is based on the benchmark. Yes. So this pie chart if you took the same quarter kids would have been all not meeting right beforehand. Um yes right yeah because that's what made them be part of the win
program. So to be part of the win program um you the children need to show a significant um need right to be in the program in addition to teacher recommendations right um for the PDIA program that identification is different
um it's the cohort it's it's not those kids right it's the children who it's the percentage of kids that are just below just below the bench mark levels they're the children who need a little nudge
I got it question to to go off that. Um the six to 8 week cohorts. So if are that small percentage of students who aren't meeting are they eligible to go into the next like do we potentially have students who are in win or padilla
PDIA all year like are and and like for future because I know this is like we're evolving this program. Yeah. those kids who stay who are in PDIA every year who are in these win find we're finding them eligible every year
we are really taking a deeper look into what those why that might be happening right like do we have students who are who are meeting that win criteria and we're seeing them during the three cycles essentially should be cycling ideally are cycling
out of these programs for example for for PDIA for the after school program. Um, again, sometime like there might be a period that's an ELA period and then the next period's math. So, if a student
in the afterchool program is in the maybe they're in period 1, but they're also, let's say, in period 2, um, that would be because they're showing need uh in in in both ELA and math
over time. Um and then for the win program um there there uh that is an ongoing conversation. The the interventionists are um very aware of um students who and
very curious about students who are continuously um in the win program. Um because we have to stop and think um what are we doing and what else might we need to do to support these students?
So I it's it's a I I certainly don't like not not want to to to recommend more work and I do I do see that like I I wonder and again given that it's a standardized test would it be interesting to see how those kids did in
the previous years and JSLA for the again the the the fourth and the fifth graders for the third and the fourth grade when they were there uh compared to how they did this year or LA last year uh for those that did win. So it's so there's a comparison there and again I'd be reluctant to to to kind of
generate any conclusions from that but still that that's a comparison that of kids that did win and on the same note kids that were identified and I don't know if you even track kids that were identified for win and they don't participate like how did they perform
compared to those that that did that that in that case would be a control group uh that would not be a forced control group. Yes. And I I suspect that those students are are many fewer than you'd expect and we would probably have to talk we wouldn't be able to talk about that because they may identify
might be three students in the district, right? But we could talk about that uh you know as an exact first. So I guess I guess what I'm reluctant is we have great results of the kids that are participating in the program, but I I'm still not seeing that we know it's the
program that that did that as opposed to kids that participate in the program did well. Does that correlation benchmark assessments though? I I I know we're focusing on the data here for MJSLA, but the benchmark assessments that we give for link and I know we do dibbles for
ELA that's showing pre-mid post and so that's where we're seeing growth. Yes. For the wind kids. Yeah. But for the wind kids in particular, like that would be interesting to see the winds they're being identified by the beginning of the
year benchmarks. Correct. So we currently have currently we have the data from um form A to form B benchmark assessments for these particular students and so that data has
showed that that the students that were in win and even last year's win kids last year's kids in PDIA they are making growth and they are on the trajectory to perform well on SLA. Did those kids
outperform kids that were not in win just based on growth not necessarily based on performance by those? That that's my question. I you know like like are we seeing the outcome of the program by whatever measure that that that that is
better and again the NGSLA probably is not the best measure to use for that. Um but like the growth that you did tracking the kids like that that was that was pretty cool pretty awesome. Do we have similar growth for the rest of the kids to see if their growth outperforms? Um, that would take another
dive into the data to look at. We have we have the data. We have it all. So, okay, we have the research question. Um, and we have uh, you know, we'll have form C and we'll have the summer and we The reason why I ask is it's so I I some
background. So, I I asked the reason why I'm I'm I'm asking now. This is something I I asked I don't know if you remember when when we started as board members there's this very question about the efficacy of of some of our enrichment programs. You know many districts offer enrichment programs
targeted struggling students but it's always difficult to determine how effective they are. And and so what I'm trying to to kind of to to to understand is how do we know that it's that this program is effective or do we just know that the kids that are in this program are doing well?
