“CORE” STANDARDS, INDICATORS AND ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS

STANDARD 1: CURRICULUM/DISTRICT
The school implements a curriculum that is rigorous, intentional, and aligned to state and local standards.

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1.1

DISTRICT:  The district curriculum is aligned with the NJ CCCS (that provide a coherent vision for what students should know and be able to do) and specifies the content to be mastered. 
Essential Question:  Is there a district curriculum that is aligned with New Jersey Core Curriculum Content Standards (NJ CCCS)?

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1.2

The district curriculum is implemented at the school.
Essential Question:  Do all teachers use the curriculum in planning instruction?

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1.3

There is a process to monitor the implementation of the curriculum.
Essential Question:  Is there a process to ensure that the curriculum is fully implemented?

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1.4

The school ensures that all students have access to the district’s common academic core.
Essential Question:  What evidence exists that all students have access to the district’s common academic core?

STANDARD 2: CLASSROOM ASSESSMENT/EVALUATION
Multiple evaluation and assessment strategies are used to continuously monitor and modify instruction to meet student needs and support proficient student work.

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2.1

Multiple classroom assessments are frequent, rigorous and aligned with core content standards.
Essential Question:  Are assessments designed to measure performance in ways that advance learning through the development of critical thinking and problem solving skills?

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2.2

Students can articulate the expectations, know requirements and assess their own and others’ work.
Essential Question:  How do students know what is expected and are they able to articulate expectations share their work and reflect on others’ work?

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2.3

Test scores are used to identify gaps and adjust instructional practice for all subgroups.
Essential Question:  How is assessment data used to drive instructional practice and student placement and to address student needs?

STANDARD 3: INSTRUCTION
The school’s instructional program actively engages all students by using effective, varied, and research-based practices to improve student academic performance.

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3.1

Instructional strategies include a variety of challenging and engaging activities. Essential Question:  To what extent are all students engaged in learning? To what extent do special program teachers (e.g. ELL, Title I, special education, G&T) collaborate with regular education teachers?

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3.2

Learning goals are evident and provide focus for student learning.
Essential Question:  Have learning goals for each student been developed and prioritized according to NJ CCCS? How are they developed?

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3.3

Teachers demonstrate necessary content knowledge and pedagogy.
Essential Question: What evidence is there that all teachers have a deep knowledge and understanding of their content and how to teach it?

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3.4

Technology is incorporated into the school organizational and instructional practices.
Essential Question:  How is technology used in the organizational and instructional practices of the school?

STANDARD 4: SCHOOL CULTURE
The school functions as an effective learning community and supports a climate conducive to performance excellence.

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4.1

The school community supports a safe, equitable and healthy learning environment.
Essential Question:  Are clear and fair rules and policies in place to support a safe, equitable and healthy learning environment?

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4.2

The members of the school community, including school leadership, instructional staff, students, parents/guardians and partners, possess and cultivate the collective will to persevere, believing it is their business to produce increased achievement and advancement of all students.
Essential Question:  How does the school community express high expectations for all its members?

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4.3

A personalized environment is purposefully established for students in order for them to (a) learn about their strengths (intellectual, ethical, social and physical), (b) discover and demonstrate their own competence, and (c) plan for their future. Essential Question:  Has this school intentionally personalized its environment? What evidence do we have that our students are satisfied with the school?

STANDARD 5:  STUDENT, FAMILY AND COMMUNITY SUPPORT
The school works with families and community groups to remove barriers to learning in an effort to meet the intellectual, social, career, and developmental needs of students consistent with 6A:10A-3.6 Supports for Parents and Families and NCLB §1118 Parental Involvement.

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5.1

There is a program of educational support services for student support.
Essential Question:  Does the school have a program of aligned support services that fully support the well-being of children? What structures are in place for serving special populations (e.g., ELL, Title I, special education, gifted and talented) students? To what extent are staff members trained to meet the needs of these special populations?

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5.2

There is a program of family/adult caregiver support services.
Essential Question:  To what extent does the school maintain a positive relationship with parents and communicate frequently about their children including the need for supplemental services and providers that are available?

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5.3

There is a program of community/partnership and support.
Essential Question:  Who works in partnership with the school?  What do the partners contribute?

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5.4

DISTRICT:  There is district support for the school.
Essential Question:  How does the district support the school’s instructional staff and leadership?

STANDARD 6: PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
The school provides research-based, results driven professional development opportunities for staff and implements performance evaluation procedures in order to improve teaching and learning. 

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6.1

The school and district devote resources to content-rich professional development, which is connected to reaching and sustaining the school vision and goals for increasing student achievement and is differentiated by teacher and student needs.
Essential Question:  Is there evidence that professional learning to advance student achievement is valued? What professional development opportunities do teachers receive to assist them in implementing the curriculum?

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6.2

School-based professional development priorities are set by aligning the goals for student performance with the evidence of achievement and with the Professional Improvement Plans (PIP) and evaluations of teachers and the Professional Growth Plans of principals.
Essential Question:  What evidence is there that student learning is tied to teacher learning? Do teachers feel they receive adequate professional development?

STANDARD 7: EFFICIENCY, ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE AND RESOURCES
School instructional decisions focus on support for teaching and learning, organizational direction, high performance expectations, creating a learning culture, and developing leadership capacity.

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7.1

Key leaders in the school facilitate a collaborative process to develop a shared mission, vision, values and goals which are understood and ingrained in the school’s culture.
Essential Question:  Is the school administrator an educational leader who understands the linkages among educational leadership, a productive school, and positive outcomes for children?

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7.2

There is a demonstrated and unrelenting focus on evidence-based teaching & learning.
Essential Question:  Is the school administrator an educational leader who understands that formal leadership is a complex and multi-faceted role that requiring moral courage, knowledge of governance and change and the ability to share leadership?

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7.3

Culture of trust, continuous improvement and accountability for performance. Essential Question:  Has the school administrator established a culture of trust and institutionalized a commitment to continuous improvement and accountability for performance?

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7.4

School leadership and the NCLB school improvement committee plan effectively by communicating a clear purpose, direction and strategies focused on teaching and learning through the development, implementation and evaluation of the following:  vision, goals, and the NCLB school improvement plan.
Essential Question:  How is distributed leadership demonstrated and what evidence do you have that it is effective?