Sunday, January 17, 2016

Hoboken School District, under Majority Leadership of the Kids First/Reach Higher Hoboken Political Group, Fails QSAC DPR in INSTRUCTION AND PROGRAM for 4th Consecutive Year

Other than the safety and well being of children, there is no other priority more important to a school district than curriculum, instruction and subsequent student learning. Athletics, clubs, facilities, governance, benefits, salaries, budgets while all important take a back seat to safety and well being of the children and of learning, instruction, and curriculum.  As many of us know, it is easy to say something is improving. It is much more challenging to see evidence of improvement by independent, 3rd party, objective evaluations by unbiased entities. For instance, in May of 2015 the Hoboken School District was informed by the New Jersey Department of Education that the district had once again failed their QSAC assessment in INSTRUCTION AND PROGRAM. This marked the 4th consecutive year the district had failed this DPR (District Performance Review). 


QSAC RESULTS- HOBOKEN SCHOOL DISTRICT 
2012-13 DPR INSTRUCTION AND PROGRAM** - FAILED 
First QSAC DPR assessment in INSTRUCTION AND PROGRAM after completion of the Hoboken Curriculum Project under the leadership of Dr. Petrosino and the Hoboken Curriculum Committee. QSAC was new to the district in 2007 when I came to the district and in a little over 24 months, the DPR score in INSTRUCTION AND PROGRAM went from an initial score of 34 to 87. 
** QSAC DPR assessment in INSTRUCTION AND PROGRAM under current Board majority. 

What is most distressing is that it wasn't that long ago, under different Board and District leadership, that the Hoboken School District scored an 87 on the QSAC DPR for INSTRUCTION AND PROGRAM. Despite proclamations that the school district is "improving" or statements that Kids First/Reach Higher Hoboken inherited a failing district-- the reality is that much of the gains in instruction and program that were achieved and independently verified by the State of New Jersey have eroded...reaching the lowest point at 45 in the spring of 2014. Poor leadership, 7 superintendents in 6 years, 5 high school principals in the same period of time, and numerous other principals and administrators during the Kids First/Reach Higher Hoboken leadership (2009-present) have taken a toll. The ongoing failure of QSAC DPR in INSTRUCTION AND PROGRAM is a contributing factor to the district receiving the designation of a "District in Need of Improvement" in November of 2011. Whether the continued failing scores in INSTRUCTION AND PROGRAM are related to the district's violence and vandalism rates, or other factors is open to discussion and interpretation. -Dr. Petrosino 

The Hoboken School District, under the leadership of the Kids First/Reach Higher Hoboken Super Majority, received 0 points in each of the following areas on their 2014-15 "NJ Single Accountability Continuum (NJQSAC) District Performance Review- School Year 2014-15. 

1.  The district meets the Annual Measurable Objective (AMO) in language arts literacy (LAL) for the district's total population. 0 Points 

2. The district meets the Annual Measurable Objective (AMO) in mathematics for the district's total population. 0 Points 

3. Language Arts Literacy (LAL) State assessment data for the district's total student population shows one of the following:
a.  At least 95% of the total student population achieved proficiency (proficient plus advanced proficient) in the most recent year assessed (NJDOE goal); 0 Points 
b.  At least 85%-94.9% of the total student population achieved proficiency (proficient plus advanced proficient) in the most recent year assessed; 0 Points 
c. At least 75%-84.9% of the total student population achieved proficiency (proficient plus advanced proficient) in the most recent year assessed; 0 Points 
d. At least a 5% decrease in the achievement gap or difference between the NJDOE goal (95%) and the district's prior year's proficiency percentage of the total student population; 0 Points 
e. At least a 4% decrease in the achievement gap or difference between the NJDOE goal (95%) and the district's prior year's proficiency percentage of the total student population; 0 Points 
f. At least a 3% decrease in the difference between the NJDOE goal (95%) and the district's prior year's proficiency percentage of the total student population; 0 Points 
h. At least a 1% decrease in the achievement gap or difference  between the NJDOE goal (95%) and the district's prior year's proficiency percentage of the total student population. 0 Points 

4.  Mathematics assessment data for the district's total student population shows one of the following:
a.  At least 95% of the total student population achieved proficiency (proficient plus advanced proficient) in the most recent year assessed (NJDOE goal); 0 Points 
b. At least 85%-94.9% of the total student population achieved proficiency (proficient plus advanced proficient) in the most recent year assessed; 0 Points 
c. At least 75%-84.9% of the total student population achieved proficiency (proficient plus advanced proficient) in the most recent year assessed; 0 Points 
e. At least a 4% decrease in the achievement gap or difference between the NJDOE goal (95%) and the district's prior year's proficiency percentage of the total student population; 0 Points 
f. At least a 3% decrease in the achievement gap or difference between the NJDOE goal (95%) and the district's prior year's proficiency percentage of the total student population; 0 Points 
g. At least a 2% decrease in the achievement gap or difference between the NJDOE goal (95%) and the district's prior year's proficiency percentage of the total student population; 0 Points 
h. At least a 1% decrease in the achievement gap or difference between the NJDOE goal (95%) and the district's prior year's proficiency percentage of the total student population. 0 Points 

5b. The district has reward schools as designated by the NJDOE. 0 Points 

7. The percentage of students who graduated from high school by way of the High School Proficiency Assessment (HSPA) in the last academic year is: 
a. at least 95%, according to the most recent NJDOE-published high school graduation rate (N.J.S.A. 18A:7E-3); 0 Points 
b. at least 90%, according to the most recent NJDOE-published high school graduation rate (N.J.S.A. 18A:7E-3); 0 Points 
c. at least 85%, according to the most recent NJDOE-published high school graduation rate (N.J.S.A. 18A:7E-3); 0 Points