I think that's I think you may have answered the question, but I think I have a way to to figure out how to do just a little bit one more layer of dive and then do a comparison for you and we can look at that very carefully. Now that we know what the question is, we can we can figure that out. I can't do
it right now. No, I'm not. by all means. But I think so, one of the things that um and I was I had the opportunity to be on um a planning call with uh um Brooke and Christine uh with Lincolnit. Um and to their credit, they they three or four
times this year, they've engaged specifically with our what do they call is it our rep, our data rep, our manager, account manager? Yeah. Well, John is more like our um he's our um school assistance manager. There you go.
So, even better. Um, and and they have way they're going to look at certain things over the summer that that will dictate next year. So, if you just to just to do a little bridge for the public here from the last presentation to this one, when we're looking at like goal one and we're talking about
academic and personal excellence, this is one of those things, right? This is a very granular student centered um I uh uh I guess I could call it program that identifies students who need help in certain targeted areas and then we go
ahead and do it. Th this to me and this is just my assessment after being here now for 10 months or whatever it is. This is River Ed's secret sauce. very few districts have a a like a tier three intervention program to go to use RTI um
language for general education students that's this a um measured and b this robust and that that sets up a cyclic environment so that students can pop in and out of it as needed. Now, just to
answer your question real quick, uh just looking at I'm on slide 13, like the this is PDIA, you know, there's 18% of students that will likely be in it again next year because they simply approached, right? They did not make it. And these are these are students who are
on the bubble and the these bubble pro I call them bubble programs. It's not that's not a formal term and it's not something I've ever used before, but the bubble program doesn't necessarily exist everywhere and very I I think districts are trying it. they're thinking about it. Everyone would love to do it but don't have the resources.
Um, Riverin invests in this resource and it is unique and I believe it's it's not everything. There's not there's no like one singular thing that that allows us to perform at this level. There's lots of thing um contributing factors I think
that helps Rivergage scores, but this is one of them, right? We we took students who were um not proficient last year, put them in PDIA, and 80% of them shifted from either a a red or a yellow,
if you will, to a green or a blue. And and there are there are districts who would love to do this, which is why when we had our um our CUAC uh inspection, I'll call it, when there when we had our site visit,
um the uh the county office spent a lot of time with with with Brooke and Christine on this because they don't see it everywhere. And when they look at our scores, they say, "Wow, this is pretty incredible. What are you folks doing to generate? This is I believe the a major
contributing factor to how River Edge is a continuously able and has been always right but able to show growth. When I talked to the link um I'll call him account manager. He's actually I think he's a CEO or CFO. Um River Edge has been a link customer for about 10 years.
You're you're like an original customer. So I believe that being so comfortable with the tool for so long has allowed programs like this to evolve where folks who are just signing up for to use link it as an
assessment don't they don't have the the programmatic approach to it. So they're just using as assessment. Oh these kids they're collecting all this data warehouse and they might not be doing anything with it. We there's districts that collect data and data and they have data of rooms and and walls and but if
they don't have the programmatic backend then they're just building a graph and anyone can do that. Well, I had a note about how this is funded. You want to go back. So that that that red to green is exactly kind of what I'm I'm looking to see. Uh and I and I think it's it's the
right thing that all districts should be doing. this is datadriven instruction targeted and I guess where my my end my end idea is that uh if it's working that's great if it's not working you know what other curricular or pedagogical tools need to be inserted in
there you know what do you see could be inserted there in order to tweak it so that it does perform at a higher area or are there certain areas if you're able to uh you know to get more granular in terms of you know word problems or or what have that that need to get a
