A+ Ideas, Programs, and Practices

Students in 7th and 8th grade in Bayonne are making a big commitment to build their skills in science, technology, engineering and math. They are taking time away from their regular weekend pursuits, and coming to classes on Saturdays, to learn computer coding, math enrichment and more. Classes are taught by certified math and science … Continued

What if all elementary students earned a “gold star” for reading? In Clifton’s elementary School 11, they can and they do. Students in grades 2-5 who have access to the district’s online Accelerated Reading program strive to achieve individual goals, set by his or her teacher, using assessment results. Children who reach or surpass that … Continued

One high school in the Freehold Regional District boasts a commercial kitchen, café, and culinary arts program. Another has greenhouses, and an animal and botanical science academy program. The two – Freehold Borough High School and Freehold Township High School – share a program, “Food Preparation Through Community Partnership,” that provides classroom and career experience … Continued

Gifted and talented students at Glassboro’s Aura Elementary School have flipped! With the help of a 1:1 Chromebook initiative, the Flipped Gifted & Talented program operates through an online environment, consisting of weekly blogs and monthly thematic web-quests. Working in virtual groups, and using tools such as Penzu, Prezi and Voki, the fourth- through sixth … Continued

North Plainfield is one of 547 districts across the country, and among 33 in New Jersey, named by The College Board to its 5th annual District Honor Roll for increasing the number of students accessing Advanced Placement courses, while also maintaining or increasing the percentage of students who earn scores of 3 or higher on … Continued

Parents often ask how they can help their children succeed in school. Metuchen’s Campbell Elementary School has an answer to that question by providing Family Night programming that brings together and engages teachers, students and parents in active learning and dialogues. The Family Night activities are couched in fun, but the events have taught students … Continued

Students jump for the joy of learning about the culture and lifestyle of France, in Boonton’s Classrooms Without Walls program. At Boonton High School, the world is a classroom. District officials believe it is essential to provide students with extended and unique learning opportunities, moving them beyond the traditional classroom to prepare them for the … Continued

The news is good in Manchester: The Broadcast News program, a volunteer leadership program for fifth-graders, is building a positive school climate, as well as a strong social and emotional foundation for students, through the work of an on-air news team. Modeling speaking and listening skills of the Common Core State Standards, fifth-grade students put … Continued

Students at the Village Charter School in Trenton had unacceptably low NJASK scores. The school had not met Annual Yearly Progress for three years. So, the K-8 school took steps to turn that around, including using intensive data analysis, professional development, an all-staff bonus, and a 1:1 student laptop program. The effort worked, and the … Continued

Three powerful words – Assess, Analyze, Achieve! – have led to improved quality of education in the Somerville School District. Student achievement in the foundational elementary grades was on a steady decline until this program was instituted for grades K through 5. The program consists of three basic steps. First – to assess – reading … Continued