Continuous improvement is critical for districts and schools in their pursuit to deliver high- quality instruction, programs and services. In order for successful outcomes to be achieved, continuous improvement must be sustained, ongoing and embedded in the organizational structure and culture.
It is the mission of the Office of Improvement and Innovation within the Division of District and School Improvement, to provide guidance, support and resources to assist districts and schools meeting the high-quality standards established by the New Jersey State Board of Education. Our scope centers on improvement in the five key areas of school district effectiveness identified in the New Jersey Quality Single Accountability Continuum (QSAC) as: Instruction and Program, Personnel, Operations Management, Fiscal Management and Governance, as well as the school-level standards established by the Collaborative Assessment for Planning and Achievement (CAPA) process.
The Office of Improvement and Innovation works collaboratively with other department program offices, county offices of education and external organizations to deliver high-quality supports and resources to districts and schools. Our efforts are aligned with the paradigm shift of the department’s work with districts from compliance to assistance, building capacity and improvement. Specific activities of involvement include providing professional development and technical assistance to schools and districts in need of improvement, developing and implementing efficient methods of communicating improvement activities, establishing a resource of materials to prepare schools and districts for monitoring, and assisting with the continuous improvement of the QSAC and CAPA monitoring processes.