greater level focus and so understanding if it's possible to understand at a more granular level the efficacy of a the program and b aspects of the program I think it would continue to uh uh enrich for lack of a better word uh the program
those are absolutely things that we're going to be as we do this deep dive as part of the strategic plan we want to look further deeper into this into these programs and see if we can make them more robust in some ways and I and I know for a fact that there are if you look at the ELA we didn't have the
success that we had in ELA um that we had in mathematics I know for a fact that there is a small there is a a band of students that need certain interventions the folks have come to talk to me about it they booked time they talk we're not doing this and I we
really need another body right but we didn't add a body an intervention this year we just didn't have the money to do it right so that's something that we can look at for next year as we begin to look at resources. Can we afford a reading interventionist for general another one because we already have one
but specifically one for students with certain skill sets that we know can be improved by another two hours a week for eight weeks. Right? If that's if that's one thing we can do to pull 2 any one of those 26% of those students that are in that little and if we could pull them
over then that's what where we should be investing our resources. um it'll and that it will um generate the kind of um uh not only achievement but growth in a student from from year to year that I think that we we would want to see and and it would actually help answer the
question even more deeply like look we did this and these students made this progress right so that's one thing we can do um had a quick comment the only thing I was going to say is PDIA is an afterchool program so it's an additional cost to the district um title one monies
covers it at Cherry Hill school and the district covers it at Roosevelt School because tit uh Cherry Hill is eligible under title one. Roosevelt is not, but we do h hold it at both schools. One at the cost through grants and the other at
through the district budget. Thank you. Great again. But uh first and foremost, thank you for putting the work in uh uh to develop that. It just happens to touch on one of the areas of my interest. So, thank you. Any other questions, comments? Thank you. Thank you. Thank
you very much. Thank you. Anything else? Uh there's lots I think the the balance of the agenda was self-explanatory. I did explain things in the executive for board members. If you have questions, I'll answer them during the discussion portions of each of the thing, but rather than pull over the meeting. We've
already had an hour presentation. So just go ahead and uh conclude my report. Okay. Thank you. Uh board secretary report. Um we just have the normal things where we approve the board secretary report. treasures and um transfers. Um you'll
also see tonight and Dr. Bernice, I thought you were going to mention it was the focus grant. Do you want to explain the focus? Well, Brook Brooke wanted to explain it. Yeah. So that's 66 uh 600 $6,630. Oh. Um we're applying for for
the focus grant which Brooke is working on. So go ahead. So um yes. So, the state um uh advertised a grant for um early childhood screeners geared towards kindergarten through third grade. Um and
uh I'm in the process of submitting that grant very very shortly to do Friday work. Okay. Um and uh we have um really some um very thoughtful ideas about how to um how we
might use that particular money. Um one being uh uh uh investing in data meetings with kindergarten through Is your microphone still on? Sorry. One being um investing in data meetings.
One being investing in data meetings for those particular um groups of teachers so they can um look closely at screening data and have shared conversations um on uh high level teaching strategies
uh to inform instruction. And we are also um considering using of course that grant money to support the coverage of substitute teachers so teachers can be part of those conversations in house during the school day. Um and let me
think what else. Uh also um part of the grant will be about um investing in professional learning um for kindergarten through third grade teachers on how to look closely at the screening data from Dibbles um in order
to uh use um some new teaching methods in addition to new resources that we have for the teachers for their ELA instruction. All right, great. Yeah. When do we when will we find out? Um
sometime after not before then. Yeah. When when do we find out when we get it? It should be mid. It's a it's a pretty pretty amount. We've already been identified as a a a district um that can
get 6,600. Well, that's what we're eligible for. So Oh, great. There's other districts that have the paperwork. you you're gonna vote on it tonight to apply for it and hopefully luck in getting it in. Yes, we plan to do tomorrow. We believe in you always.
