Plainfield Public Schools realized double-digit gains in each of the 5 areas on the New Jersey Quality Single Accountability Continuum (NJQSAC). The NJQSAC, which is a part of state law governing the evaluation and monitoring of New Jersey school districts, involves a comprehensive review in the areas of Instruction and Program, Governance, Personnel, Operations, and Fiscal Management.
It began in January 2007 and involved interviews of staff, students, BOE Members, community members, school visits, and a community forum. This review involved interviews of over 100 persons over a span of 7 days.
In this review, which concluded August 2007, Plainfield Public Schools failed to meet the required benchmark of eighty percent in the assessed areas. As a result, a required plan was developed and approved in June 2008, one month prior to the arrival of the newly appointed Superintendent of Schools. After a meeting was held to review and discuss modifications to the plan with the County Superintendent, the 2008-2012 District Strategic Plan provided a framework to not only address the areas of NJQSAC, but to also develop and implement best practices and innovative models for the Plainfield Public Schools.
Such efforts have resulted in achievements and accomplishments in the Plainfield Public schools ranging from decreasing audit findings and suspensions, increasing enrollment and courses for gifted, advanced placement, and honors, and quadrupling the amount spent on textbooks, to establishing K-8 Centers, the Plainfield Academy for the Arts & Advanced Studies, a School Allocation Plan and Mandatory School Uniforms, to name a few.
The NJQSAC, however, as an independent, state review of the district, further serves to inform on the progress and improvement of the Plainfield Public Schools in the 5 key areas. Program and Instruction was the area in which the district scored the lowest. Yet, this is the area which must drive everything a school district does as it involves and speaks directly to the learning of students. This area showed the highest point increase of 60 points!
This shows a renewed focus on teaching and learning and the education of students, an area of which a school district and community must never lose sight. The area of Governance marked the area with the second highest point increase. This seemed to be due in large part to the fact that all BOE policies have been updated and improved methods for minutes and record keeping are in place. In fact, over the past 18 months, all BOE Agendas have been available on the district's revised website well in advance of scheduled meetings.
A presentation was made to the Plainfield Board of Education on Tuesday, March 16, 2010, which summarized the 2007 findings and specific steps that have been taken to address them over the past 18 months, as well as the point increases for each area. The point increases were as follows:
· Instruction & Program +60
· Governance +45
· Fiscal Management +42
· Personnel +42
· Operations +18
The presentation entitled Pressing Forward reflects exactly what must continue to be done by committed professionals and responsible adults to improve the learning and lives of students, and standing of our district.
Although the double-digit gains are significant, the present NJQSAC standing of Plainfield Public Schools still indicates that much work remains to be done and the journey toward improvement is still just beginning.
