Purpose: This study explored school administrators' perceptions and experiences in planning and implementing recess policies and practices in New Jersey middle schools. Method: A total of 168 surveys and 19 semistructured interviews were conducted on school administrators. The survey data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Semistructured…

One year after the COVID-19 pandemic forced state and school leaders across the nation and around the world to immediately close school buildings, the lasting impact on students is increasingly evident: Months of online learning and limited in-person interaction with educators, coaches and mentors have led to gaps in learning, and unknown…

The federal Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) grants states more authority over their school accountability systems than did No Child Left Behind (NCLB). Hence, states have an opportunity to design improved school rating systems. Three of the most important improvements that states can make are to ensure that their accountability systems: (1)…

This action research study aims to identify and address equity gaps within a PK-8 New Jersey school by leading a professional learning community (PLC). The study will use action research methods to conduct an educational equity audit, which will inform the annual school plan and create a leadership action plan to stimulate organizational change.…

On April 3, 2017, sixteen states (Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Dakota, Tennessee, and Vermont) and the District of Columbia submitted their Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) state accountability plans to either the US Department of…

As community colleges across the country look for ways to promote student success, the need for scaling effective approaches is critical. This guide builds on a framework of four phases of scaling developed in Job For the Future's (JFF's) previous publication, "Thinking Big: A Framework for States on Scaling Up Community College…

Faced with rising demand for information about early childhood programs, states need to find tools and strategies to monitor the progress of and to identify high-quality early childhood programs. In response, REL Mid-Atlantic convened a regional workgroup for state personnel who work with the systems containing early childhood data. The workgroup…

Silver Run Elementary School in the Millville Public School District is facing a major challenge. Last year's New Jersey State standardize test scores suggested a considerable gap in achievement in special education and African American populations. As a result, Silver Run School has been labeled a Focus School by the State of New Jersey. To meet…

The United States of America has seen a decline in the number of individuals pursuing degrees in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics or STEM. With an understanding that in order to stay competitive in the global economy, the United States must enhance its pipeline towards STEM disciplines. Schools must find a way to motivate and…

Increased attention to proposed federal early childhood education (ECE) legislation has sparked a debate on what the future holds for state-funded ECE systems. This brief explores how the goal of universal preschool is being shaped by the federal agenda and examines state programs in various stages of development. President Obama's Preschool for…

In the late summer of 2008, after the 2007-2008 fiscal year's books had closed, the nation's wealthiest universities were confronted with an unfamiliar sight: single-digit endowment returns. Not since 2003 had Harvard University (Cambridge, Massachusetts), Princeton University (Princeton, New Jersey), or Stanford University (Stanford, California)…

To help policymakers and others measure the school readiness of New Jersey children, the Association for Children of New Jersey (ACNJ) participated in the national School Readiness Indicators Initiative, funded by The Packard Foundation. Guided by research on what helps children succeed in school, ACNJ and various private and public New Jersey…

The financial state of the nation's public pension funds--which provide the retirement incomes for all state employees but in most states are dominated by teachers, administrators, and other school employees--has gone from bad to worse, and is projected to continue to worsen in coming decades. A perfect storm of factors has combined in the past…

This policy brief discusses how the implementation of high quality preschool required by the expansion initiative can set the stage for a more expansive view of the first stage of children's education: the development of a preschool-through third-grade (PK3) system. By adopting a broader view of early childhood education as a period extending from…

The Build Initiative is a multi-state partnership created to help states develop a coordinated system of programs, policies, and services that is responsive to the needs of families, careful in the use of private and public resources and effective in preparing the youngest children for a successful future. New Jersey is one of nine states selected…