Signs
of improvement at P'burg schools
DISTRICT OFF UNDERPERFORMING
LIST. Students' scores on the state's standardized test
scores getting better.
Saturday, April 01, 206 • By SARAH CASSI • The
Express-Times
PHILLIPSBURG | A week that began with bad
news for Phillipsburg School District officials regarding
state funding ended Friday on a good note.
State officials announced nine school
districts, including Phillipsburg, and 74 schools are no
longer "in need of improvement," a definition used for
underperforming districts under the federal No Child Left
Behind Act.
Schools are labeled as "in need of
improvement" when they miss one of more than 40 criteria on
standardized tests for more than two years in a row, said
Richard Vespucci, Department of Education
spokesman.
Phillipsburg Business Administrator Bill
Poch said the change won't affect the district's
funding.
Poch said because of the switch, the
district will not have to set aside funding for
Andover-Morris Elementary improvements; the improvements
were required as part of the AYP review.
NCLB requires education departments to
release the lists of schools and districts in need of
improvement before the school year starts. New Jersey used
preliminary calculations from state tests when it submitted
its list last year, but had to adjust the list when the
actual scores were released.
Other districts removed from the list
include Hunterdon Central Regional, Orange, North Brunswick
and Linden.
Vespucci said districts face severe
consequences if they remain on the AYP list for more than
five years; parents can transfer their students into better
districts, schools can be closed and their students absorbed
by surrounding districts, or districts can face massive
restructuring.
The announcement is encouragement for
districts to remain off the list, Vespucci said.
"It's one big 'Keep up the good work,'"
he said.
Reporter Sarah Cassi can be reached at 610-258-7171 or by
e-mail at scassi@express-times.com.
© 2006 The Express-Times. Used with
permission.
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