Thank you. Thank you very much. Thank you for your time, everybody. Thank you. Uh board secretary, you're done. Okay. All right. We'll move on to president's report. I don't really have anything other than just to remind the committee chairs that we are the next committee meetings. We're going to have to move to
Thursday the June 12th. June 12th. Um, we were trying to do them for the 10th, but schools are closed that day. Um, so we'll be sending out uh updated calendar invites, and if you have any issues with those dates, just you can let me know or we can reschedule
them. Um, committees, uh, Althia is not here. I'll just do finance quickly. We talked about, uh, it met on May 20th at 7 p.m. Uh, Mr. Crossbow was there, Mr. Frius, myself, Dr. Bernice, and Mr. Npalitano. Um, we talked about summer
projects. Uh, the bigger one being the Cherry Hill boiler. The the abatement's done, right? They're going to do the boiler over the Okay. Actually, the boiler is actually going on now, so it may even be done before the summer, which would be great. So, then we know we'll be up and running and be able to fire it up by the 15th of October, which
is the date. Great. Good. Um, so we talked there's a pretty long list of things we want to do over the summer. Um, thank you. Okay. Uh there was an assessment of the sidewalks done. That's a pretty minor uh repair, just some a couple trip hazards they're going to
take care of. Uh classroom upgrades, uh flooring, etc. Um we may look at doors and signage as well. Uh we talked about the lighting LED upgrade. That one is cost neutral to us, right? We're trying We're trying to get it cost neutral to us. We're trying to get it cost neutral
through a grant that's called EIP grant. Yes. So EIP is a it makes it cost neutral for us. They apply to the EIP folks and they say sure go ahead and do it for a given amount of money and then they uh the work is covered, the equipment's covered. And the good thing about that is we we the district
immediately begin to see the the savings every everyone every single fixture that's changed yields some kind of savings and we we get that right away. So, we had a hard time uh we've already asked someone uh who we thought we can do the work, but there aren't any
company. So, we're going to keep looking. Okay. Uh some we talked about some landscaping. Uh the boiler room doors and floors, that's a Roosevelt, right? Or both? Both. Both. Um are in pretty rough shape after the boilers are going to be replaced. We'd like to take
care of that. Um the fencing/gate over here needs to be repaired. Uh the radio repeater needs to be replaced. That's at this building, right? Yeah. Um and then uh back also on this building the garagewall uh there's some repair that needs to be
made there. Um and then looking forward to larger project projects in the future. Uh the two big ones are going to be roof roof assessment was done. So roofs primarily at Cherry Hill and then um UN events at both schools. That's the boilers are done but the control systems
are still the old pneumatic systems. Uh they're pneumatic, right? Pneumatic system. original to the building likely likely. So old. So that those are very large projects that we'll need to plan for multi-year. Yeah. I mean that's
millions of dollars in projects that we just some of them are smaller but the control systems themselves is over a million dollars per building and and the roofs are over a million dollars per building and and so there's parts of the roofs that are younger and older than others. There's parts of the roofs that are in better shape than others based on
where they are. So, we had that that assessment was done and they they sent us a very nice report that's colorcoded, but um it's not it's not the greatest news. We're not sinking. Um but we uh I did ask uh Dave Cabrera like what um what's the fidelity of that report and
how soon uh do these roofs need to be addressed? So, we can uh the parts of the roofs that were red, which is more than 50% in both buildings, we can expect in the next 5 years that they're going to need to be replaced. Um and then we talked about some recently completed projects. So
Roosevelt roof in gym part of the roof um that's eligible for the rod grant reimbursement which we submitted uh 40%. Uh the Roosevelt boiler we also submitted for that we'll get 40% back. Um we talked about some of the money coming back investing that back into CDs
like we've done in the past um to get some interest income. Uh we talked about upgrades to the fields uh that were donated partial donations from Regal. Um we completed the airating and seating at both uh Cherry Hill and Roosevelt and room 115. That was that was that the one
in between down from Dr.'s office that hallway. Oh that yeah the room 115 project was completed. Um they also power washed both buildings. That's good. And then uh they uh sanded and resurfaced the bleachers. That was the
last thing here. Yeah. Okay. Um we tried to talk about policies but we didn't and that was the end of the meeting and then we also have personnel and management. Uh that one I don't want to have a report already. That's right. Do
you have it? You want are you okay with doing it? Okay. I wrote it. Yeah. So, first of all, I just find the uh the transition from the in-depth talking about academics to roofs and and doors both jarring and also impressive. It's also in the strategic plan. Yes. Yes.
