Secondary leaders spotlight test gains, inclusion work and expanded pathways
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Summary
Middle- and high-school leaders told the board the district has seen MAP test growth, high extracurricular participation and a College Board 2025 AP Honor Roll recognition for Collingswood High School; administrators emphasized inclusion coaching and plans for new engineering and business pathways.
Officials from Collingswood’s middle and high schools presented an overview of secondary programming and recent student outcomes.
David Olivieri, CMS interim principal, told the board that MAP testing in January showed growth and that “as of January, more than 73 percent of our students are reading at or above grade level” compared with a 2025 New Jersey state average of about 53 percent. Olivieri described sustained efforts in literacy and math, including two daily ELA periods and a double math block in grade 6, and said the district is in year two of a three‑year inclusion grant with the New Jersey Inclusion Project that provides ongoing coaching for staff.
At Collinswood High School, Principal Doug Newman highlighted expanded college and career pathways and elective options. He said CHS offers more than 15 AP courses and reported that the school earned College Board honor‑roll recognition for 2025, reflecting broad student access to AP exams and strong performance: “This award means that… our AP program is successfully delivering college level results while broadening student access,” Newman said. He also described dual‑credit and college‑credit opportunities and a planned civil engineering course for 2026–27 to extend engineering access.
Interim assistant principal Duana Ambrose reviewed targeted supports, including ninth‑grade literacy interventions and professional learning communities (PLCs) that meet twice monthly. Ambrose also highlighted fine‑arts participation, biliteracy recognitions for Spanish and German, and plans to launch FBLA (Future Business Leaders of America) in 2026–27.
Why it matters: administrators framed the presentations around measurable supports (assessment, PLCs, inclusion coaching) and curricular expansions designed to increase college and career readiness. Board members asked for follow‑up data on supports for students who remain below grade level and indicated that a deeper report will be scheduled at a retreat or future meeting.
What's next: the district said it will share the presentation materials and provide a follow‑up on interventions for students not yet meeting grade‑level benchmarks.