This spring the District was awarded a $120,000.00 grant from the NJ Dept. of Education to participate in a state-wide educational improvement initiative using Pearson Schoolnet. The Dept. of Ed. after evaluating a number of programs determined that Schoolnet was the best package available to integrate curriculum, lesson-plans and assessments as well as provide a systematic method to track student progress. This was a competitive grant process and the state funded a limited number of districts. The DOE is calling this initiative “edConnect NJ.” To learn more about this project: goals and objectives, how it works and timelines, go to http://www.state.nj.us/education/techno/iis/about/assessments.shtml .
Since we had already started to use Schoolnet the state wide initiative has set back our implementation timelines but all HCST instructors will be provided with login credentials in the first two weeks of September and 4 days of training for approximately 40 staff members will be scheduled from late September into October. Principals will be designating the staff to attend these training sessions within the first week or so of School.
This is a long term project which will be implemented gradually over the next two-three years. Updates and status reports will be sent our regularly.
