Candi Mascia Reed is a retired principal of programs for deaf and hard of hearing students in the Total Communication programs of Bergen County Special Services in the Hackensack School District in New Jersey. Currently, she is an adjunct professor at The College of New Jersey, Special Education Language and Literacy, Deaf Education Teacher…

This article presents an interview with Katrina Bledsoe, a senior research associate with Planning, Research & Evaluation Services (PRES) Associates in Washington, D.C. Dr. Bledsoe was a faculty member in the Psychology Department at The College of New Jersey. She was trained under Stewart Donaldson at Claremont Graduate University (CGU) and…

Purpose is an internal compass that integrates engagement in activities that affect others, self-awareness of one's reasons, and the intention to continue these activities. We argue that purpose represents giftedness in intrapersonal intelligence, which processes information related to self, identity, self-regulation, and one's place in the world.…

This paper describes New Jersey's efforts to measure the performance of local school districts, efforts which include developing indicators of success and monitoring guidelines and certification standards. Specifically, this report compares and contrasts the ways in which local districts responded to being placed in "Level III"--a…

In question-and-answer format, New Jersey's new regulations on tenured teacher evaluation are explained, with special reference to local procedures and the role of the New Jersey Education Association. (SJL)

A report recently released by the Center on Education Policy reveals that the four-year-old No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act has indeed served to shine a light on the importance of professional development for K-12 educators. Beyond that basic fact, though, any real broad-based impact on the training of educators remains inconclusive. While the…

The New Jersey Education Association outlines the provisions of the state's 1979-80 tenured teacher evaluation regulations and advises its members on how to protect themselves during the annual evaluation process, especially in the conference with the evaluator. (SJL)

Examines the value of the Public Library Association Planning Process and Output Measures. It is concluded that the planning process is wasteful, in that it ignores existing literature and addresses conditions that libraries cannot change. It is also argued that adoption of the output measures would be dangerous, as it involves serious egalitarian…

Describes the development and activities of New Jersey's State Commission to Study Teacher Preparation Programs, the Newman Commission, and its proposals for teacher certification changes. Also presented are the New Jersey Education Association's views on the Commission and an NJEA policy statement on teacher education. (SJL)

New Jersey Education Association policy regarding testing is presented. The policy recognizes the need of teachers, students, parents, and other decision-makers for continuous and comprehensive evaluation and diagnosis of student progress, but opposes the use of tests for denying opportunities, allocating school funds, evaluating teachers or…

To clarify the New Jersey State Department of Education's compensatory education requirements, the Instruction Committee of the New Jersey Education Association (NJEA) submitted a list of 12 questions to the Department's Office of Compensatory Education. This article contains the Department's answers to 7 questions and the Instruction Committee's…

Detection of drug users at school is a problem complicated by recent New Jersey court cases upholding students' privacy rights against mandatory medical examinations and search-and-seizure actions. Requiring confidential medical screening by private physicians for sports and other extracurricular activities is an alternative strategy offering…

The development of the relationship between nonpublic schools and state and federal governments has raised a number of questions regarding public aid to nonpublic education. This study focuses on one of these questions, the problem of state agencies' responsibility for the evaluation, governance, planning, and monitoring of programs providing…

The New Jersey State Department of Education is implementing a program to evaluate every school on its basic skills instruction, improvement plans, and legal compliance. Unsatisfactory schools face labeling and a comprehensive program review. This article outlines the state plan and the New Jersey Education Association's objections to it. (SJL)

Principles of sound educational assessment are discussed, along with current assessment issues and appropriate roles of colleges and the state in developing and implementing assessment systems. Assessment practice in New Jersey is considered. Principles of good assessment include: assessment should serve, not dictate, educational purposes; forms…