Just knowledge that's required to run a district. So, just kudos to everyone for for doing that so successfully. It's all part of the job but it's just the amount of knowledge that one needs to have is beyond I always find it very interesting that you know that's part of
the classes you you have a school but you have to have the building to teach these academic things in right so if we don't have the airflow and we don't have the learning environment that the students can learn in then then the testing and all the other things and
enrichment we do or doesn't help right just a granular the amount of knowledge at a granular level required for for all aspects is just so so significant. Anyways, um just an aside
that's what happened here. So uh we met on May 20th uh from 5:30 to 6:30. Mr. Sim, myself, Mr. Langley, Dr. Bernese, and Miss Napoleana. Um we discussed the ABA salary schedule and the hourly employee schedule. Uh uh the items that
I'm I'm listing are uh in more general term just due to the nature of the human resources uh contract agreements with non-UN employees were discussed uh we discussed the requested items for the administrative contract uh uh and due to
the length of the above topics and just like the prior committee policies were tabled to be discussed at a later point in time and the next meeting has been scheduled for Thursday June 12th at 5:30. Thank you. I forgot to ask any questions or comments from board members on either
committee report. No. Okay. We will move on to items to be acted upon. So moved. Okay. Good. You can we'll move to move on. Um All right. Uh can I get a motion for item E1,
please? I'd like to make a motion to move item E1. Second. Any discussion? Roll call, please. Mr. Allesandro, yes. Mr. Frius, yes. Mr. Cohen, yes. Mr.
Sim, yes. And Mr. Langley? Yes. Um, can I have a motion for an F1, please? So moved. Second. Any discussion? Roll call, please. M. Allesandro? Yes. Mr. Frizz? Yes. Mr. Cohen? Yes. Mr. Sim?
Yes. and Mr. Langley. Yes. Um, can I have a motion for items A1 through 5, please? I mean, sorry, H1 through five, please. Uh, let me see. Move to approve H1 through
uh five as stated. Uh, second. Any discussion on these? Roll call, please. Melisandro. Yes. Mr. Frius, yes. Mr. Cohen, yes. Mr. Sim, yes. And Mr.
Langley, yes. Um, can I have a motion to approve items I 1 through 14, please? Move to approve items I 1 through I14 as stated. Second. Any
discussion? Roll call, please. Mr. Allesandra, yes. Mr. Frizz, yes. Mr. Cohen, yes. Mr. Sim, yes. And Mr. Langley, yes. Um, can I have a motion for J1 through three, please?
Move as stated. Thank you. Second. Any discussion? Roll call, please. Missandro? Yes. Mr. Frizz? Yes. Mr. Cohen? Yes. Mr. Sim? Yes. And Mr. Langley? Yes.
Can motion for items K 1 through eight. Please moved. Second. Discussion. Roll call, please. Melisandro? Yes. Mr. Frizz? Yes. Mr. Cohen? Yes. Mr. Sim? Yes. And Mr.
Langley? Yes. Um, does anyone have any new or old business they wish to bring up? So, tomorrow, uh, East Bergen County School Board Associates is meeting at, uh, the hotel in Hburg. Usually main meeting uh there's a celebration of recognizing uh like a milestones of food
members and other awards is given out. So I may not be able to make it. I'll try but uh the 6:30 45 dinner starts. Okay. And also there's a virtual meeting also available. So this is uh in person
and virtual the hybrid meeting. So you can watch what's going on at the meeting. So you can, you know, register it and what either you can participate u I mean virtually or you can go and have a dinner and participate in the meeting.
Thank you. And that's all on the Bergen County SBA website. We can find it there. Okay. And also there will be uh election uh approval of violence um uh um what do you call the violence change and also election of uh officers
probably. Okay. And each board has one vote. So whoever uh present there can cast the one vote for whole board. I mean the whole board. Okay. Great. Thank you. You're welcome. Uh be able to make it tonight. Um I think I emailed you uh
tomorrow for that. But I did complete all the credits for the new board certification. So they emailed me. But um I'm unfortunately I can't make it in person tomorrow. Great. Uh, we'll up for public comments on non-aggenda items only, but seeing as
there aren't people here, we will move on. Uh, can I have a motion to adjurnn the meeting, please? Second. Roll call, please. Sandro, yes. Mr. Cohen, yes. Yes. Yes. All right.
Thanks everybody. We'll be back on June 18th. All right. Thank you.