The Ocean City School District's curriculum and student affairs committee summarized several administrative submissions and program reviews at the board meeting, including a request for a waiver of bilingual services and a plan to align teacher observations with state expectations.

Doctor McAllister, reporting for the committee, said the district discussed submitting a waiver for bilingual services because the district "doesn't have enough students to satisfy requirements." The committee also reviewed draft manuals and plans – nursing services, mentoring, crisis response, and a comprehensive equity plan – that the administration intends to submit to state oversight as required.

On teacher evaluation, McAllister said the administrative team proposed rebalancing observation practices so district evaluations align with state expectations. "The administrative team is looking at how they do that, and they wanted to change the observation bridal so that it's in line with the state expectations," McAllister said, noting the district previously operated under a waiver after serving as a pilot for the state's NJ Achieve observation model.

Committee members emphasized that teacher evaluation data drives professional development: aggregate weaknesses in areas such as questioning or small-group instruction inform district training priorities. McAllister said the district will retain the same rubrics and model while adjusting practice to match state guidance.

The committee also noted student activities and trips (including a high school surf team trip to California and the teen arts festival) and discussed the Raider Ready program for rising kindergartners. The committee scheduled its next meeting for June 11.

Discussion vs. decision: the meeting recorded committee discussion and a planned administrative change to observation practice; no final policy adoption or binding change to evaluation procedures was reported that evening. The waiver for bilingual services was described as a planned submission, not an approved change in program delivery.